Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Martial Arts: A Fun Way to Get In Shape

By James Collett


Kickboxing began in Europe and America as an alternate to traditional martial arts and is often associated with mixed martial arts. Although not technically considered one of the martial arts, many of the competitors who enter the sport have skills in martial arts and were often among the best competitors in their chosen game. Many trained boxers also get into the sport of martial arts, after a trainer has shown them how to kick.

The rules of a kickboxing meet can change from location to location. The most typical rule of playing that must be adhered to is that a particular quantity of kicks have to occur with each contestant during the space of the round or the contestant will lose points from the score, which could cause them to lose the match. Each of the punches and kicks must come into contact above the belt and the kicking must end if one contestant is down or not standing.

There are a lot of different sorts types of martial arts that may be featured in a match and a lot of the differences in style are geographic in nature. A number of countries, including France, India, and Cambodia, have invented their own techniques of martial arts which can be distinguished by several, such as if the athletes are able to wear shoes or shin gear. In some games, the rules of the match will echo the common type of martial arts performed in that location.

The event originated in Japan in the beginning 1960's due to the fact at the time karate wasn't a full contact activity and the inventor wanted to start a sport that was full contact but still retained the essence of a kickboxing tournament. So kickboxing came to life and quickly grew to countries worldwide. Now, the activity is generally viewed found on televised tournaments and in movies extolling the skills and athletic capability of the hero who makes things right.

Other types of martial arts follow the same basic rules, but with small modifications that allow for the use of an individual style. For example, in the Japanese style of martial arts, elbows and knees may be used to hit your rival and the athlete is allowed to hit below the belt as long as the groin area is avoided.

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