History

Kick boxing has its origins in western boxing, Japanese karate, and in Muay Thai of Thailand, also called "thai boxing."

Osamu Noguchi was the son of a heavyweight champion in Boxing. As a child he had practiced this sport until he suffered a back injury and had to leave it. He became a promoter and organizer of boxing fights in Japan and made several trips to Thailand where he met Naront Siri, Muay Thai teacher. Having also good relations with Masutatsu Ōyama, founder of Kyokushinkai style Karate, he decided to organize in the 70s a series of battles between the Thai boxers and the karatekas of Oyama, among which was Kenji Kurosaki, right hand of Oyama himself. Once in Thailand, three fights take place; two of which are won by the Japanese and Kurosaki himself loses against the Thai rival by a downward elbow blow. At that time, Noguchi begins to plan the adaptation of Muay Thai in Japan, so in the early 60s, Kurosaki, Siri and Noguchi call the new sport "Karate Boxing", without much success in Japan. It is not until 1968 when the new sport is called Kick Boxing and the first federation in the world is founded, in Japan.

At first, the throws and other hand strokes typical of traditional Japanese karate, were valid techniques in kick boxing, as well as the techniques of elbow blows, heels to the calves, in addition to the techniques of retention of the arms to hit with the knees, which are valid in Muay thai. Subsequently, these techniques ceased to be used and considered as invalid, in the new discipline, which assumed a purely sporty and competitive nature.

The Kickboxing Association was founded in Japan shortly after. Kick boxing was a media success, and it became very popular in Japan, and was soon broadcast on television. Tadashi Sawamura was one of the first best known kickboxers at that time. When he retired, the "boom" happened in Japan and Kick boxing lost its popularity. Kick boxing has not reappeared on TV since the renowned K-1 tournament started 1993. In 1993, it was when Kazuyoshi Ishii (former kyokushin karate teacher, and founder of Seidokan Karate) created the K-1 tournament under some rules Kick Boxing specials (no elbow bumps, and no neck grips). The kick boxing became famous until today.

It should be noted that although it does not generally promulgate a philosophy, or code of conduct to its practitioners (currently) as it is done in other martial arts from which it is nourished, its roots define it by what can be considered as such, although there is great controversy on this issue due to its rapid westernization. It differs from Taekwondo leg techniques since they are percutant in their execution, unlike kick boxing leg techniques, and are similar to those of karate that are penetrating in their execution, clear examples of this are the kick Frontal penetration and the circular kick of kick boxing, which are the main weapons in the arsenal of leg techniques. In the circular kick you hit the end of the tibia with the semi-flexed leg which gives the leg a penetrating effect similar to that of a baseball bat, which is ideal for a combat sport in which it is allowed to seek the KO opponent loss of consciousness or knocaut with the fists or with the feet, unlike other traditional martial arts where in competition one looks for to obtain the percussion or the effect snap or of blows to the point. It is important to note that in some styles of Japanese karate such as kyokushinkai, or shotokan, penetrating front, circular, or lateral kicks are also used and trained to a greater or lesser extent.