When the word ‘kickboxing’ is mentioned at any gathering, the immediate image that comes to mind is one of a tall and muscled man named Jean-Claude Van Damme. The Belgian kick boxer nicknamed ‘The Muscles from Brussels’ became more famous when he graced the Hollywood scene and showcased his extreme talents in the movies. Two of his most famous films immediately come to mind. First is Bloodsport, and the other was aptly titled Kickboxer. Apart from kickboxing, The Muscles from Brussels also excelled in other martial arts such as Shotokan and Karate.
With that image in your mind to inspire you, here is a short background on what you need to know about kickboxing.
Kickboxing was originally a martial art, and later on became a famous sport where the kicks executed are extremely similar, and as you guessed it, styled from other martial arts, while the punching executed in this sport is similar to those executed in a boxing match. As with most martial arts, this sport is played standing up, and opponents who have made contact with the floor or the ground are not allowed to continue playing.
Since kickboxing is considered as a full-contact sport, just like football, those playing or practicing it are required to wear some form of protection or protective gear in order to make sure that there will be no or at least very little injuries attained during the practice of kickboxing. Protective gear are designed for specific parts of the body that will be sensitive when hit, such as the head, the mouth, the chest (for women), the legs and the groin area (specifically for the men). Some of these safety precautions are called mouth- guard, boxing gloves, groin- guard, and helmet. Male players/ practitioners are usually bare- chested when playing kickboxing, while women usually wear tank-tops, after which they wear their chest protection.
There is a semi-contact game established where competitors are bound by game rules that are not as rigorous or as ‘full- contact’ as the usual kickboxing game. The only intention in a semi- contact game is that the players must only exhibit strikes that are successful when these go beyond or past the guard of the competitor. Also, the intensity of the force that competitors use is guarded. Sometimes, players of a semi- contact game are distinguished by wearing shirts, as opposed to those playing the full- contact game where the competitors are shirtless while playing.
A similar sport to kickboxing is Muay Thai, otherwise known as Thai boxing. The main difference between the two martial arts is that there are additional kicks and strikes allowed in Thai kickboxing. These additional kicks and strikes are below the belt of the competitor, and strikes with the use of elbows and knees are also allowed. In the American version of kickboxing, competitors may use their fists and legs/ feet, but they may only strike above their competitor’s belt or hip. The use of elbows and knees to strike an opponent is not allowed, as well as strikes to the opponent’s shin.

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