“Kickboxing” is technically a Japanese martial art mixture melding karate, western boxing and perhaps more strongly versions of Muay Thai from Thailand which has roots in a 13th century combat system known as Muay Boran. As opposed to western boxing which uses 2 points to strike with, kickboxing uses 8 points to strike with 2 Fists, 2 Elbows, 2 Knees, 2 Legs.
While not all boxers upgrade into kickboxing, when a kickboxer shows up to class they’re 100% committed to kickboxing and all it’s rewarding experiences. To be honest, from my perspective as an instructor, getting a kickboxer to only focus on improving their boxing can be a challenge; as kickboxing students love all the tools available to them in kickboxing.
Students who are rewarded with endorphins during an intense workout and for learning boxing are rewarded 4x with kickboxing, as your heart will pump more with the intense leg kicking, your body and mind must grow even more (however I can argue that the sole art of boxing is very deep and incredibly rewarding). I believe people love kickboxing because:
- It’s a superb workout!
- There are more striking tools to learn!
- There are fun sweeps, takedowns and clinches!
- The strikes are relatively simple, but devastating!
- Kickboxing strikes can be used for self-defense!
- It requires complete body / mind growth!
- It’s just cool!
HOWEVER!!! for all you kickboxers, don’t be afraid to stop kicking for 1 day and learn some great boxing techniques. Western boxing can drill into you incredible footwork, speed and striking power; which will make your overall kickboxing experience even better.
ADDITIONALLY!!! for all you boxers out there, don’t be afraid to try kickboxing. It’s great for your core, leg strength and expanding your striking and clinching tools. Moreover if you’re interested in MMA, going from boxing, to kickboxing to Judo or BJJ is a great combination.
A 30+ year practitioner of various martial arts including primarily including Tang Soo Do, Kyokushin, Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai and Western Boxing. During the day he is the CEO of an award-winning software company www.trueinteraction.com which helps businesses of various sizes improve their business outcomes using technology and resource optimization.