Style: Kickboxing Country of origin: United States
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The Thai style of kickboxing is called Muay Thai and it is the most popular spectator sport in Thailand. It is also sometimes called "the science of eight limbs" because practitioners use hands, elbows, knees, and feet to strike with. Though modern rules were introduced in the 1970s, which require participants to wear padded gloves similar to those in boxing, the legs are still bare and thus the primary offensive weapon of the Muay Thai artist is the shin kick. Basic strategy involves kicking the opponent repeatedly in the thighs to decrease their ability to move quickly or deliver kicks of their own, then getting in close to strike the head with the elbows and knees.
American kickboxing was developed more to be a sport, than as a style of combat. Compititors wear gloves and foot pads and deliver blows full-force with the intention of knocking out their competitor. This is in contrast to many martial arts competitions where there is hardly any contact and the winner is decided on points. American kickboxing is strictly an offensive style and involves lots of striking (punches, kicks blows) to the opponent. The sport involves only hand and foot techniques, and is considered to be the most basic systematized fighting style other than traditional (hands-only) boxing. Because it involves a lot of offensive techniques, American kickboxing is an extremely strenuous art form.
Similar Styles:
Boxing - Teaches how to punch with power and how to dodge a punch better than any other style. Muay Thai - Thai Kickboxing Lethwei (Burmese Boxing) - Sport from Myanmar which emphasizes attacks to the head. San Shou - This is considered Kung Fu's version of kickboxing.
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