In this article, we are going to rank the top 15 best kickboxers of all time. We will bring you fighters from different eras, and explain why they deserve a spot on this list.
STRIKING ARTS
Japanese kickboxing is a hybrid version of karate with full-contact rules, which is based on a mix of karate and Muay Thai rules put into one style of fighting. The founders of this style were Tatsuo Yamada and boxing promoter Osamu Noguchi, who first named their style “Kickboxing.”
Kickboxing has origins in Muay Boran, an art that would later become known as Muay Thai. The modern form emerged in the 1950s in Japan as a mix of Karate and Muay Thai rules and techniques. The founders of modern kickboxing were Tatsuo Yamada and Osamu Noguchi
Lethwei is one of the most versatile striking arts ever created as it trains you to use your entire body as a weapon. At the same time, it is very a brutal fighting system since fighters compete bare-knuckle, and it includes dirty moves like headbutts.
Sanda is a full-contact martial art, often seen as a sport version of Kung Fu. It consists of hand strikes, kicks, elbows, and knees as well as trips, throws, and wrestling takedowns. In some way, you can look at Sanda as kickboxing with takedowns and grappling.
American Kickboxing style emerged in the 1970s that is based on both western boxing and karate techniques. This unique style of kickboxing prohibits striking below the waist. Striking above the waist was for perceived safety reasons when American Kickboxing was created.