Kickboxing: Equipment, Rules And All About The Popular Game

You must know about kickboxing. Don’t you? Well, you may be, although it is a relatively new sport. Kickboxing equipment, rules, and other things have their roots in the other disciples of the martial arts. 

The dynamic and fun game of kickboxing has been popular among enthusiasts for a long time. In the article, we will tell you all the aspects of this game which will help you understand it better. 

What Is Kickboxing?

The first question which comes to mind when we try to decipher a thing is what it is. In this case, the answer to the question of kickboxing is that it is a variant of boxing sport. 

It is a mixture of Japanese karate, western boxing, Korean taekwondo, muay Thai, and french kicking art. This game has been popular among folks for its energizing show. Its popularity can be understood by the fact that there’s even a series of movies by the name kickboxer on it. 

There are also kickboxing gyms all around the world. You will see some of the most popular kickboxing gym outlets in America and Japan. Here in these kickboxing gyms, you can see players practicing the sport with a kickboxing bag. These kickboxing bags are filled with sand to strengthen the boxers’ hands and knuckles. In modern times the kickboxing bags are also human-shaped to give a perception of the real opponent. 

History Of Kickboxing

The modern form of kickboxing started in the 1970s in the USA. This game was an amalgamation of various striking sports put into a familiar type of American concept. The kickboxing equipment is also thus a mixture of the popular American sports boxing and other games. 

After the emergence, this game’s strongholds have been Japan and America. However, the game has been somewhat overshadowed after the emergence of MMA sports. 

Governing Body For Kickboxing

Like the kickboxing equipment and rules which are a mixture of the governing body for this game is also not single.

There are several international and national level governing bodies for this game. One thing which is common among these governing bodies is that their rules for this sport are nearly the same. 

Objective

The objective of kickboxing is the same as its relative boxing. In it, the player has to beat the opponent by kicking or punching techniques. A player can also win by knocking out the opponent.

Another objective of the game is to gain the judge points by displaying superior attack and defense skills. A match can also be won by forcing the referee to stop the match by extreme attacking skills. Kickboxing is a full-contact sport, and thus the players can use their hands and feet both for attacking and defending. This means that a player like shown in the kickboxer movie should be extremely flexible and fit. 

One of the most effective and common knockout techniques in this sport is the kicks to the head. 

Kickboxing Equipment & Players

When it comes to kickboxing equipment, it requires a few pieces of equipment. These are:

• Boxing Ring: A ring is the first requirement for the match of kickboxing. The size of the ring in this sport varies according to the various regional or international organizations.
• Boxing Gloves: The players in kickboxing always use the gloves according to the association rules. These gloves can be of any color. The kickboxers use hand wraps under the gloves, which help them prevent any injuries to wrists or knuckles.
• Footpads: The footpads are essential kickboxing equipment as the players also use feet to strike. These pads protect the player’s feet from any injury. The use of the feet pads is the basic difference between kickboxing and Thai boxing. This is because in thai boxing players can use their elbow and knee to hit their opponent.
• Mouth and Groin Guard: The kickboxing players wear these two pieces of equipment as they are essential to prevent serious injuries.

Scoring 

The methods of scoring in kickboxing vary from organization to organization. However, the majority of these organizations use the same methods as the boxing sports. 

Among the two fighters, the better one is awarded ten points while the other one is nine points. In cases where both the fighters have performed equally well, they are both awarded ten points for the round. 

The players in rounds that end with knockout are awarded ten points for the winner whereas eight points for the loser. 

Winning 

Like Muay Thai and Boxing, a player can win the match in several ways. These are:

• Knockout: In this, a fighter strikes the opponent rendering them not-fit or incapable of fighting or carrying on. In such situations, the striker declared the winner of the round after the referee completed the count of ten. The count is done to give the knocked out player time to put them together if they can fight and join back the fight.
• TKO: The technical knockout is there a referee decides that a fighter can’t defend themselves. In such cases, the fight ends instantly declaring the opponent the winner of the match.
• Points: If there is no TKO or a knockout then the winner is decided by the points. The referee and judges’ points are added on the scoreboard, and the fighter who has the most points is the winner. In cases where the points of both players are equal, it’s a draw.

Rules Of Kickboxing

• All the matches must take place inside a boxing ring.
• All the competitors in kickboxing must compete against an opponent of the same weight category. This is to ensure a fair fight between the players. 
• Once the referee finishes giving the instruction for the match, both players touch each other’s gloves. This glove touch marks the beginning of the match. 
• A round in kickboxing generally lasts for a period of three minutes. The matches of this sport generally have 12 rounds of three minutes each. There is a break of one minute between each kickboxing round. 
• Each player can attempt to defeat or knock out the opponent by punches or foot strikes. The fighter can also hit the head of the opponent to score a knockout.
• If both the fighters in the match are unable to force the referee or knock out their opponent, then the winner is declared according to points. The points are awarded by the referee and judges. 
• In cases where both players have the same point scoring, then the kickboxing match is a draw.
• The kickboxing equipment is also checked by the referee before the match to ascertain no foul play is done. 

Final Words

Kickboxing is a full-contact modern version of the martial arts and boxing. The kickboxing equipment and rules are a mixture of boxing and other striking sports.

It is basically a mix of various sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, boxing, karate, and french kicking. This makes this game a very energizing and dynamic game that is fun to play and watch. However, it is also one of the dangerous sports played around the world due to the high risk of injuries.