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Many people get a little confused about Muay Thai and Kickboxing, so here's some information about kickboxing.
Kickboxing(キックボクシング) is a sport that uses martial arts style kicks and boxing style punches to defeat an opponent in a similar way to that of standard boxing. Kickboxing is a standing sport and does not allow continuation of the fight once a combatant has reached the ground. Boxing gloves are worn as well as shin and foot pads.
Kickboxing is often practised for general fitness, or as a full-contact sport. In European kickboxing, where kicks to the thigh are allowed using special low-kick rules, use of boxing shorts instead of long trousers is possible.
In addition, amateur rules often allow less experienced competitors to use light or semi-contact rules, where the intention is to score points by executing successful strikes past the opponent's guard, and use of force is regulated. The equipment for semi-contact is similar to full-contact matches, usually with addition of head gear.
Kickboxing is often confused with Muay Thai, also known as Thai Boxing. The two sports are similar, however, in Thai Boxing, kicks below the belt are allowed, as are strikes with knees and elbows. Stand up grappling and some throws are also allowed.
There are many arts labelled kickboxing including: Japanese, American, Indian (Adithada), Burmese or Myanmar (Lethwei), Korean (Gwon gyokdo), Chinese (Sanshou), Cambodian or Khmer (Pradal Serey)(Bokator), Filipino (Panantukan) and French (Savate). The term kickboxing is disputed and has become more associated with the Japanese and American variants. Many of the other styles do not consider themselves to be 'kickboxing', although the public often uses the term generically to refer to all these martial arts.
"Japanese Kickboxing" was originally developed by Japanese boxing promoter, Osamu Noguchi, who combined techniques from Muay Thai, Judo, Karate and Shorinji Kempo to form the hybrid martial art in the early 1960's.
Traditional oriental martial arts were becoming popular in the USA in the late 1960's but the competitors were becoming increasingly frustrated with the rules which didn't allow contact to be made. They were looking for something a little more realistic.
"American Kickboxing" was born in 1970 and re-born in 1974 as Full-Contact Karate.
Fighters wore "Saf-T-Punch" and "Saf-T-Kick" protection on the hands and feet and the techniques were more akin to traditional Karate than modern Kickboxing. Nowadays western style boxing gloves are worn but the foot protectors are still the same. The hand techniques used are now the same as western boxing with the addition of a few strikes such as the backfist strike.
Members of the traditional Karate community were unhappy with the use of the word Karate being used as they felt that it degraded the art. They wanted the sport to be known as "Kickboxing".
However, at the time, the sport could only be sold to TV companies because of the popularity of Karate. "Kickboxing" was associated with the more brutal Muay Thai and Japanese Kickboxing and seen as being too violent, so there was a push for the sport to be known as "Full-Contact Karate". It wasn't until the 1980's that the term "Kickboxing" started to be used instead of "Full-Contact Karate".
The first time Full-Contact Karate contests were held in the UK was in early 1976.
