Kickboxing

From Karate, Kungfu, Wrestling, Mixed Fighting Information Source

Kickboxing is a generic name for several combat sports that all include, at minimum, both punches and kicks. In most versions, padded gloves are always worn to lessen the chance of injury to a fighter's hands or the face of his/her opponent.

There are many Western and Asian versions of kickboxing. Some of the most popular include:

• Full contact - only kicks and punches above the waist are permitted.
• Freetsyle - kicks are allowed to any part of the body but the groin.
• Savate (French kickboxing, or boxe française) - same rules as freestyle kickboxing, but a fighter may land a kick only with the shoe--savateurs are required to always wear special savate shoes when fighting in the ring--and not the shin, which is allowed in most other styles of kickboxing.
• Muay Thai - Thai kickboxing allows the use of knee and elbow strikes, including pulling down the opponent's head in order to land a knee to the face or body.
• Sanshou or Sanda - Chinese kickboxing allows knee strikes but not elbows. It also permits a fighter to throw the opponent to the floor. Points are awarded to a fighter each time he "downs" his opponent, whether with a punch, a kick, or a throw, though the system for deciding how many points are awarded for each "downing" is a bit convoluted.
• Shoot boxing - a Japanese style of kickboxing. A cross between Sanshou and Muay Thai, it permits throws and knee and elbow strikes.

Kickboxing is also studied by many fighters involved in Mixed Martial Arts. Its simplicity lends itself to MMA rules, which prohibit the use of many if not most of the more dangerous techniques taught in more "sophisticated" martial arts.

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