Introductory Class

What Is Japanese Kickboxing?

In this post, we’ll follow the lead of Alby Tam of the San Francisco-based Muay Thai gym Combat Culture, who walks through the history, rules, and defining characteristics of Japanese kickboxing in the video below. As Alby explains, Japanese kickboxing began as a blend of Muay Thai and karate in the 1960s and took off in popularity during the 1970s. By the late 1980s, it had entered into a period of decline, and it was then supplanted by K-1, which continues to be extremely popular in Japan.

How Did Japanese Kickboxing Start?

According to Alby, the origins of Japanese kickboxing can be traced back to the late 1950s when Tatsuo Yamada first learned about Muay Thai. Yamada practiced a type of karate with a focus on strikes with the fist, and he was frustrated with the formalities and lack of full-contact fighting in traditional karate, where instead the emphasis is primarily on form, technique, and the performance of katas. Muay Thai, on the other hand, was raw. It allowed and even celebrated the kind of intensity that Yamada wanted to see in karate.

In the early 1960s, Yamada teamed up with boxing promoter Osamu Noguchi and went to Thailand with two other Japanese karate fighters. There, they went toe-to-toe with three Muay Thai fighters. Two of the Japanese fighters won, while one Thai fighter won their fight.

After the event, Noguchi developed a martial art that was a synthesis of these two disciples. He called this new martial art kickboxing.

What Makes Japanese Kickboxing Unique?

No surprise, Japanese kickboxing is what you get when you combine full-contact karate with Muay Thai. However, the fight dynamic in Japanese kickboxing is different from either sport because there is a greater emphasis on punching. In Muay Thai, this is reversed, and punching takes a backseat to kicking.

Initially, Japanese kickboxing borrowed heavily from the Muay Thai ruleset. Strikes could include punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, as is the case with Muay Thai, but throws and headbutts were also allowed. It made sense to allow throws, as are a fundamental part of traditional karate, but they were ultimately banned due to safety concerns. The same is true for headbutts.

As it evolved, Japanese kickboxing came to be defined by a combination of the best of both karate and Muay Thai. From the former came power and precision. From the latter came versatility and speed. Fighters who continue to favor the style that developed during the heyday of Japanese kickboxing are known for their agility, rapid-fire punches, and explosive combos. In general, it is considered to be a very fast paced combat sport.

Despite its decline in popularity, the sport is still overseen by global organizations, including the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) and the World Karate and Kickboxing Association (WKA). These groups have created a standardized ruleset that regulates things like strikes, scoring, equipment, and time limits.

Rules of Japanese Kickboxing

Japanese kickboxing is still very similar to the rules of Muay Thai. The structure of the fight consists of five three-minute rounds. There are one-minute breaks between each round. There are also weight classes similar to boxing.

In general, the rules about striking are similar to Muay Thai, too. Fighters can use punches, kicks, elbows, or knees to strike opponents. Kicks to the crotch are not allowed. Neck-wrestling, which involves holding the opponent’s head while striking them in the body with knees and kicks, is allowed.

Is Japanese Kickboxing Still a Major Sport?

Kickboxing in Japan is now pretty much synonymous with K-1. K-1 was distinct from Japanese kickboxing because it drew influences from karate, Muay Thai, and boxing, as well as other martial arts. This blending of martial arts led to the rise of K-1 as Japanese kickboxing was experiencing a period of decline. Under K-1 rules, punches, kicks, knees, and sweeps are allowed. Elbow strikes, throws, and headbutts are not. Clinching is only allowed for five seconds.

K-1 is popular outside of Japan and draws in fighters from around the world. For many people, K-1 is thought to be to kickboxing what the UFC is to MMA.