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Kickboxing refers to the sport of using martial-arts-style kicks and western-boxing-style punches to defeat an opponent in a similar way to that of standard boxing. Kickboxing is often practiced for general fitness, or as a full-contact sport. In the full-contact sport the male boxers are bare chested wearing kickboxing trousers and protective gear including: mouth-guard, hand-wraps, 10oz boxing gloves, groin-guard, shin-pads, and kick-boots. The female boxers will wear a tank top in addition to the male clothing/protective gear. Many people make the mistake of confusing kickboxing with thaiboxing, the two sports are similar however only thaiboxing bouts are fought barefoot wearing thaiboxing shorts. Furthermore, in thaiboxing kicks below the belt are legal, as well as knee and elbow attacks. Kickboxing is usually practiced as an independent style, but in some cases kickboxing is a set of rules by which martial artists of other styles may compete too, however as the sport continually evolves a pure kickboxing style is more frequently the norm as a more specific training is required at advanced levels. Kickboxing is a standing sport and does not allow continuation of the fight once a combatant has reached the ground, in addition all punches and kicks must land above the belt (groin-guards are purely precautionary). One can start at any age, but until 18 years old, a protective helmet is strongly recommended. Forms of kickboxing that have been labelled under this term [1] include:
- Adithada (Indian kickboxing) — A form of kickboxing that uses knee, elbow and forehead strikes
- Lethwei (Burmese Kickboxing) — Traditional Burmese martial arts of which has now grown into a popular kickboxing event with strong emphasis on knee, elbow strikes and head butt. Any part of the body may be used to strike and be struck. It us also known as Bando kickboxing.
- Pradal Serey (Khmer kickboxing) — A possible predecessor of Muay Thai
- Muay Thai (Thai boxing) — Traditional Thai martial art of which has now grown into a popular kickboxing event with strong emphasis on knee and elbow strikes
- Japanese kickboxing — Similar to Muay Thai, but different point system is taken (e.g. K-1).
- American kickboxing — Similar to Japanese kickboxing and Full contact karate, but different point system is taken
- Full Contact Karate — Most of the time padding and in some cases body armor is used and is the applicable component of karate like many other styles which also include routines training.
- Savate (French kickboxing) — Allows the use of shoes
- Sanshou/Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) — The applicable component of wushu/kung fu of which Takedowns and throws are legal in competition as well as all other sorts of striking (use of arms and legs).
- Shoot boxing — A Japanese form of kickboxing which allows throwing and submission while standing similar to San Shou
- Yaw-Yan (Filipino Kickboxing) — Sayaw ng Kamatayan (Dance of Death) is the proper name for Yaw-Yan, a Filipino martial art developed by Napoleon Fernandez. The art resembles Muay Thai in a sense, but differs in the hip torquing motion as well as downward-cutting of its kicks.
There are many additional derivatives of these forms, as well as combined styles which have been used in specific competitions (e.g. K-1). The rules of 'kickboxing' also vary between these different styles. The term kickboxing is disputed and has become more associated with the Japanese and American variants. It must be noted that many of the above styles do not consider themselves to be 'kickboxing' as such, although the public uses the term generically to refer to all these martial arts. The term itself was created by the Japanese boxing promoter Osamu Noguchi for a variant of Muay Thai and Karate that he created in the 1950s; this term was later used by the American variant. When used by the practitioners of these two styles, it tends to refer to them specifically rather than the martial arts they were derived from.
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History
Japanese Kickboxing
On December 20, 1959, a Muay Thai match among Thai fighters was held at Tokyo Asakusa town hall in Japan. Tatsuo Yamada who had established "Nihon Kempo Karate-do" was interested in Muay Thai because he wanted to perform Karate matches in Full-contact rules since practitioners are not allowed to hit each other directly in Karate matches. At this time, it was unimaginable to hit each other in Karate matches in Japan. He had already announced his planning which was named "The draft principles of project of establishment of a new sport and its industrialization" in November, 1959, and he put forward a new sport "Karate-boxing" which was a tentative name then. It is still unknown that Thai fighters were invited by Yamada, but it is clear that Yamada was the only karateka who was really interested in Muay Thai. Yamada invited a Thai fighter who was the champion of Muay Thai formerly as his son Kan Yamada's sparring partner, and started studying Muay Thai. At this time, the Thai fighter was taken by Osamu Noguchi who was a promoter of boxing and was also interested in Muay Thai. For example, the Thai fighter's photo was on the magazine "The Primer of Nihon Kempo Karate-do, the first number" which was published by Yamada. There were "Karate vs. Muay Thai fights" February 12, 1963. The 3 karate fighters from Oyama dojo (Kyokushin later) went to the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Thailand, and fought against 3 Muay Thai fighters. The 3 karate fighters' names are Tadashi Nakamura, Kenji Kurosaki and Akio Fujihira (as known as Noboru Osawa). Japan won by 2-1 then. Noguchi and Kenji Kurosaki (Kyokushin karate instructor) studied Muay thai and developed a combined martial art which Noguchi named kick boxing. However, throwing and butting were allowed in the beginning to distinguish from Muay Thai style. This was repealed later. The Kickboxing Association the first kickboxing sanctioning body was founded by Osamu Noguchi in 1966 soon after that. Then the first kickboxing event was held in Osaka, April 11, 1966. Tatsu Yamada died in 1967, but his dojo changed its name to Suginami Gym, and kept sending kickboxers off to support kickboxing. Kickboxing boomed and became popular in Japan as it began to be broadcast on TV. Tadashi Sawamura was an especially popular early kickboxer. However, the boom was suddenly finished and became unpopular after Sawamura was retired. Kickboxing had not been on TV until K-1 was founded in 1993. In 1993, as Kazuyoshi Ishii (founder of Seidokan karate) produced K-1 under special kickboxing rules (No elbow and neck wrestling) in 1993, kickboxing became famous again. The sport has spread through North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Spreading to Europe, Australia, North America and New Zealand
Jan Plas, the Dutch kickboxer, founded Mejiro Gym with some Muay Thai pioneers in the Netherlands in 1978, after he learned kickboxing from Kenji Kurosaki in Japan. Plas also founded NKBB (The Dutch Kickboxing Association), which was the first kickboxing organization in Netherlands, in 1978. The sport took off in the U.S. with the popularity and success of Bill "Superfoot" Wallace" in the 1970s.
Rules
Japanese Kickboxing
This is almost same as Muay Thai but there are differences between them.
- Similarities
- time: three minutes × five rounds
- allowed to attack with elbow
- allowed to attack with knee
- allowed to kick the lower half of the body except crotch
- allowed to do neck-wrestling (folding opponent's head with arms and elbows to attack the opponent's body or head with knee-strikes)
- head butts and throws were banned in 1966 for boxers' safety.
- Differences
- No ram muay before match
- No Thai music during the match
- Interval takes one minute only as same as boxing
- Point system:
- In muay thai, kicking to mid-body and head are scored highly generating a large number of points on judges' scorecards. Moreover, kicking is still judged highly even if the kick was blocked. In contrast, punching is worth fewer points. In kickboxing punches and kicks are held in closer esteem.
PROFESSIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS WORLD KICKBOXING ASSOCIATION RULE 1 AUTHORITY 01 The regulations contained within this document constitute the official rules of the World Kickboxing Association and must govern all World Kickboxing Association sanctioned events where competitors fight for the knockout. Enforcement of these rules shall be charged to officially designated representatives of the World Kickboxing Association. 02 Use of these rules does not necessarily carry the sanctioning of the World Kickboxing Association (hereafter referred to as the Association) RULE 2 RING 01 The ring shall be not less than 17 feet square within the ropes. In world and national title bouts, the Association recommends and may require that the ring be not less than 20 feet square. 02 The ring floor shall extend beyond the ropes not less than 18 inches. The ring floor shall be padded in a manner as approved by the Association. Padding must extend beyond the ring ropes and over the edge of the platform. 03 In amateur bouts only, the Association may permit through a written special exception granted in advance of the event that contests be held on an unenclosed padded surface, provided that the padding extends several feet into the out-of-bounds area and that the in-bounds area equals the size of an Association approved ring. In such circumstances, the referee must stop the contestants whenever a part of one contestant’s body moves out-of-bounds. The contestants will then restart from a neutral position. Time will be called whilst the contestants return to the neutral position. RULE 3 HEIGHT OF RING 01 The ring platform shall not be more than four feet above the floor of the building and shall be provided with suitable steps for use of the contestants. Ring posts shall be of metal, not more than four inches in diameter, extending from the floor of the building to a height of 58 inches above the ring floor and shall be properly padded. RULE 4 RING ROPES 01 Ring ropes shall be four in number and not less than one inch in diameter. The lowest rope must be position 13 inches above the ring floor. The highest rope must be 52 inches above the floor. 02 The circumstances of the lowest rope must be wrapped with a padding of not less than one-half inch and of a type and construction approved by the Association. The Association recommends that the other ring ropes be similarly wrapped. RULE 5 RING EQUIPMENT & HAND PROTECTION 01 Promoters shall provide all necessary non-personal equipment (subject to approval by the Association) for use by seconds and contestants in all Association sanctioned bouts. This necessary non-personal equipment shall include the ring, corner posts and water buckets. 02 Promoters shall also provide the padded protection equipment to be worn on the hands of each contestant to ensure that matched contestants wear equipment of the same size, shape, style and manufacture.Rules of the Kickboxing Association RULE 6 BELL 01 There shall be a bell or gong positioned at ringside no higher than the floor level of the ring. The bell or gong must carry a clear tone so that its sound may be easily heard by the contestant. RULE 7 ROUNDS 01 World title bouts shall consist of twelve (12) two minute rounds for men and ten (10) two minute rounds for women. European and National title bouts shall consist no more than ten (10) two minute rounds for men, no more than eight (8) two minute rounds for women. Area, regional and state title bouts shall not exceed eight (8) two minute rounds for men and six (6) two minute rounds for women.02 All amateur championship bouts shall not exceed five (5) two minute rounds for men and four (4) two minute rounds for women. RULE 8 CONTESTANTS 01 All contestants must be clean and tidy in appearance. The Association is solely responsible for determining whether a facial adornment (moustaches, goatees, excessive sideburns) or the length of hair present any potential hazard to the safety of the contestants, or will interfere with the supervision and conduct of the contest. Excessive use of grease or any foreign substance is not permitted. 02 The referee or the Association representative in charge has the right to insist on the removal of any such facial adornment, length of hair, excessive grease, or foreign substance before the contest may commence or continue. RULE 9 CONTESTANTS EQUIPMENT 01 Contestants shall provide all necessary personal equipment (subject to approval by the Association) for use by themselves and their seconds in all Association sanctioned bouts. This necessary personal equipment shall include two Association approved ring, uniforms (one dark colored uniform and one light colored uniform), tape and bandages to be wrapped around the hands to prevent sprains and knuckle separations, padded protective equipment to be worn on the feet, a groin protector for men and a breast protector for women, mouthpieces and water bottles. 02 Contestants shall wear contrasting colored uniforms. In bouts involving a champion currently recognized by the Association, the champion shall choose whether he or she will wear the light-colored uniform, or the dark-colored uniform. In all other bouts, the referee or the Association representative in charge will designate which contestant will wear the light-colored uniform. 03 Bandages shall be wrapped around each of the contestant’s hands, utilizing surgeon’s adhesive tape not over one inch and one-half inches wide and soft surgical bandage not over two inches wide. The adhesive tape should be applied directly to the contestant’s skin in such a manner as to protect that part of the hand nearest the wrist. This direct application shall not exceed more than one continuous winding of the tape, although the tape may cross the back of the hand twice, but not extend higher on the hand than to within one inch (2.5cm) of the knuckles when the hand is clenched into a fist. Next, a layer of surgical bandage shall be held in place by not more than two yards (1.83 M) of adhesive tape for each hand. One 10 ft (3 M) of bandage shall complete the wrappings for each hand. Hand wraps must be adjusted in the dressing room in the presence of an Association representative. 04 The weight and type of padded protective equipment to be worn on the contestant’s hands and feet shall be determined by the Association in advance of the event. Matched contestants must wear padded protective equipment on the hands of an identical size, shape, and style and manufacture as provided by the promoter. Those contestants matched at a weight heavier than Super Welterweight may be required to wear protective equipment on the hands with more extensive padding than those contestants matched at a lighter weight. 05 Male contestants must wear a foul-proof groin protector. A plastic or aluminum cup with an athletic supporter is adequate. Abdominal guards are also acceptable. Female contestants must wear foul-proof breast protectors. Plastic breast covers are adequate. The Association recommends that female contestants also wear a protective pelvic girdle which will cover the pubic area, ovaries, coccyx and sides of hips. 06 All contestants must wear an Association approved individually fitted mouthpiece. 07 Female contestants may wear Association approved hair stays. 08 World title bouts shall be fought with eight-ounce (8 oz) regulation gloves for men and ten-ounce (10 oz) regulation gloves for women. All other male professional bouts may be fought with eight ounce (8) or ten ounce (10) gloves by agreement between the promoter and the contestants. All women’s and amateur competition shall be held with ten ounce (10 oz) regulation gloves. 09 All fighters must follow the WKA Dress Code for the Rules their bout is fought under eg:(a) Thai Boxing Shorts, Gloves(b) Kickboxing Shorts, Compulsory Foot-Guards, Gloves.(c) Full Contact Long Trousers, Compulsory Foot-Guards,Optional Shin-Guards, Gloves. RULE 10 WEIGHT DIVISIONS 01 Official weight divisions shall be as per the Associations official World Champions lists for Kickboxing, Contact Karate and Thai Boxing. 02 No contest shall be scheduled and no contestants shall engage in a bout between the opposite sexes, or where the weight difference exceeds an allowance of 3.5 percent of the division weight. Flyweight Minus - 50.5 Kg Super Flyweight 50.5 - 52.0 Kg Bantamweight 52.0 - 53.5 Kg Super Bantamweight 53.5 - 55.5 Kg Featherweight 55.5 - 57.0 Kg Super Featherweight 57.0 - 59.0 Kg Lightweight 59.0 - 61.0 Kg Super Lightweight 61.0 - 63.5 Kg Welterweight 63.5 - 67.0 Kg Super Welterweight 67.0 - 70.0 Kg Middleweight 70.0 - 72.5 Kg Super Middleweight 72.5 - 76.0 Kg Light Heavyweight 76.0 - 79.0 Kg Super Light Heavyweight 79.0 - 83.0 Kg Cruiserweight 83.0 - 86.0 Kg Super Cruiserweight 86.0 - 90.0 Kg Heavyweight 90.0 - 95.0 Kg Super Heavyweight + 95.0 Kg RULE 11 WEIGH-IN 01 Contestants shall be weighed in (and a brief review of the rules shall be conducted in the presence of an Association representative) on scales approved by the Association at such a time and place as may be formally designated by the Association in advance of all scheduled bouts. Contestants must weigh in a minimum of 24 hours before the event. All contestants must attend the designated weigh-in proceedings unless otherwise excused by the Association. 02 By special permission of the Association preliminary contestants may be allowed to weigh-in not later than one hour before the scheduled time of the first match on the card. 03 A professional contestant who fails to make the weight agreed upon in his or her contract shall forfeit 20 percent of the gross purse, with a minimum forfeiture of £25.00. However, if the contestant is less than one pound overweight in a non-title contest, either at the time of the weigh-in or within four hours thereafter, no forfeiture shall be imposed. Forfeits shall be added to the purse of the contestant’s opponent. 04 An amateur contestant who fails to make weight shall be disqualified. RULE 12 OFFICIALS 01 Each bout shall be conducted by one referee, three judges, a physician, a timekeeper, a scorekeeper, an announcer and an Association representative. The Association shall determine the qualifications and standards for all officials. RULE 13 REFEREE 01 The referee shall be charged with the general supervision of the bout. He or she enforces the rules, promotes safety of the contestants and ensures fair play. 02 Before starting a contest, the referee shall ascertain from each contestant the name of his or her chief second and shall hold the named chief second responsible for the conduct of the assistant seconds during the progress of the contest. The referee shall call contestants together before each bout for final instructions at which time each contestant shall be accompanied by the chief second only. RULE 14 JUDGES 01 The judges shall be stationed at ringside at locations designated by the Association representative in charge. The judges work in conjunction with the referee and are charged with scoring the outcome of each round of a bout. RULE 15 PHYSICIAN + PARAMEDICS 01 A licensed physician shall sit at the immediate ringside of all bouts. No bout shall be allowed to proceed unless the physician is in his or her seat. The physician shall not leave until after the decision in the final bout. He or she shall be prepared to assist if any serious emergency arises and shall render temporary or emergency treatments for cuts and minor injuries sustained by the contestants. 02 No manager or second shall attempt to render aid to a contestant during the course of a round before the physician has had an opportunity to examine the contestant who may have been injured. Time our shall be called for such examinations. 03 No event shall take place, amateur and/or professional, without a team of equipped, qualified paramedics present at the ringside for each bout. 04 No event shall take place, amateur and/or professional, without a fully equipped paramedic ambulance on standby at the venue. 05 Promoters shall inform the nearest neuron surgical hospital giving details of their event and have the hospital telephone number to hand and the name(s) of the duty physicians. RULE 16 BOUTS 01 A bout begins when the bell sounds to start the first round and ends when the bell sounds to conclude the final round. No persons other than the contestants and the referee may be inside the ring during the progress of a round. 02 Fighters are allowed 3 people in their corner, one chief cornerman, two seconds. All 3 must remain seated during the rounds. Only the chief cornerman may give direction to the fighter during the round. Cornermen or seconds cannot place their hands on the ring apron, the ropes or any part of the ring during the rounds. Cornermen or seconds cannot enter into any verbal dispute with the referee or officials during the bout,. All bouts governed by the rules and regulations of the WKA World Kickboxing Association. RULE 17 FOULS 01 Any contestant guilty of foul tactics in a bout shall be given an immediate warning and points deducted from the contestant’s total score as determined by the referee. The use of foul tactics also may result in disqualification of the contestant, his or her purse (if any) withheld from payment and the contestant automatically suspended. Disposition of the purse and the penalty to be imposed upon the contestant shall be determined by a written action of the Association. 02 The following tactics are considered fouls: (1) Spitting, biting, or the use of abusive language in the ring. (2) Head butts, knee strikes, elbow strikes, palm-heel strikes, or clubbing blows with the hands. (3) Jabbing the eyes with the thumb of the glove.( 4) Striking the groin, the spine, the throat, the collarbone, women’s breasts, or that part of the body over the kidneys. (5) Deliberate use of any scraping blow, or rabbit blow. (6) Hitting with the open glove, or with the wrist.( 7) Kicking into the knee, or striking below the belt in any unauthorized manner. (8) Anti-joint techniques (striking or applying leverage against any joint). (9) Holding an opponent with one hand and hitting with the other. (10) Grabbing or holding onto an opponent’s leg or foot.( 11) Leg checking the opponent’s leg or stepping on the opponent’s foot to prevent the opponent from moving or kicking. (12) Holding any part of the body or deliberately maintaining a clinch for any purpose.(13) Attacking on the break. (14) Attacking after the bell has sounded ending the round, or when the opponent is out of the ring.( 15) Intentionally pushing, shoving, or wrestling an opponent out of the ring with any part of the body. (16) Throwing or taking an opponent to the floor in any unauthorized manner. (17) Striking a downed opponent, or an opponent who is getting up after being down. (18) Purposely going down without being hit. (19) Any unsportsmanlike action which causes injury to an opponent. (20) Using a spinning back fist. RULE 18 PERMITTED STRIKES 01 All punches must land with the knuckle part of the glove, no other part of the glove or forearm can be used. All kicks must connect with the ball of the foot, the instep, and the heel, side of the foot or the shin from below the knee to the instep. 02 Contestants may kick or sweep to the inside or outside region of the leg. Any deliberate kick to the knee, groin or hip joint shall be prohibited and shall constitute a foul. The referee may issue a warning, order point deductions from the judges scoring or may disqualify the offending contestant for repeated violations. RULE 19 MINIMUM KICK REQUIREMENTS 01 In professional Kickboxing competition there is a minimum kick requirement of eight kicks per round although kick counters are no longer used by the Association. If the referee feels that a fighter is not kicking enough he may give a verbal warning. If the fighter continues without using enough kicks, the referee may deduct a point. Judges should take note of referees warnings and score against the fighter who is not performing enough kicks. RULE 20 STALLING 01 A contestant who intentionally refuses to engage an opponent for a prolonged period of time, or who deliberately clinches or holds onto an opponent shall receive an immediate warning from the referee. If the contestant continues to utilize such passive tactics after receiving one warning during the round, points shall be deducted from the contestant’s total score as determined by the referee. 02 If the contestant repeats the passive tactics, either in the same round or in the following rounds, he or she may be considered guilty of a foul and penalized accordingly. 03 In amateur bouts, the referee shall stop the clock and separate the contestants whenever one contestant’s mouthpiece is knocked free of the mouth. The referee will wash and replace the mouthpiece in the contestant’s mouth. No contestant will be permitted to fight without a mouthpiece. Continuous dropping of the mouthpiece by a contestant shall be considered a foul and will be penalized accordingly.04 In professional bouts, the contest will not be stopped by the loss of a mouthpiece. RULE 21 ACCIDENTAL FOULS 01 If a bout is stopped because of an accidental foul, the referee shall determine whether or not the contestant who has been fouled can continue. The referee may consult with the attending physician. If the contestant’s chances have not been seriously jeopardized as a result of the foul, the referee may order the bout continued after a reasonable interval. 02 On the other hand, if by reason of accidental foul a contestant shall be rendered unfit to continue the contest, the bout shall be terminated. The scorekeeper shall tally all scores, subtracting all penalties. If the injured contestant is behind on points in the majority opinion of the judges, then the referee shall declare the contest to be a technical draw. But if the injured contestant has a lead in points, then the referee shall declare him or her to be the winner by technical decision. 03 Further, should an accidental foul terminate a bout during the first round, the referee shall declare the contest to be a technical draw. RULE 22 STOPPING THE CONTEST 01 The referee shall have the power to stop a contest at any stage if he or she considers the bout too one-sided, or if either contestant is in such condition that to continue might subject him or her to serious injury. In either case, the referee shall declare the fit contestant to be the winner by technical knockout. 02 Should both contestants be in such condition that to continue might subject them to serious injury, the referee shall declare the contest to be a technical draw. 03 In cases where a contestant receives a cut eye from a fair blow, or an accidental foul, or any other injury which the referee believes may incapacitate the contestant, the referee must call the attending physician into the ring for examination of the contestant before the referee decides whether to stop the contest. Time will be called during the examination. RULE 23 FAILURE TO COMPETE 01 In any case where the referee decides that the contestants are not honestly competing, or that the knockout or the foul has been a prearranged termination of the contest, he or she shall neither finish the knockout count nor disqualify a contestant for fouling nor render a decision. Instead, the referee shall stop the bout and declare the contest ended not later than before the end of the last round. The referee shall then order the purses of both contestants held pending investigation and disposition of funds by the Association. RULE 24 FAILURE TO RESUME CONTEST 01 No contestant shall leave the ring during the one-minute rest period between rounds. Should a contestant fail or refuse to resume the contest when the bell sounds denoting the start of the next round, the referee shall declare the contestant’s opponent to be the winner by knockout as of the round which last ended. 02 However, should the referee decide that the circumstances surround the bout’s termination require investigation, or disciplinary action, then the referee shall not make a decision, but rather shall order the purses of both contestants held pending investigation and disposition of funds by the Association. RULE 25 KNOCKOUT 01 A contestant shall be declared knocked down in any portion of the contestant’s body other than the feet touch the floor, or if the contestant hangs helplessly over the ropes. 02 A contestant shall not be declared knocked down if he or she is punched, thrown, or accidentally slips to the floor. The determination as to whether a contestant is pushed, thrown or slips to the floor, rather than being knocked down, shall be made by the referee. RULE 26 COUNTING 01 Whenever a contestant is knocked down, the referee shall order the contestant’s opponent to retire to the farthest corner of the ring, pointing to the corner and immediately begin the count over the knocked down contestant. The referee will audibly announce the passing of each one-second interval, indicating its passage with a downward motion of the arm. 02 Any time a contestant is knocked down, the referee shall automatically begin a mandatory eight-count and then, if the contestant appears able to continue, will allow the bout to resume. The timekeeper, through effective signaling, shall give the referee the correct one-second intervals for the count. The referee’s count is the only official count. 03 Should a contestant be knocked down three times in one round from blows to the head, the referee shall stop the contest and declare the contestants opponent to be the winner by technical knockout. 03a Whenever a contestant is knocked out primarily as a result of a kick, whether or not the kick occurred in combination with punches, the referee shall declare the contestants opponent to be the winner by either kick knockout or technical kick knockout whichever is appropriate and shall be entered into the fighters official record as a KKO. 04 Should a contestant who is down rise before the count of ten is reached and then go down immediately without being struck, the referee shall resume the count where it was left off. 05 If the contestant taking the count is still down when the referee calls the count of ten, the referee shall wave both arms to indicate that the contestant has been knocked out and will signal that the contestant’s opponent is the winner. 06 A round’s ending before the referee reached the count of ten will have no bearing on the count. The contestant must still rise before the count of ten to avert a knockout. 07 Should both contestants go down at the same time, the referee shall continue to count as long as one of the contestants is down. If both contestants remain down until the count of ten, the contest will be stopped and the referee shall declare the bout to be a technical draw. But if one contestant rises before the count of ten and the other contestant remains down, the first contestant to rise shall be declared the winner by knockout. Should both contestants rise before the count of ten, the round will continue. RULE 27 STANDING EIGHT-COUNT 01 The referee may, at his or her discretion, administer an eight-count to a contestant who has been stunned, but who remains standing. He or she shall direct the contestant’s opponent to a neutral corner, then begin counting from one to eight, examining the stunned contestant as he or she counts. If, after completing the standing eight-count, the referee determines that the contestant is able to continue, he or she shall order the bout to resume. But if the referee determines that the contestant is not able to continue, he or she shall stop the contest and declare the contestant’s opponent to be the winner by technical knockout. RULE 28 COMMUNICATING THE COUNT 01 As soon as a contestant has been knocked down, the timekeeper begins calling the count, from one to ten, while the referee directs the contestant’s opponent to a neutral corner. When the referee has finished directing the opponent to a neutral corner, he or she returns to the knocked down contestant and counts over him or her, picking up the count from the timekeeper. RULE 29 FALLING FROM THE RING 01 A contestant who has been wrestled, pushed, or who has fallen through the ropes during the contest, may be helped back by anyone except the contestant’s own seconds or manager. The referee shall allow reasonable time for the return. When on the ring platform outside the ropes, the contestant must enter the ring immediately. Should the contestant stall for time outside the ropes, the referee shall start the count without waiting for the contestant to re-enter the ring. 02 Once a fallen contestant re-enters the ring, the referee may either resume the contest or start the round from the moment that the contestant is back in the ring. 03 Whenever contestant falls through the ropes, the contestant’s opponent must retire to the farthest corner, as directed by the referee and remain there until ordered to resume the contest. 04 A contestant who deliberately wrestles or throws an opponent from the ring, or who hits an opponent who is partly out of the ring and thus prevented by the ropes from assuming a position of defense, may be penalized. RULE 30 WIPING THE GLOVES 01 Before a fallen contestant resumes competition, after having been knocked to, slipped to, or fallen to the floor, the referee shall wipe the contestant’s gloves free of any foreign substance. RULE 31 CONSULTING THE PHYSICIAN 01 The referee may, at his or her discretion, request the physician to examine a contestant during the bout. Should the examination occur during the course of a round, the clock shall be stopped until the examination is completed. 02 If after consulting with the physician, the referee decides that further contact below the belt, whether from fair or foul blow, will result in injury to a contestant’s knee, he or she shall prohibit striking below the belt for the remainder of the bout. 03 Also, the physician shall have the power to order the referee to stop the bout, at any time, due to the incapacitation of one or both contestants. The referee will then render the appropriate decision. RULE 32 SCORING 01 The judges shall score all contests and determine the winner through the use of the ten-point must system. In this system the winner of each round receives ten points and the opponent receives a proportionately smaller number. But in no circumstances shall a judge award the loser of each round with fewer than seven points. If a round is judged even, each contestant shall receive ten points. No fraction of points may be given. 02 Judges should base their scores on the relative effectiveness of each contestant in a given round. An official knockdown always demonstrates superior effectiveness. However, a contestant who is knocked down more from instability than from an opponent’s blow, may be able to return from the knockdown and dominate the round by a large enough margin to be judged the winner. Also, the weight given to an official knockdown scored by one contestant must be equal to the weight given to an official knockdown scored by the contestant’s opponent. 03 Generally, sweeps should not be given the same weight as an official knockdown. Judges should watch for the technique’s effectiveness in slowing down a contestant. 04 A contestant who wins the round and does so with exceptional above-the-belt kicking technique, should be given a more favorable point advantage then the contestant who wins a round with a predominance of punching technique. Below-the-belt kicking technique should be given the same weight as punching techniques. 05 Further, a contestant who aggressively presses an opponent throughout a round, but cannot land a threatening kick or punch, should not be judged as favorably as the contestant who back-pedals throughout the round but counter-attacks with visible impact. 06 A contestant who wins the round and does so with exceptional above the belt kicking technique should be given a more favorable point advantage than the contestant who wins a round with a predominance of punching techniques. Below the belt kicking techniques should be given the same weight as punching techniques. An otherwise event round should be awarded to the overall most effective above the waist kicker. 07 More specifically, the judges shall award points to contestants on the basis of round by round outcomes and in accordance with the following scores: (1) 10 points to 10 points whenever neither contestant dominates the other with superiority in effectiveness. (2) 10 points to 9 points whenever the winning contestant dominates the losing contestant with a marginal superiority in effectiveness. (3) 10 points to 8 points whenever the winning contestant dominates the losing contestant with exceptional above-the-belt kicking technique, or whenever the winning contestant dominates the losing contestant with a significant superiority in effectiveness as might be indicated by one knockdown. 4) 10 points to 7 points whenever the winning contestant dominates the losing contestant with an overwhelming superiority ineffectiveness as must be indicated by more than one knockdown. 07a Following each round and at the termination of the contest, the referee shall pick up the ballots of the judges. The referee shall then deliver the ballots to the scorekeeper who shall tally all scores, subtract all penalties and deliver the totals to the Association representative assigned to verify them. The majority opinion of the three judges, less penalty points, shall be conclusive. If there is no majority opinion, then the decision shall be a draw. 08 When the Association representative has completed verifying and totaling the scores, the announcer then in turn shall inform the audience of the decision over the public address system. The referee shall raise the winner’s hand. RULE 33 CHANGING THE DECISION 01 A decision rendered at the termination of any contest shall be final and cannot be changed unless the Association determines that any one of the following has occurred. (1) There was collusion affecting the result of the contest.(2) The compilation of the scorecards of the judges shows an error which would mean that the decision was given to the wrong contestant. (3) There was a clear violation of the rules and regulations of the WORLD KICKBOXING ASSOCIATION which affected the result of the contest. 02 If the Association determines that any of the above occurred with regards to any contest, then the decision rendered shall be changed as the Association may direct. Mixed Martial Arts Rules (MMA)
American style kickboxing
These are rules used in American and Australian Full Contact Karate.
- Opponents are allowed to hit each other with fists and feet, striking above the hip
- Using elbows or knees is forbidden and the use of the shins is seldom allowed.
- Bouts are usually 3 to 12 rounds (lasting 2 - 3 minutes each) for amateur and professional contests with a 1-minute rest in between rounds.
This is in contrast to Muay Thai where the use of elbows and knees are allowed; in fact some Muay Thai practitioners consider kickboxing a "watered down" version of Muay Thai. Fighters and promoters can agree to various rules including kicks only above the waist, kicks anywhere, no knee strikes, knees only to the body, and so on. American Kickboxing is essentially much a mixture of Western Boxing and Karate.
The round durations and the number of rounds can vary depending on the stipulations agreed to before hand by each fighter or manager. A winner is declared during the bout if there is a submission (fighter quits or fighter's corner throws in the towel), knockout (KO), or referee stoppage (Technical Knock Out, or TKO). If all of the rounds expire with no knockout then the fight is scored by a team of 3 judges. The judges determine a winner based on their scoring of each round. A split decision indicates a disagreement between the judges, while a unanimous decision indicates that all judges saw the fight the same way and all have declared the same winner.
European style kickboxing
Originally, European style kickboxing was formed with Muay thai and Japanese kickboxing.
- time: 3 minutes × 5 rounds
- not allowed to attack with elbow
- allowed to attack with knee
- allowed to kick the lower half of the body except crotch
- allowed to do neck-wrestling but frequency is limited.
- headbutts and throws are not allowed
Technical
Punching Techniques
Common techniques
- Jab - straight punch from the front hand, to either the head or the body, often used in conjunction with the cross
- Cross (Straight punch) - The straight punching whirl by feeling it out-without using target
- Hook - rounded punch to either the head or body in an arching motion, usually not scored in points scoring
- Uppercut - rising punch striking to the chin
 jab |
 Cross (Right straight punch) here in counterpunch |
 Hook |
 Uppercut |
Other types
- Cross-counter – a cross-counter is a counterpunch begun immediately after an opponent throws a jab, exploiting the opening in the opponent's position
- Undercut (Drop) - a semi-circular and vertical punch thrown with the rear hand. It is usually when the opponent bobbing or slipping. The strategic utility of the drop relying on body weight can deliver a great deal of power
- Bolo punch - a combination of a wide uppercut/right cross/swing that was delivered seemingly from the floor
 Undercut (Drop) |
 Short straight punch |
Special kickboxing
- Reverse (Back-fist) and Spinning back-fist - straight punch to the Solar Plexus, usually from the back hand, bending the arm at the elbow and then striking to the side of the head, common in light contact
 Back fist |
Kicking techniques
Common techniques
- Front Kick or Push Kick - Striking face on with the heel of the foot
- Side Kick - Striking with the side or heel of the foot with leg parallel to the ground, can be performed to either the head or body
- Semi-circular Kick or Forty Five Degree Roundhouse Kick
- Roundhouse Kick or Circle Kick - Striking with the front of the foot or the lower shin to the head or the body in a 'chopping' motion
 Front kick |
 Side kick |
 Semi-circular kick |
 Roundhouse kick |
Other type
- Hook Kick - Extending the leg out to the side of the body, and hooking the leg back to strike the head with eiher the heel or sole
- Crescent Kick and Forward Crescent Kick
- Axe Kick – is a Stomp Kick or Hammer kick. The Stomp Kick normally travel downward, striking with the side or base heel.
- Back Kick – is delivered with the base heel of the foot.
- Sweeping – One foot or both feet of an opponent may be swept depending upon their position, balance and strength.
 Hook-kick |
 Crescent-kick |
 Hammer-kick |
 Sweeping (Spinning hook-kick) |
Spinning versions of the back, side, hook and axe kicks can also be performed along with jumping versions of all kicks
Spinning and flying
- Spinning hook-kick
- Spinning side-kick
- Spinning back-kick
- Jumping front-kick
- Jumping roundhouse-kick
- Jumping side-kick
- Jumping back-kick
 Stick-kick |
 Spinning back-kick with counterpunch |
 Jumping side-kick |
 Jumping back-kick |
Kneeing techniques
Basic techniques
- Straight Knee Thrust - Long-range knee kick (front heel kick). This knee strike is delivered with the back or reverse foot against an opponent’s stomach, groin, hip or spine an opponent forward by the neck, shoulder or arm
- Rising Knee Strike – can be delivered with the front or back foot. It makes an explosive snap upwards to strike an opponent’s face, chin, throat or chest.
- Hooking Knee Strike – can be delivered with the front or back foot. It makes a half circle spin and strikes the sides of an opponent
- Side Knee Snap Strike – is a highly-deceptive knee technique used in close-range fighting. The knee is lifted o the toes or lifted up, and is snapped to left and right, striking an opponent’s sensitive knee joints, insides of thighs, groin
 Straight knee-thrust |
 Rising Knee-strike |
 Long-range knee-kick |
 Jumping knee-kick |
Other types
- Jumping Knee Kick or Flying knee kick
- Double Knee Kick.
Defense
- Slip - Slipping rotates the body slightly so that an incoming punch passes harmlessly next to the head. As the opponent's punch arrives, the boxer sharply rotates the hips and shoulders. This turns the chin sideways and allows the punch to "slip" past. Muhammed Ali was famous for extremely fast and close slips.
- Bob and weave - bobbing moves the head laterally and beneath an incoming punch. As the opponent's punch arrives, the boxer bends the legs quickly and simultaneously shifts the body either slightly right or left. Once the punch has been evaded, the boxer "weaves" back to an upright position, emerging on either the outside or inside of the opponent's still-extended arm. To move outside the opponent's extended arm is called "bobbing to the outside". To move inside the opponent's extended arm is called "bobbing to the inside".
- Parry/Block - Parrying or blocking uses the boxer's hands as defensive tools to deflect incoming attacks. As the opponent's punch arrives, the boxer delivers a sharp, lateral, open-handed blow to the opponent's wrist or forearm, redirecting the punch.
- The Cover-Up - Covering up is the last opportunity to avoid an incoming strike to an unprotected face or body. Generally speaking, the hands are held high to protect the head and chin and the forearms are tucked against the torso to impede body shots. When protecting the body, the boxer rotates the hips and lets incoming punches "roll" off the guard. To protect the head, the boxer presses both fists against the front of the face with the forearms parallel and facing outwards. This type of guard is weak against attacks from below.
 Slipping |
 Bobbing |
 Blocking (with the arms) |
 Cover-Up (with the gloves) |
- The Clinch - Clinching is a rough form of grappling and occurs when the distance between both fighters has closed and straight punches cannot be employed. In this situation, the boxer attempts to hold or "tie up" the opponent's hands so he is unable to throw hooks or uppercuts. To perform a clinch, the boxer loops both hands around the outside of the opponent's shoulders, scooping back under the forearms to grasp the opponent's arms tightly against his own body. In this position, the opponent's arms are pinned and cannot be used to attack. Clinching is a temporary match state and is quickly dissipated by the referee.
 Cliching |
 Footwork |
 Pulling away |
Guards
There are three main defensive positions (guards or styles) used in boxing. Within each style, there is considerable variation among fighters, as some fighters may have their guard higher for more head protection while others have their guard lower to provide better protection against body punches. Many fighters vary their defensive style throughout a bout in order to adapt to the situation of the moment, choosing the position best suited to protect them.
 Low guard |
 Mixed guard |
 Peek-a-boo |
Governing Bodies
Both professional and amateur kickboxing, like boxing, have many governing bodies around the world. The World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (W*A*K*O) however is the only body officially recognised by GAISF as an Amateur Kickboxing Governing body of the sport of kickboxing.
| Governing Body | Website |
|---|---|
| World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (W.A.K.O) | http://www.wakoweb.com |
| World amateur Kickboxing Organizations (W.A.S.K.O) | http://www.dovuscu.com |
| International Kickboaxing Board of Control (IKBC) | http://www.ikbc.org/ |
| The World Kickboxing & Karate Association (W.K.A.) | http://www.kickboxing-wka.co.uk/ |
| World Kickboxing Network (W.K.N.) | http://www.worldkickboxingnetwork.com/ |
| World Kickboxing Union (W.K.U.) | http://www.wku-kickboxing.com/ |
| World Kickboxing Federation (W.K.F.) | http://www.wkfkickboxing.com |
| International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) - Prof & Amateur Kickboxing | http://www.ikfkickboxing.com |
| World Federation of Kickboxing (WFK) | http://www.wfk-gov.com |
| Professional Kickboxing Association (P.K.A) | http://www.pkakickboxing.com/ |
See also
References
- Muay Thai Kickboxing - The Ultimate Guide to Conditioning, Training and Fighting, Chad Boykin, 2002, Paladin Press, Boulder, Colorado. ISBN 1-58160-320-7
- Thai Kickboxing For Beginners, Peter Belmar, 2006, Lulu Press. ISBN 978-1-4116-9983-0
