Kickboxing

Kickboxing is a combat full-contact sport that is a combination of kicking and punching. The sport was inspired by karate and western boxing. Kickboxing has been practiced by many for self-defense and as a sport.

Demonstration of Savate (French Kickboxing) at the 1924 Olympic Games. from: The Official Report of the Olympic Games of Paris 1924

There are different variations for kickboxing rules. For the full-contact rules of American kickboxing, the players can hit the opposing player with punches, kicks, and strikes above the waist.

The use of elbows and knees are not allowed, the use of shins is sometimes allowed in some competitions. Clinch fighting, throws and sweeps are also not allowed.

There are usually three to twelve rounds, with two or 3 minutes for each round, and a one-minute rest between each round.  There are 6 levels for the belt system in kickboxing.

The highest is the kyu brown belt for perfect techniques, second is the kyu blue belt, third is the kyu green belt, fourth is the orange belt, fifth is the kyu yellow belt, and the sixth is the kyu white belt which is for beginners.

Variations of kickboxing around the world include Pradal Serey (Cambodia), Sanda (China), Savate (France), Sikaran (Philippines), Lethwei (Burma).

Kickboxing at the World Games

Kickboxing made its debut to the Wroclaw World Games in 2017 as an invitational sport. Then, it was one of the main sports at the 2022 Birmingham World Games. The 2025 Chengdu World Games also featured kickboxing as a main sport, with two disciplines - K1 Style and Point Fighting.

To win kickboxing, athletes must score points through hand or foot techniques than their opponents. The match can also be decided through technical knockout, where an opponent knocks out the other.

• K-1 Style: It is a full-contact kickboxing discipline, which emphasizes striking power, endurance, and tactical execution. Athletes compete in a ring, using punches, kicks, and knee strikes with full force. This sport allows limited clinching, enabling fighters to land only one knee strike before they are separated. 
• Point Fighting Kickboxing: This is a kickboxing discipline that highlights speed, accuracy, and reaction time. It is a dynamic, stop-and-go format where fighters aim to score clean and controlled strikes on their opponents. The match is paused at intervals so that points can be awarded.

Here are the medalists who won gold at the 2025 Chengdu Kickboxing event:

Similar Sports

• Pencak Silat — a fighting sport from Indonesia which collectively encompasses martial arts of various styles.
• Savate — a French version of kickboxing, in which only foot kicks are allowed.
• Karate — a martial art developed in Japan that uses punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes, and some open-hand techniques.
• Muay Thai — a full-contact fighting sport in which fighters try to defeat their opponents by using different techniques that make use of fists, elbows, knees, and shins.
• Sanda / Sanshou — A form of kickboxing from China, which combines full-contact kickboxing, with wrestling, takedowns, throws, sweeps, kick catches, and in some competitions, even elbow and knee strikes. Also called Sanshou. (it is one of the two Wushu disciplines)
• Sikaran — a form of kickboxing from the Philippines, which utilizes only the feet, the hands are only used for blocking.
• Pradal Serey — a type of kickboxing from Cambodia. Also known as Kun Khmer
• Lethwei — an unarmed Burmese martial art similar to other kickboxing styles from the region.
• Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) — a full-contact individual combat sport that includes aspects of several other combat sports and martial arts.
• Boxing — a combat sport in which two players throw punches at each other.