Kickboxing OR Freestyle Karate?

[kickboxingidiot]

What do you call real kickboxing?
What classifies as kickboxing and what classifies as Freestyle Karate?
Where do we draw the line?

[Ikken Hisatsu]

over here kickboxing is basically muay thai without elbows. I call the one where you only kick above the waist and no knees american kickboxing, then theres savate which has leg kicks but no elbows or knees.

freestyle karate is usually semi contact isnt it?

[jabcrosshook]

freestyle karate is usually semi contact isnt it?

Yeah

[freestyler]

But lots of people call it freestyle kickboxing coz the word 'kickboxing' seems to get more through the door these days.

[Bograt]

But lots of people call it freestyle kickboxing coz the word 'kickboxing' seems to get more through the door these days.

Freestyle and kickboxing are totally different, however what your talking about is light continuos karate. and lets face it kickboxing when first introduced into America was called Full Contact Karate if my memory is correct? It was just the fact that the punches being used where primeraly from boxing that they changed the name to kickboxing. ( So calling it something else to get students through the door has been done for years :) :) )

I must admit rather than having the LC & FC listed seperatly I advertise it as Freestyle Kickboxing on my web site to save time & explinations.

Freestyle is points karate or (sports karate) No hook punches or uppercutsare allowed and whilst the back fist is used in each style the backfist in FS is mainly done off the lead hand in more of a flicking action instead of the power technique. FS was developed from the Traditional karate circuit.

Light continuos karate is a step up from points karate and a step down from Kickboxing but some do call it light continous kickboxing as you say to get people in the door.

Full contact is knock em out kicboxing without the elbows & 0nly kicking above the waist.

I teach Freestyle karate,

Light continuos karate and full contact (Kickboxing.).

Where the boundries get mixed is between the light con karate and the kickboxing because the rules of LC & KB are the same, the only differance is in the contact level ie LC you don't knock em out Ha Ha yer I have seen that happen many a time :) Yet with FC you can, plus it's done in a boxing ring 9 times out of 10.

As I said my students learn FS, LC & FC as around my competition area there are more associations putting on the FS & LC side so my students can take part in them.

However if a competition comes up in FC my students can opt to take part in that, but the main area to remember here is that should my students wish to fight FC they must have a (doctors certificate) the same as a boxer.

Thats why a lot of students do the light contact. I have faught LC & FC however as I am almost blind in one eye the FC fights where not legit.

Hope this sorts out the confussion.

[jabcrosshook]

Light continuos karate is a step up from points karate and a step down from Kickboxing but some do call it light continous kickboxing as you say to get people in the door.

I would still argue that it's more like kickboxing than karate, but each to their own :)

[Bograt]

I would still argue that it's more like kickboxing than karate, but each to their own :)

I would't argue with you on that as LC allows hooks and uppercuts which Karate (in sport) dosn't well not under WKA rules.

Check out this link http://www.cmaa.co.uk/ but be prepared to do lots of reading. :p

?hats why I call it freestyle kickboxing on my site as the only difference between LC & FC is the contact level.

But if the three sides are looked at logically for debate sake Light con falls in between FS & FC. I think this thread is relating to another where it was sugested that something sounded like FS pretending to be Kickboxing. A statement I found to be offencive due to the fact that I teach and also mix all three.

[jabcrosshook]

But if the three sides are looked at logically for debate sake Light con falls in between FS & FC. I think this thread is relating to another where it was sugested that something sounded like FS pretending to be Kickboxing. A statement I found to be offencive due to the fact that I teach and also mix all three.

Not just trying to argue with you on this, but I honestly don't think LC falls between kickboxing and freestyle. LC is basically identical to FC, with the one exception being knockdowns/outs. I cannot see how it falls between the two. It is not as clear-cut as that.

[Bograt]

Not just trying to argue with you on this, but I honestly don't think LC falls between kickboxing and freestyle. LC is basically identical to FC, with the one exception being knockdowns/outs. I cannot see how it falls between the two. It is not as clear-cut as that.
There is a saying "keep it simple safe" I may be trying to over simplify things The original post was freestyle karate or kickboxing.

LC & FC are exactly the same appart from the contact level ( I think we are agreed on that )

Ok if we look at FS or as some call it tipy tap ( points ) If you take that and make it a continuous fight and allow hooks etc then FS becomes LC. When I say a step up and a step down I don't meen it is a greater or lesser style I am mearly refereing to the power level the only thing that splits the FS from FC is the fact that one is poit score & stop and coninuos fighting. and LC bridges that.

As an after thought I have found that it is harder for my kickboxers to move over to freestyle ( points ) than it is for the freestylers to move over to kickboxing. it seems to be a mind set. So I like to do a lesson soley on Freestyle points every now and then for the kickboxers, and I find it quite amussing watching the kickboxers trying to get thier head round the differant principles.:p :p

[jabcrosshook]

When I say a step up and a step down I don't meen it is a greater or lesser style I am mearly refereing to the power level the only thing that splits the FS from FC is the fact that one is poit score & stop and coninuos fighting. and LC bridges that.

We'll agree to disagree :)

[Bograt]

We'll agree to disagree :)
:) :) :) :)

[freestyler]

I always thought that the WKA had seperate sections for light contact and continuous, since continuous is 'supposed to be' similar to points in technique but light contact is kickboxing?

[Bograt]

I always thought that the WKA had seperate sections for light contact and continuous, since continuous is 'supposed to be' similar to points in technique but light contact is kickboxing?

They have seperate sections for FS (points ) because it is semi contact

LC & FC also have different sections due to the power levels involved as stated above,

The techniques in points differ in that with points you are not allowed to do hook punches (you use ridgehand as an alternative,) uppercuts.

At some comps you are not allowed to sweep or do full spinning backfists., and at others you can not score to the back,

however that has started to change as you had clubs teaching students to attack then turn to defend against a counter attack with their back as the opponant was not allowed to score to the back. :confused:

Anyway getting back on track Kickboxing be that LC or FC allows all thouse listed above apart from the scoring to the back. Not sure what the ruling is on the sweep these days?????

And yes LC is KB but your orriginal question was Kickboxing or Freestyle Karate.

Freestyle Karrate is not kickboxing it is semi contact karate

[jabcrosshook]

LC & FC also have different sections due to the power levels involved as stated above,

There are a few other factors, too, eg: timeouts can be called if a fighter is deeply suffering from exhaustion. He may then fight on, but will almost certainly lose as judges don't like that. If there is blood, a time out can be called, and the match restarted after the cut has been mended - regardless of how long this has taken.

Anyway getting back on track Kickboxing be that LC or FC allows all thouse listed above apart from the scoring to the back. Not sure what the ruling is on the sweep these days?????

Sweep (according to our association):
1)Below mid-calf
2A)Only to outside of leading leg
2B)If fighter is square on the ropes/edge of mat, either foot can be swept as long as it fits the criteria of 1 and 2A.