Kickboxing Belt Order and Ranking System
A guide to the kickboxing belt system and order
Kickboxing is an up-and-coming full-contact sport and martial art that draws inspiration from a wide range of sources.
Kickboxing, as we know it now, originated in the United States in the 1970s, when a number of other striking techniques were combined into a single sport and given a more recognisable American image by having bouts fought in a boxing ring.
Modern kickboxing owes much to the martial arts of Japan (karate), Thailand (Muay Thai), the United States (boxing), France (Savate) and Korea (Taekwondo)- and it has quickly become a global phenomenon.
America and Japan, though, were (and remain) kickboxing's lynchpins.
What are the benefits of kickboxing?
There are many different reasons to take up kickboxing.
For its efficiency, kickboxing is used as a striking foundation by many MMA practitioners.
You may use it to get in shape, defend yourself and even lose weight- even if you don't compete.
What is cardio kickboxing?
Cardio kickboxing is a form of aerobic training that uses kickboxing skills and moves for fun, rather than competition.
It's a cardiovascular workout based on the sport of kickboxing, but with less impact and no sparring.
Worldwide, people of all ages and fitness levels engage in the practice of cardio kickboxing.
Kickboxing: A Brief History
For many years, people have practised the martial art of kickboxing.
Records suggest that Muay Thai and other Southeast Asian martial arts originated sometime around the 12th century and were developed for use in unarmed conflict on the battlefield.
Karate was created in the 1600s, and it wasn't until the early 1900s that it was brought to Japan.
The rise of Muay Thai as a spectator sport may be traced back to the early 16th century, when the first records of competitive kickboxing appeared.
Yet there were little restrictions in place. Combat was legalised without limits on skill levels or the use of pads.
The origins of kickboxing as a combat sport are more recent. Around the 1920s, Muay Thai adopted features common in western boxing, including a ring, gloves, a referee and time limitations for each round.
Around the 1950s, a distinct style of kickboxing called Kyokushin Karate emerged in East Asia.
When parts of Kyokushin and Muay Thai were combined, a new martial art called Japanese kickboxing emerged.
Japanese kickboxing spread over the world, inspiring variations like American and Dutch kickboxing in the West.
The 1970s and 1980s saw the rise of competitive kickboxing competitions, including multiple distinct styles.
K-1, a unified rules kickboxing promotion based in Japan, was established in 1993. All the top kickboxers in the world converged on Japan to see who had the most superior technique.
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, K-1 was the undisputed champion of kickboxing.
The regulations established during the K-1 heyday are used by all modern kickboxing promotions.
Does kickboxing have a belt system?
A black belt is not awarded in traditional kickboxing because there is no ranking system.
Training participants will advance through the many techniques and maneuvers at their own pace, depending on their individual abilities and the speed with which they learn each new concept.
It may be easier or more time-consuming for some pupils to advance than others.
This can be disappointing for pupils who value having a belt system in place.
Some other martial arts include grading systems that demonstrate a student's growth in skill over time with that art.
Although some schools teach kickboxing using the Muay Thai armband system, and others include karate into their curriculum and use the belt system, these are exceptions to the rule.
When did kickboxing stop using belts to denote skill levels?
A succession of punches and kicks form the basis of the combat sport known as kickboxing.
It's often compared to boxing, and some people even use it as a substitute for karate, so the two may blend together rather nicely. It relies heavily on a few specific techniques developed for full-contact matches.
Since mastery of the techniques did not take as much time as in other martial arts, belt rankings were impractical.
When there is only so much skill to go around, competing rankings can seem unwarranted.
The other is what kickboxing is all about at its core. The sport relies heavily on the successful implementation of this minimal amount of technique in a real-world, high-stakes setting.
This tactic is utilised in a variety of sports, but it takes an exceptionally high level of expertise in the motions that are allowed in order to be effective.
Karate Belt System (New Kyokushin Belt System)
According to Emadojola, some kickboxing schools employ a karate belt system, some kickboxing institutes might follow some of the below ranks, and some can follow all of the ranks.
White Belt (Mukyu “No Kyu”)
Orange Belt (X Kyu)
Orange Belt With Black Dash (IX Kyu)
Blue Belt (VIII Kyu)
Blue Belt With Dash (VII Kyu)
Yellow Belt (VI Kyu)
Yellow Belt With Dash (V Kyu)
Green Belt (IV Kyu)
Green Belt With Dash (III Kyu)
Brown Belt (II Kyu)
Brown Belt With Dash (I Kyu)
Black Belt I Dan (Shodan)
Black Belt With One Dash Senpai
Black Belt II Dan (Nidan)
Black Belt With Two Dashes Senpai
Black Belt III Dan (Sensei)
Black Belt With Three Dashes Sensei
Kickboxing Regulations
A boxing ring is ideal for kickboxing bouts. As a matter of fairness, in full contact kickboxing, competitors must face off against opponents in the same weight class.
The fight starts when the fighters contact gloves, after hearing the referee's instructions.
Each round lasts three minutes, and the number of rounds depends on the fighters' respective levels of expertise. Each round is separated by a 1-minute rest period.
The standard for a championship bout is 12 rounds, each of which lasts 3 minutes.
Each combatant has three minutes to knock out their opponent using only punches and kicks to the body and head.
If neither combatant is able to knock the other out or get the official to halt the bout, then the winner is determined by a scorecard.
The victor in a fight is the competitor who accumulates the most points. When both combatants score exactly the same number of points, the bout ends in a draw.
