Kickboxing

Full Contact: Some consider full contact originated in 1950’s when Kickboxing was introduced to the world of fighting arts. However there are few which associate this to American kickboxing which came into existence in 1970′s.

In this discipline the idea is to strike hard the opponent using full power and energy. These fights are held in the ring and safety of kick boxers lies with the referee. Referee is also responsible to maintain rules in the ring. The players are allowed to execute punches and kicks on authorized targets only with attention, speed and conviction. Players are allowed to kick and punch on the head of the opponent and anywhere on the body above the waist. The judges give scores after counting the legal hits and strikes.

The amateur full contact fights organized by IKF and WAKO have 3 rounds of 2 minutes each with a break of 1 minute in between. In full contact men are bare chested and wear short pants along with gears like shin pads, groin pads, mouth guards and gloves. Women wear trunk tops, chest protection and all clothing or gears similar to that of men. Head gears are used in amateur fights.

As per International Kickboxing rules there are two more disciplines of kickboxing, as follows;

Light Contact: In light contact fighting the kicks and punches are well administered and the idea here is to score points. The players use same fighting techniques as used in full contact but the actions are well administered. Equal importance is placed on kicking and punching techniques. The light contact sport is played without stopping and until the referee shouts "Stop" or "Break". The referee administers the fight and sees to it that the rules are followed by the players but doesn’t judge the players.

One can gradually make out that light contact is a stage created between full contact and semi contact disciplines. Unlike full contact men wear t-shirts in conjunction with short pants and gears.

Semi Contact: Semi contact fight is played by the players with the only objective of scoring points by well administered kicks and punches. Equal importance is placed on kicks and punches. The players should be focused and should use full power and energy to score points. When the player executes legal techniques they gain points, these points are called valid points. The referees judging the players reward the points by pointing their fingers at the players. But time is not stopped by the referee to reward points or charge penalty.

Kicking and Punching are two critical and elementary facets in kickboxing.

Therefore beginners should also understand the different punches and kicks at the elementary level.

Basic Punches:

The elementary kickboxing punches are same as the boxing punches:

· Jab: Jab is a straight and fast punch from front hand. It is thrown at the face of the opponent to defend self by combining this act with a cross.

· Cross: It is a punch thrown either by left hand towards right or right hand towards left. Cross is also considered a quick hit and is always used by kick boxers in series with Jab. Jab and Cross are the two most accepted forms of punches.

· Upper Cut: Unlike jab and cross this punch is not used in series by the kick boxers and is considered as a surprise punch. In upper cut the punch is thrown by using either of the hands to the chin. In this form the punch starts from the mid section and goes straight up as if rising.

· Hook: Hook is a rounded punch and is other surprise punch used by kick boxers. This punch makes a lot of impact on the opponent. The kick boxer uses heavy hand to execute this punch in an arching position.

Basic Kicks:

The elementary kicks used by the kick boxers are as below:

· Front kick: Front kick is also known as the "push kick". While attempting this one needs to stand facing the opponent, lift either of the legs then bend the knee and kick with the heel of the foot. This kick creates an impact on the opponent since it either strikes the chest or face of the opponent.

· Roundhouse kick: "Circle kick" is another name to address this kick. The kick boxer stands side ways facing the opponent, lifts the front leg, bends the knee and strikes with the upper foot or lower shin on the head or anywhere on the body above waist.

· Side Kick: In side kick too the kick boxer stands facing side ways to the opponent, lifts the front leg then turn it in the knee brings it back slightly and hits a kick. A lot of impact can be made on the opponent by striking a kick with outer part of the foot. The kick can be stroked either on the head or anywhere on the body above waist.

With the above techniques the beginners can start slowly but steadily.

There are many styles in kickboxing and you will find and will be surprised to know that the styles range from traditional to the modern techniques.

Muay Boran: It is understood that the Buddhist monks were familiar and used to teach this form of kickboxing. They used to hold fights during festivals. This form is said to have originated even before Muay Thai came into existence and is also known as "Ancient boxing". The practitioner can make use of hands, legs, knees, elbows and head in this form.

Lerdrit: This form was used by the Thai Royal army. Practitioners make use of finger jabs, palm strikes and extensive use of grappling.

Adithada: This is as well known as "Indian boxing". This form is practiced in some parts of Kerala, Kanyakumari and a few parts of Sri Lanka. It uses the pressure point approach. Practitioners make use of bare hands, feet, knees and forehead as weapons.

Pradal Serey: This form originated in Cambodia and has now gained importance as Cambodia’s national sport. This style is also known as "Khmer Boxing". Practitioners make use of elbow strikes instead of knee strikes here.

Japanese Kickboxing style: Japanese kicboxing was introduced by Osamu Noguchi and Tatsuo Yamada. This is the first style which tapped the name "kickboxing" in the year 1966. It consists of 5 rounds of 3 minutes each. It allows strikes made by elbows and knees. And kicks are allowed on the lower body except the crotch. Neck wrestling is allowed here; however the use of headbutts and throws is barred since the year 1966 to ensure boxers’s safety.

American Kickboxing style: It is a full contact sport, wherein two competitiors of almost same weight fight against each other. The boxers are allowed to strike only the upper body using their fists and legs. There are 3-12 rounds of 2-3 minutes each with a break of 1 minute in between in Amateur as well as Professional fights.

International Kickboxing style: This style can be considered as a blend of Muay Thai and Japanese Kickboxing. So one can make out that International kickboxing rules are similar to those of Japanese kickboxing.

One should keep in mind several things while kickboxing; while we have discussed this earlier here summarizing it is no harm. There will be many who must have heard about kickboxing as a combat sport but when it comes to cardio there is no physical contact among the practitioners. Therefore it is a safe form of exercise.

Before you join any training please consult your physician. People especially with chronic ailments like asthma, diabetes or people with heart diseases should get a physical check up done and should follow their doctor’s advice. Similarly pregnant women should also consult their gynecologists.

The next thing one should not forget is to find the class or a gym which is as per your requirement. To begin with one needs to go slow with exercise and need not overstretch. Hence observe the sessions and then only decide on joining any training facility.

Once you join the class, take every instruction seriously. One should be serious with the warm up sessions and do not consider these as sheer waste of time. Drink a lot of water before and after the sessions. Kickboxing also allows you to take a break in between sessions, but don’t make this a habit.

Confirm the diet plan with your instructor. You need to have a proper diet consisting of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

You should also find out the proper clothing and gears you need to wear while kickboxing. Remember to buy clothing which will fit you correctly and is not too tight or too loose.

Practice your punch and kicks accurately and with the right amount of force and power. This will benefit you in practicing the right move and also will help you shape up your shoulders.

Lastly breath properly, inhale when you take back your hands and exhale when you punch. In case of any doubt please consult your instructor and avoid doing something that will do you harm.

Please do your regimen thoroughly and follow the above steps until kickboxing becomes a habit.

As any other sport kickboxing also have some famous players. To start with first we have

Toshio Fujiwara: A Japanese kickboxing sensation, who has won 123 of 141 matches. He is also the first non Thai to win National Muay Thai title in Bangkok.

Nai Khanom Tom: A Thai kickboxing legend who became a champion after defeating a Burmese opponent and continued to win 9 more titles in series without taking a break in front of the Burmese King.

Benny Urquidez: He was also known as the “jet” and has a remarkable record of 49 knockouts from 1974-1993. Benny helped US full contact fighting in its early years.

Musashi: Musashi is one of the most celebrated and successful Japanese player. His career start was so bad that no one would have ever imagined Musashi becoming a celebrity. His career lasted from 1995-2008.

Semmy Schilt: Semmy is a proficient Dutch kickboxing champ, who also trained in mixed martial arts and Ashihara karate is a type of full contact martial arts. Most recently in April 2010 he successfully defended for the title the fourth time.

Women kick boxers are also not far behind, names like Aya Mitsui and Sugar Miyuki are trained not only in kickboxing but also highly injurious Thai boxing style.

Naoka Kumagai: She is the most feared in the women kickboxing ring. She is known for her aggression and supremacy in this sport which has annoyed many of Korea’s women kick boxers like world champion Kim Messer.

Kim Messer: Kim is known as the “fireball” in the ring and has cooled off many of her opponents with great skills. Her destructive style of fighting has earned a lot of reputation and is an inspiration to other women kick boxers.

The youngest kickboxing champ is just 6 years old and has won accolades for Malaysia. Byan Leong has made a world record by winning a World Kick boxing Championship after beating competitors from US, Germany and Ireland in the year 2009.

So gender, age and nationality is not an issue for kickboxing what only matters are the pains to be taken for learning its skills.

There are many movies made on Kickboxing. The most famous being “Kickboxer”, this film was made in the year 1989 starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Kickboxer is a story about an American kickboxing champion who is crippled in the event by opponent Tong Po and his younger brother Kurt Sloan played by Van Damme swears revenge. Movie shows how by unconventional training techniques Kurt becomes an expert Kickboxer. This movie accurately represents the combination of Karate and Muay Thai.

“Kickboxer 2- The Road back” was made in the year 1991 was the first in the sequence of sequels. Van Damme is not seen in this sequel as Kurt Sloan and Eric Sloan have already been shot dead by the bad Tong Po. In this movie the battle is taken up by Kurt’s brother David Sloan, who has to fight against Tong Po. The character is played by Sasha Mitchell.

“Kickboxer 3- The Art of War” has no connection with champion Tong Po and has a new story line but is considered a disappointment by many fans. This movie revolves around Sasha Mitchell as David Sloan.

“Kickboxer 4- The Agressor” again Sasha comes back as David and is confronted by Tong Po. This time David fights a battle to save his wife.

“Kickboxer 5- The Redemption” is last in the series. This movie ends the character of David Sloan as he dies. The sixth sequel was planned originally, but when the movie failed to good amount of profit this idea was discarded.

Then there is a movie “Beautiful Boxer” this movie is based on a true story where in a kickboxer Nong Toom’s deep desire to become a woman reveals when he wears make up to the ring. Nong Toom’s character is played by real life kickboxing star Asanee Suwan. This movie was made in English, Thai and Japanese with English subtitles.

Kickboxing is also seen in a few Indian movies like Naseeb, Ghayal, Gumrah and the very recent Lahore. So this fighting style is not new for us Indians.

Kickboxing being a combat sport various traditional and modern gears are found for sale. There are many websites which provide complete details of the products. These products range from gloves to shoes. One will be surprised to see the beautiful colours used for gloves, shin-guards and even uniforms.

There are various types of protective gears which are used by the participants, like; mouth guard, shin-guard or shin pads, groin guard, boxing gloves and helmets. Women also use same gears as men. Head gears are usually used during the semi contact events and by children below the age of 16 years.

Along with a proper instructor one must also be careful about their gears and clothing. Clothing must not be too tight or too loose. In case of too tight clothing one will not be able to stretch properly and this might lead to injury. Similarly, if they are too loose one may end loosing them. There are various kickboxing schools which prefer uniform known as “gi”. Therefore what you wear is most important. Now days fight attires are available in the market. This consists of fighter shorts and fighter t-shirts. These are available in various sizes so they stay on your body and are not too tight. The best t-shirts of this kind are the sweat absorbent ones, so you stay cooled off even during a fight.

There are several forms of gears which one training in kickboxing need to have. The most important being hand gloves since they protect your hands, but they are not the only necessary things. There are Hand wraps which are worn inside the gloves. These wraps are wrapped around the wrist, palms and base of the thumb, they protect the boxers against injuries made while punching. The feet also need protection, the kickboxing boots fit comfortably in ones feet. These are bare at the bottom but are padded at the top so as to absorb shock created by the kick. Therefore right type of clothing and gears are essential.

Kickboxing though confused with Muay Thai do finds its origin in this form of Thai boxing which is practiced in Thailand and some other parts of Asia. There are other arts too which are considered as kickboxing, this includes Japanese kickboxing, American boxing, Indian boxing, Burmese boxing and many other variations with a slight difference in the rules. Thus kickboxing is a disputed term, but the sport that is widespread as kickboxing find its origin to the modern day martial arts practitioners of Japan and America.

Kickboxing was first created and promoted by karate practitioner Tatsuo Yamada and Japanese boxing practitioner Osamu Noguchi in 1950’s. Tatsuo Yamada wanted to develop a sport which could include full contact rules, as it was unthinkable at this time to hit each other in Karate. But Yamada’s interest in learning Muay Thai was too incredible and he started learning this form from a Thai practitioner. Later this Thai practitioner was taken over by Osamu Noguchi who was also interested in Muay Thai and wanted to develop a new sensation sport. In 1963 Karate vs. Muay Thai matches were held in Thailand where Japan won the matches. Further Noguchi developed the first combat sport which was a combination of Muay, Thai, karate and boxing. Thus “Kickboxing” came into existence in 1966. Osamu Noguchi also formed The Kickboxing Association during the same time. This sport became so famous that it was broadcasted on television for many years. This sport is now widely known as “Japanese Kickboxing” and recently “K-1” to distinguish it from other sports with the same name.

Kickboxing originated in the United States of America in the 1970’s when the American Karate contestants became annoyed with the stringent rules of martial arts which didn’t involve full contact kicks and punches. However there were no set rules and infrastructure to support this sport. But this sport bloomed when The World Kickboxing Association came into existence.