kickboxing
Kickboxing is a striking martial art originating in Japan. It developed as a discipline under the umbrella of boxing and centers its training on punches and kicks delivered under full-contact ring rules. Practitioners train to apply both hand and foot techniques in competitive settings governed by defined rulesets, making ring performance and controlled sparring central to the practice.
As a striking art, kickboxing training generally emphasizes stand-up techniques, physical conditioning, and the development of timing, distance management, and combinations using the hands and feet. Because the style operates under full-contact rules, training typically includes live sparring and pad work designed to prepare practitioners for competitive contact, alongside the usual foundations of footwork and defensive movement common to ring-based striking disciplines.
Several distinct sub-styles exist within the broader kickboxing family, each with its own rule structure and technical scope. Shoot boxing is a Japanese variant that incorporates strikes alongside standing submissions and throws, distinguishing it from more straightforward kickboxing formats. These sub-styles are covered in their respective sections below.
Styles & branches of kickboxing
Shoot boxing
Origin: Japan · Type: Hybrid · Lineage: kickboxing
Japanese standing MMA: strikes + standing submissions/throws Wikipedia →
Gear to expect. Striking training typically calls for gloves, hand wraps, shin guards, and a mouthguard — your school will tell you exactly what, and when. New students rarely need to buy anything for a trial class.
Find your martial art →Related striking styles
Classification and facts from our open-data taxonomy (Wikidata CC0 base + our editorial classification). Where a fact (like origin) isn't recorded, we leave it out rather than guess. Methodology.