What are the Olympic sports that start with Z? Are there any sports that start with Z?
When sports lovers are asked to mention sports that start with Z, they are left thinking for a long time. It is because few familiar sports begin with Z. However, we have compiled a list of such sports that you may have yet to hear of. Read along to learn everything about these sports starting with the letter Z.
Contents
1. Zorb Football
Zorb football, also known as bubble football or bubble soccer, is a recreational sport. In this sport, the players are half-encased in a bubble-like ball that resembles a zorb.
It covers half of the body and head of the participant. Zorb football is played on both recreational and competitive levels.
This sport can be played in both outdoor and indoor settings. However, to play zorb football, you need a spacious field because the bubbles occupy large spaces.
Gameplay
Bubble football revolves around similar principles and rules as typical football, both participating teams contest to hit the ball into the opposing team’s goal. Each unit consists of five players.
The primary objective is to make as many goals as possible against the opposing team. The only addition is that each player must wear a water bubble-like inflatable bubble around their upper torso.
At the start of the match, the ball is placed in the middle of the field, and the players of each team are aligned near their respective goal lines. As the game begins, players from each team run toward the ball to gain possession and make the goal.
Origin
Zorb football originated in Norway and has gained massive popularity in the United Kingdom, the United States, and New Zealand.
2. Ziplining
The most popular sport that starts with the letter Z is ziplining. However, some may not consider it a sport and only consider it a recreational activity.
The main component of sport ziplining is a pulley called zipline, flying fox, or death slide suspended on a stainless steel cable connected at the two sides of a slope. Zip lining is mainly practiced in mountains, treks, forests, and similar geological structures.
History of Ziplining
For more than twenty thousand years, ropeways and aerial cables have been used as a mode of transportation across mountains. This practice started in India, China, and Japan as early as 250 BC.
Working
The participants, also known as zippers, are suspended from a pulley that slides across a cable. Gravity propels them from a higher point to a lower end.
The speed of the zipper depends on two factors, the weight of the zipper and the amount of incline.
Purpose
Ziplining courses are designed for two primary reasons:
- Purely adrenaline rush
- To enjoy the natural surrounding like mountains, forests, and waterfalls.
3. Zui Quan
Next on our list of sports that start with Z is Zui Quan, which translates to drunken boxing, refers to all styles of Chinese martial arts. It is also called a drunken fist because most hand movements imitate that of a drunk person.
In this fighting sport, various combat methods, like hitting, punching, grappling, locking, dodging, feinting, and ground and aerial fighting, are incorporated.
Working
Zui Quan has not only practical value but also high artistic value. This sport incorporates footwork and body alongside martial techniques.
The principal objective is to attack the opponent at unusual times without any specific rhythm.
Drunken boxing requires excellent balancing and coordination skills. Zui Quan styles also involve using different weapons like a gun, saber, fan, flute, spear, gourd bottle, and more.
Origin
Zui Quan originated in China and traces back to Buddhist and Daoist religious societies.
Zui Quan Styles
1. The Buddhist style
It is affiliated with the Shaolin temple. The Buddhist style of Zui Quan is more acrobatic and external.
2. The Daoist style
It is related to the Daoist tale of the drunken eight Immortals. The Eight Immortals Zui Quan is acrobatic and more internal.
4. Zen Bu Kan Kempo
Zen Bu Kan Kempo is another ancient sport primarily consisting of karate and martial arts practices.
It focuses on creating a complete and peaceful mind, body, and spirit while incorporating traditional and modern karate teachings.
Zen Bu Kan Kempo’s fighting style can also be used for actual combat and self-defense scenarios because it mainly focuses on efficiency and reality.
Origin
Zen Bu Kan Kempo originated in Australia by a grandmaster named Hanshi Imre Harnos. The highest governing body of this sport is the Hungarian Zen Bu Kan Kempo Sports Organization.
Techniques
This sport combines complex fighting techniques, including punching, stretches, chokes, kicking, bare-handed and armed self-defense, throwing, ground fighting, etc. In addition, it is based on the techniques of Shaolin Kempo, Jiu-Jitsu, karate, and boxing.
5. Zourkhaneh
Last sport on our list of sports that start with Z is Zourkhaneh.
Zourkhaneh rituals or pahlevani is the name assigned by UNESCO for varzesh-e-pahlevani or varzesh-e-bastani, which refers to traditional forms of martial arts and athletics. It is marked as the world’s oldest strength conditioning system, combining martial arts, music, strength training, and calisthenics.
Zourkhaneh is not a direct Olympic sport. Instead, it is an Olympic sport through a lineage of catch wrestling and freestyle wrestling.
The training sessions of Zourkhaneh rituals are practiced in a dome-shaped structure and consist of gymnastic movements and submission grappling combat. It uses the following martial arts tools that help increase resistance:
- Shena (a push-up board)
- Meal (Persian clubs)
- Sang (a shield)
- Kabbalah (steel now)
Origin
Zourkhaneh first appeared as martial arts used to train the warriors that originated in Persia or now-day Iran. Outside Iran, it is also found in Azerbaijan and Afghanistan. Iranian immigrants introduced Pahlevani in these countries.
International Zurkhaneh Sport Federation
The only highest governing body of this sport is the International Zurkhaneh Sports Federation (IZSF) which aims to promote varzesh-e-pahlevani globally.
Currently, 72 countries are part of the IZSF. The organization arranges many official competitions like Asia championships, Europe championships, World Championships, and many others alongside unofficial practice games.
In recent years, many games have been held for this sport’s seniors, juniors, and disabled contestants.
Benefits of Zourkhaneh
Zourkhaneh is an incredibly demanding and systemic fluid yet simple and approachable sport. It integrates various routines and exercises that help develop the physical skills required by any martial artist.
It focuses on ten general physical skills:
