Ranking The Best Styles of Kickboxing
The term “kickboxing” is very confusing. In fact, even people who are into martial arts and combat sports are often confused with this term as it has two different meanings. In modern times, it stands for a striking system created in the 1950s in Japan that was also a very popular combat sport in the 90s and 2000s. But on the other side, people also use the term “kickboxing” to describe a group of martial arts that mix punches and kicks together.
In this article, we are going to take a close at this specific group of martial arts, and bring you the 5 best and most effective styles of kickboxing.
5. Japanese Kickboxing
Japanese style is the original style of kickboxing. Its story begins in the 1950s, in a time where there was a big rivalry between karate and Muay Thai. At the time, Tatsuo Yamada, a famous karateka, started to explore Muay Thai in more detail. He trained with a couple of Thai boxers in his dojo and was curious to know what would happen if you apply full contact Thai rules to karate. In some way, Yamada set an outline for what would later become kickboxing.
But, Yamada is just one of the founders. Many people think that the boxing promoter, Osamu Noguchi, is the father of kickboxing. He was the one who created a new combat sport that was a mix of karate techniques and Muay Thai full contact rules, and he also came up with the term “kick box”.
The Japanese style is, perhaps, the most technical out of all other styles. The emphasis is on the high output of punches, fast counter-attacks, and clean striking. Like Thai boxers, fighters can use kicks, punches, knees, and elbows to strike at all ranges. The original form also allowed notorious headbutts, but they got rid of these strikes in 1966.
4. Shoot Boxing
Shoot Boxing is a standup martial art that is not that popular among the new generation of combat sports fans. In fact, it’s fair to say that Shoot Boxing was never much popular outside of Japan. And this is notably true if we are talking about North America. But at the same time, the entire concept of Shoot Boxing is really unique and this style of kickboxing is also very effective.
Back in the early 1980s, Caesar Takeshi had a unique idea to create a sport that would be a mix of wrestling and striking. He used kickboxing as a base on top of which he added techniques from shoot wrestling.
The final result was a standup art where fighters can strike using all limbs, take the opponent down, and execute standing submissions. They are allowed to do damage with kicks, punches, knees, and elbows. Next, they can also execute various trips and throws, and finish the opponent with standing submissions. It’s really unique because fighters need to set up joint locks, wrist locks, or chokes, all while wearing full padded boxing gloves.
Shoot boxing is very effective because it is a full-contact combat sport. Training prepares you for any type of scenario you may face on the streets. The biggest downside, however, is the fact that you may have a hard time finding a gym to train. In fact, it would be almost impossible to find one in the US for instance.
3. Dutch Style
It’s fair to say that the Dutch style is the most famous style of kickboxing in modern times. Its story begins when a Dutch martial artist, Jan Plas, traveled to Japan to learn Japanese kickboxing at the famous Mejiro Gym. Later on, he would travel back home and create his own style that is, in some way, better than the original one.
In its initial form, kickboxing emerged as a mix of karate techniques and Muay Thai rules. But Plas went a step further by adding western boxing on top of this. In fact, the emphasis of Dutch style is on the high output of fast and precise punches. Fighters trained in this style would often throw a 5 punch combo, and finish the attack with a hard low kick. While Thai boxers emphasize leg kicks, the Dutch style is all about punches.
Dutch style exploded during the glory days of K-1 in the 90s and 2000s. If you look at the K-1 Grand Prix, for instance, out of 19 Grand Prix champions, 15 of them were Dutch. Some of the most famous Dutch style fighters are Rob Kaman, Ernesto Hoost, and Peter Aerts.
2. Lethwei
Lethwei is the most brutal style of kickboxing, and it is really hard to argue against that. It shares a lot in common with Thai boxing, but it is far more brutal. On top of Muay Thai techniques, it adds infamous headbutt strikes, and, there are no gloves. Like that’s not brutal enough, some Lethwei rules do not have decisions, so you must score a knockout to win a match.
Lethwei fights are brutal, violent, bloody, and for sure, not everyone’s cup of tea. But at the same time, no one can deny that this form of combat is highly effective. This is notably true if we are talking about fighting on the street. It may sound cliche, but Lethwei would teach you all about the mental and physical aspects of real fighting.
Though it may look too brutal in the eyes of the layman, Lethwei is an advanced and very technical form of combat. From kicks, punches, clinch work, to violent headbutts, each technique you learn works in real combat. And the lack of gloves also adds to the realism of fighting.
The biggest downside is the fact that Lethwei is not legal in most countries outside of Myanmar. But considering the rise of bare knuckle boxing all over the world, things might change in the future.
1. Muay Thai
Muay Thai is the most famous style of kickboxing and the most effective one in the eyes of many people. It emerged in the 14th century Siam Kingdom, and it has origins in a martial art called “Muay Boran”. At the time, Siamese soldiers used Muay Boran as a weapon to fight in many wars they had. But later on, King Rama V would develop the sport version that would become known as Muay Thai.
Muay Thai is a total package when it comes to striking as it teaches you how to use all limbs as weapons to strike. Students learn how to fight at all ranges, including clinch, using kicks, punches, knees, and elbow strikes. On top of that, they also learn the basics of grappling and how to execute various types of trips, throws, and sweeps.
It is a versatile striking art where the emphasis is on heavy kicks and fighting in the clinch with elbows and knees. You will rarely see Thai boxers throwing advanced boxing combos as these are often seen as secondary weapons. They use punches just to close the distance or set up the power kicks that are coming behind.
In this day and age, Muay Thai is well spread all around the world, mainly thanks to the rise of modern MMA where it plays a big role. It has become very popular among people who want to learn self-defense tactics, lose weight and get in shape, or later switch over to MMA fighting.
