In today’s article I will be talking about the Belt Grading System In Kickboxing. Kickboxing has adapted the belt grading system from more ancient martial arts as a way to differentiate the skill level of students.
If you want to know a little bit more about the grading system, color of belts they use, and the highest color of belt you can receive, read on.
Also be sure to check out some of previous and very popular posts we have on this site like How Dangerous Is Muay Thai? and Muay Thai Roundhouse Kick Tutorial.
A Brief History On Kickboxing
What is kickboxing? Kickboxing is a combat sport that was created in Japan. It was developed from Karate and boxing is practiced as self defense, contact sport, and and general fitness.
As I mentioned Kickboxing had its inception in Japan in the 1950’s.
Many Japanese teachers wanted to spread the Kickboxing system all over the world to prove that this type of martial arts was both innovative and applicable to sports and street self defense.
Many Japanese teachers moved to America in the 1970’s to open up Kickboxing gyms. By 1974 Kickboxing had become prominent in America as a sport and self defense system.
In that same year The Professional Karate Association held it’s first world championship event which was met with extraordinary reception.
By the 1990s kickboxing became mainstream and gave way to the emergence of mixed martial arts.
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Kickboxing Governing Bodies
Kickboxing does not have a single governing body, nor does it have a single world championship.
A world championship is basically a competition open to different fighters all over the world, competing to see who is the best in the particular field of kickboxing.
The winner of the competition receives the championship title and is known as the best kickboxer in the world.
Instead of having a single governing body kickboxing has international governing bodies such as:
- International Sport Karate Association
- World Kickboxing Association
- World Kickboxing Network
- World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
- International Kickboxing Federation
Kickboxing is unique in a sense that championship titles are given by different promotions and not the sanctioning bodies.
The sanctioning bodies only create the rules, and does not contribute in any way to the creation of different championship belts.
*Important Notice: Different governing bodies apply different rules to kickboxing. Typically kickboxing only has kicks and boxing.
Some governing bodies do a hybrid of kicking, boxing, knees, elbows and ground and pound.
To be honest this is not kick boxing but rather mixed martial arts. Kickboxing is only kicking and boxing nothing else.
Any other hybrid or added elements to it is actually mixed martial arts and not kick boxing.
Rankings Before The Belt System
Before there were any belt system within Asian martial arts, the ranking of practitioners varied from martial arts to martial art, and region to region.
In For example, in some places in Japan there was a three-level ranking system. Beginner (Shodan), intermediate (Shudan), expert or upper (Jodan).
The highest skilled level which would be the Jodan, afforded the practitioner the opportunity to enter the secret traditions of their martial arts (Okuden).
In other places in Japan they went by a ranking system where you obtained licenses based on your skills.
Who Created The Belt Grading System
Jigoro Kano, whos is known as the creator of Judo, invented the belt color system. He created the color ranking to differentiate the skill level of his students.
There are many martial arts that implement the belt ranking system including:
- Karate
- Jiu Jitsu
- Taekwon Do
- Judo
- Aikido
- Kickboxing
Kickboxing Belt Order
As I mentioned earlier some kickboxing schools have implemented a belt grading system that stems from Karate. Again, not all kickboxing gyms, but some. Also various schools differ in color and stripes.
- White Belt
- Yellow Belt
- Orange Belt
- Green Belt
- Blue Belt
- Brown Belt
- Black Belt
For the most part kickboxing schools do not have belts, but rather rank their students based on competition.
In competition they are able to fight and face elite fighters from different schools, and if they win, they become the best.
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What’s the Difference Between Kickboxing And Cage Fighting?
The difference between kickboxing and cage fighting is real simple. Kickboxing has a set of rules that allows kicking and boxing only.
Different competitions have their own set of rules on where you can kick and punch your opponent, but of course no illegal striking.
Cage fighting which is known as mixed martial arts fighting employs a variety of fighting techniques from different martial arts systems.
In cage fighting you can box, kick, wrestle, grapple, elbow, knee and do a plethora of more strikes. All these strikes are legal and permitted unless stated in the rules beforehand.
Kickboxing Vs. Muay Thai
There are a lot of people who have asked me what’s the difference between kickboxing and muay thai. Well, the answer is real simple.
For the most part kickboxing only implements kicking and boxing techniques into their system. There are modern day kickboxing schools that implements other striking such as elbows, knees, and even grappling.
But as I mentioned to you earlier this is not any form of kickboxing, this is simply mixed martial arts. Because mixed martial arts adds all elements of striking and grappling into it.
Muay Thai covers the 8 limbs of martial arts. 2 knees, 2 elbows, 2 legs, 2 fists. And does not have a belt system within it also. Skill level is measured by competing.
You compete against another skilled opponent in a competition, and if you win you are the best nationally or internationally depending on where you compete.
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Kickboxing As Exercise
Kickboxing is great for sport and self defense, but it’s also a benefit for those who use it for exercise.
Kickboxing is good for exercise because it gives you great cardio, and cardio is good for your heart rate and circulation of blood flow throughout your body.
Kickboxing is also good for exercise because it allows you to move your body in a variety of ways that is beneficial to you.
There is a famous term out there that says “if you don’t use it, you lose it”. Meaning if you don’t use certain parts of your body they become weak and less functional.
In kickboxing you are moving just about every part of your body giving it strength and firmness.
Lastly, kickboxing is good for exercise because it is too much fun! You’ll enjoy moving and getting fit, while learning techniques that are helpful in self defense. The experience is truly an awesome one!