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Kickboxing is a modern form of martial arts, it incorporates the skills of boxing and Karate. It is a fighting form of training, unlike Karate which teaches traditional techniques like blocks, Ohyo's, Kihon's and Kata
Kickboxing started in the US during the 1970's when American karate practitioners became frustrated with strict controls on martial
arts competitions that didn't allow full contact kicks and punches. Many questions were raised when the sport began about the high risk of injury.
As a result, safety rules were improved and protective clothing was added. As this is a relatively new sport there are no long-term traditions. The
sport has undergone changes and been refined during the last two decades. Competitors use sparring, kicks, punches, kick blocks, shadow boxing, and
wood breaking that is learned and applied under professional instruction.
Kickboxing is a martial art, revolving around a fight between
two opponents using punching, kicking and sweeping techniques.
There are several theories about the origins of Kickboxing, which has grown in popularity in the UK over recent years.
Punches are similar to the ones used by boxers (jab, cross, hook, uppercut) plus a couple of extra ones (back-fist and knife-hand).
Kicks are similar to those in other martial arts: front, side, round, hook, internal and external crescent, axe. Sweeping techniques are comparable
to Judo techniques such as: de ashi barai, o soto gari, ko soto gake and so on. Elbow, knee and head strikes are not included in the Kickboxing
curricula. Our Kickboxing training pays a lot of attention to guards and positions, in order to incur minimal time and energy wasting during
sparring.
Several other martial arts rely on the assumption that each attack will knock out the opponent (a KO); in those martial arts poor
attention is paid to actually defending against a counter attack during/after each technique. By contrast, during our training we know that a
counter attack from our opponent might occur at any time and we learn how to be ready for that.
One of the advantages of kickboxing training, compared to other non contact martial arts is the feeling of reality that can be
perceived since the first lessons. Every time you strike or block an attack you know whether the technique would in fact have effect in a real
situation. Also, the continuous pair training and sparring helps the individual to cope with stress caused by the awkward situation of fighting
against somebody: this can be extremely useful when facing a real self defence situation. The level of contact is both determined by the kind of
lesson that the Master is running and by mutual agreement between the people training with each other. Kickboxing training is not only to learn to fight but it is an excellent for fitness and self defence. As a fitness activity it exercises all parts of the body. With a high level of fitness as a result along with swimming, gymnastics and karate it is one of the sports which develops all parts of the body. Kickboxers are hard training with a determination to succeed in a highly competitive sport. Done well, a Kickboxing match appears smooth and pleasant to watch, with combinations of punches and kicks alternated in a very harmonious way. |
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Introduction