1. Combination of Taekwondo, Karate and Muay Thai
This sport is one of the true contact sports. It is a combination of taekwondo, karate and Muay Thai, considered "The Science of Eight Limbs." The eight limbs mentioned refer to the use of two hands, two shins, two elbows and both knees that practitioners use both in Muay Thai and kickboxing.
2. Rules of Japanese Kickboxing
Even though it seems short, 15 minutes broken down to five rounds containing 3 minutes each, the sport is grueling. The Japanese kickboxers can attack everywhere on the body except the crotch, whether it is below the belt or not. There's also no head butting or shoving allowed in kickboxing, but otherwise the boxers can use elbows, knees and every means necessary to win. Even neck wrestling is legal. Neck wrestling allows the kickboxer to fold his arms around the opponent's head and attack the rest of the body with the knees.
3. The Start
If you like both Karate and Muay Thai then you understand why the first kickboxing started. Two karate instructors Noguchi and Kenji Kurosaki studied Muay Thai and developed the combination of martial arts and Muay Thai. Kickboxing originally had the name karate boxing to show that it was a combination. You use the moves of Karate and Muay Thai and also the punches of boxing. The early matches created interest and the Japanese latched on to the sport and embraced it.
4. Kickboxing for Exercise
Kickboxing is an especially taxing sport that gives exercise, balance, strength and coordination to those that practice it. It is an excellent all around exercise for people that want cardiovascular and strength exercise wrapped into one. Since more points of contact are allowed, full body conditioning takes place to prepare for the sport. Flexibility from the karate portion of kickboxing is also a benefit of the sport.
5. Types of Kicks, Knees and Punches
There are various punches familiar to boxing in Japanese kickboxing. Cross punch or straight punch, jab, hook and uppercut are familiar terms in most boxing rings and kickboxing rings. Backfist is one that is a special punch. Cross counter, bolo and undercut are other punches used. The kicks used in Japanese kickboxing are front and side kick, roundhouse, semi-circular, spinning kicks like the hook, side and back. There are jumping kicks and various kneeing assaults also brought from the karate background.
Posted in: Kickboxing