Shootfighting is a combat sport and martial art, with competitions governed by the International Shootfighting Association (ISFA). Shootfighting incorporates techniques from a multitude of traditional martial arts, the most principle of these being Muay Thai and Catch Wrestling.

Shootfighting was previously used synonymously with mixed martial arts competitions in Japan, as opposed to shoot-style professional wrestling competitions. This usage of the term is retired from common usage because it became a registered trademark of Bart Vale, who uses it to describe his hybrid fighting system derived from shoot wrestling. However, it is still sometimes used colloquially.

Examples which were once considered shootfighting styles, tournaments or organizations are Pancrase, Shoot boxing and Shooto, where many fighters still considered themselves to be shootfighters. Ken Shamrock is possibly the most recognisable shoot fighter, as this was the discipline he was credited as using in the early days of the UFC.

Bart Vale (born June 4, 1957) is an American former kickboxer, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is known for his "old school" American martial arts look, consisting of a mustache, mullet and American flag trunks.

Bart Vale began his martial arts training in 1970 with Kenpō Karate, in which he holds a 7th degree black belt. He later travelled to Japan where he was a professional wrestler and the Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi (a shoot-style professional wrestling organization) champion for close to three years. In Japan, he also studied a number of other styles and coined the term "shootfighting", a martial art that combines striking and grappling. He co-founded the International Shootfighting Association and in 1992, began the Shootfighting World Championships.

Vale made his debut in mixed martial arts in April 1993 in RINGS Fighting Network. After fought 5 matches for the Japan based organization he participated in October 1995 in the WCC World Combat Championships. In the first round of the tournament he defeated Mike Bitonio via first-round submission. Fighting at 260 lbs, Vale outweighed Bitonio by 45 lbs. Bart Vale was to face Renzo Gracie in the semi finals but Vale wasn't able to continue due to head lacerations. He had two further MMA bouts, in which he lost to Kazunari Murakami and Dan Severn. In addition to this, he also competed in the K-1 kickboxing promotion twice. In 1996, he was invited into the K-1 World Grand Prix and was defeated by Andy Hug. His next bout, against Nobuaki Kakuda in 1998, also ended in defeat. In the early days of MMA, back when it was still called NHB, Vale was introduced as the man who beat Ken Shamrock, which later has been suggested as a worked fight.

Yoshiaki Fujiwara (藤原 喜明, Fujiwara Yoshiaki^?, April 27, 1949) is a Japanese actor, and professional wrestler who has worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, and UWF.

Fujiwara was the first graduate of the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo (Mr. Pogo was the first debutante in the promotion, but he and Gran Hamada had trained with Tatsumi Fujinami before he and Antonio Inoki left the Japanese Wrestling Association). A former Muay Thai kickboxer, Fujiwara was easily able to absorb and apply the "Strong Style" of professional wrestling taught by Inoki and Karl Gotch. In 1975, this led Fujiwara to win the Karl Gotch Cup (a tournament for rookies named after Karl Gotch and forerunner to the latter Young Lions Cups). In the late 1970s, Fujiwara became embroiled in a feud with Allen Coage (a former Olympic judo bronze medal winner who had debuted as a pro wrestler in NJPW, and one of the first gaijins to be trained at the NJPW dojo) over the petty issue of who had the strongest head. Fujiwara would bang his head repeatedly against the ring's corner post's metal face to provoke Coage, and behind the scenes, Coage would advise him not to do so repeatedly, in fear of suffering permanent real-life damage.

Ralph Gracie (born May 25, 1971) is a Brazilian martial artist. Like other members of the Gracie family, he competed in mixed martial arts. He is the son of Robson Gracie and brother to Charles Gracie, Renzo Gracie and the late Ryan Gracie, both of whom have competed in various fighting events. In sharp contrast to the typical "passive" Gracie approach, Ralph's aggressive and often brutal approach earned him the nickname of "Pitbull". He has also taught former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion, BJ Penn, when he first came to California from Hawaii.

Ralph's 1995 American debut was featured in the short-lived Battlecade Extreme Fighting events. Gracie easily won fights versus Makoto Murauko, Steve Nelson, and Ali Mihoubi, the longest of which lasted a mere minute and thirty-four seconds. Despite Gracie's obvious success, critics are now quick to point out that MMA competitions in this period were still in its infancy. It would take the competition several years to catch up to the Gracie approach to ground fighting.