5 Significant Kickboxing Systems

Although the beginning of kickboxing stays inaccessible and questionable, many authorities have traced its roots to the sixteenth century.

During this period, combatants in Indochina were taught to use each part of their limbs for offensive & defensive combat.

Such conditioning spurred military members to try their skills against each other in competitive kickboxing contests.

In Thailand particularly, these competitions were welcomed by royalty and the wider public alike.

The competitions involved two contenders executing full-force attacks with their hands, elbows, knees, shins, and feet against each other. Fights were halted after the end of a given time limit or once an opponent could no longer continue the fight.

Rules became systematized in the 20th century and the kickboxing competitions were formally identified as Muay Thai, which is rephrased as “Thai Boxing”.

Although other systems such as Japanese kickboxing may hold direct roots in Thai Kickboxing, the styles of Chinese San Shou, French Savate, Indian Adithada, and American or European kickboxing appear to have formed asynchronously and unassisted by their Thai peer.

The following is not comprehensive of all kickboxing systems but stresses the most typical and significant styles honored internationally.

Japanese kickboxing

Japanese kickboxing is also known as “International Rules Kickboxing”. It acquired favor in the 1960s and its maturation in Japan was likely impacted directly by Thai kickboxing. Japanese Kickboxing is equivalent to Thai kickboxing, but the former does not always permit strikes with the elbows and knees. Also, Japanese Kickboxing doesn’t include the ceremonial elements of its Thai ancestor.

San Shou

San Shou is traditionally and linguistically connected to San Da, which is also called “free fighting”. Acquired from hand-to-hand combat training of the Chinese Army and a branch of contemporary Wushu, San Shou was acknowledged as an authorized sport by the Chinese government in the 20th century.

Savate

Savate can be translated from French to mean “old shoe”. It was originally referenced in 18th-century writing and was likely taken from the fighting styles of mariners and criminals. In the 1800s, a Savate training camp was founded in Paris, the system became famous throughout France, and Napoleon III ordered that his soldiers be skilled in its use. This system is distinctive in that fighters wear shoes during matches. Technically, a scoring blow may be known if any part of the shoe touches one’s challenger. Savate was acknowledged internationally as an official sport in the 1900s.

Adithada

Adithada is a system that seems to have been conceived in Southern India and is comparable to Thai kickboxing. Yet, the former adds pressure-point tactics to the rival’s armamentarium. Adithada potentially preceded and impacted the evolution of other kickboxing systems in Indochina.

American Or European Kickboxing

American or European Kickboxing emerged in the late 1960s as a full-contact version of Sport Karate. Consequently, this system is also known as full-contact Karate. With the exclusion of foot sweeps, this martial art’s regulations require that all striking is above the waist.

Current Kickboxing Practice

Certain areas may promote one form of kickboxing over others because of fan-based, ethnic, or ceremonial importance. However, some event facilitators publicize various other kickboxing systems on one fight card, and might even exhibit other combat sports such as MMA and boxing. Some fighters partake in point or semi-contact kickboxing competitions, in which full-force methods are not permitted or are rigorously restricted.

Kickboxing Facilities And Equipment

Kickboxing sports gyms typically have an assortment of heavy bags, speed bags, handheld pads, protective body pads, medicine balls, jump ropes, headgear, boxing gloves, shin guards, and places for calisthenics exercise and sparring. Actual matches are commonly held in a boxing ring. Nevertheless, some outlets hold competitions on an open platform or in a cage like MMA.

Protective gear for matches differs depending on the kickboxer’s sex, experience, and the regulations distinct to a given system of kickboxing. Amateur kickboxing contest regulations, generally, order that fighters wear boxing gloves, mouthguards, protective headgear, groin protection for males, and shinguards. For amateur competitions in which fighters are not permitted to kick below the waist, protective foot covers are also usually mandatory.

Amateur competitions in Thai kickboxing may contain the addition of elbow padding and thoracoabdominal padding.

Professional kickboxing competition regulations, generally, require that fighters wear boxing gloves, mouth guards, and groin protectors for men. For professional contests in which fighters are not permitted to kick below the waist, shinguards, and protective foot covers are also normally a must.

Regulations Associated With Sports Medicine

A kickboxing fight is normally split up into rounds of 2–4 min each with a break of 1–2 min between rounds. A Thai kickboxing fight frequently includes 3–5 rounds, while other systems of kickboxing might have more than 12 rounds per match. A fighter looks to win by:

1. Disabling his or her opponent through any combination of techniques
2. Scoring higher than their opponent by landing strikes many more times than them and by being more decisive.