History- While kicking arts have been around in the orient for over 1,000 years, and pankration was a combat art that utilized kicks in the ancient Olympics, modern kickboxing only became popular in the western hemisphere in the mid-1900's. Most forms of kickboxing allow kicks anywhere on the body and some punches. Rules vary from this allowing for a lesser, or greater, variety of strikes. Some famous kickboxing styles include; muay thai (Thailand), karate (Japan), tae kwon do (Korea), savate (France), lethwei (Burma), and sanda (China).
The Sport- The most famous variety of kickboxing in the world today is the Indo-Chinese Muay family of fighting. Muay thai, muay boran, muay lao, muay burma, and more are named for the regions that developed them during the wars fought between these countries in Southeast Asia. In most cases they were developed as battlefield arts to supplement the peasants who did not have weapons, because of this even with modern rules the muay arts are some of the more brutal martial arts on the planet. They are most noted for allowing punches and kicks anywhere to the body, head, and legs as well as the use of elbow and knee strikes. More traditional forms of kickboxing like karate, tae kwon do, and savate place much more emphasis on kicks than punches.
Kickboxing Philosophy at The Ludus- Our resident kicking expert, Coach Patrick, is a phenomenal teacher of form and timing, both keys in landing effective kicks while not compromising your defense. His tae kwon do and hapkido backgrounds give him an intimate knowledge of the practical application of kicking in both self defense and mixed martial arts. Coach Capaldi teaches a more Dutch style of muay thai famous for using punches like a Western boxer to set up kicks. The Dutch have been the only Western athletes to consistently succeed at a high level of muay thai.
Notable Practitioners- Bas Rutten, Rob Kaman, Peter Aerts, Andy Hug, Giorgio Petrosyan, Mirko Filipovic, Alistair Overeem, Jerome Le Banner, Semmy Schilt, Mark Hunt, Musashi, Jan Nortje, Ray Sefo, Remy Bonjasky, Ernesto Hoost, Badr Hari, Stefan Leko, Buakaw Por. Pramuk, Pud Pad Noy Worawoot, Tongchai Tor Silachai, Saenchai, Apidej Sit Hirun, Simart Payakaroon, Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn, Ramon Dekkers