| In many martial arts, the true origins or starting point is | | | | Tashadi Sawamura (one of the most popular |
| usually murky or unknown. This is also true for the | | | | kickboxers during this time) kickboxing experienced a |
| martial art kickboxing, however, can be traced back to | | | | short lull in popularity but bounced around the year 1993 |
| a creation point of sorts. During the early to mid 1950's, | | | | when neck and elbow wrestling were banned from |
| a man by the name of Osamu Noguchi was a | | | | the sport by Kazuyoshi Ishii (creator of the martial art |
| prominent boxer and boxing enthusiast in Japan. He | | | | Seidokan Karate). It was shortly after this that |
| traveled the world to watch popular boxing matches | | | | kickboxing's popularity spread to the countries of North |
| and became fond of the style of boxing used in | | | | America, Australia and Europe. |
| Thailand, Muay Thai. | | | | Japanese kickboxing has differed very little from its |
| At that time, a man by the name of Tatsuo Yamada | | | | parent art of Muay Thai. The rules are very similar in |
| (the creator of Nihon Kempo Karate-do) took an | | | | both sports, such as the continuation of neck and |
| interest in Muay Thai as well he sought to find a form | | | | elbow wrestling (the American version does not allow |
| of fighting in which opponents could aim their strikes | | | | such moves) and one minute intervals. American |
| directly at each other and make contact with the | | | | kickboxing took on a more modern form, allowing only |
| targeted area of the opponents body. | | | | strikes with either the hands or feet and sometimes |
| In Karate, the opponents are never permitted to make | | | | the shins, but very rarely is this allowed. It is generally |
| contact with each other directly. Around the year 1959, | | | | thought that American kickboxing (or freestyle |
| Tatsuo Yamada created what he called Karate | | | | kickboxing) is more of a mixture of Karate and regular |
| boxing its popularity had not quite taken off at that | | | | boxing than a form of Muay Thai. |
| point because it was still a fairly unknown sport. | | | | The presence of certain kicks, punches and strikes in |
| Tatsuo Yamada and Osamu Noguchi met (they were | | | | each form of kickboxing derive directly from founders |
| one of the few people interested in the sport of Muay | | | | Tatsuo Yamada and Osamu Naguchi, such as the |
| Thai) and worked together to create Muay Thai vs. | | | | uppercut, the hook and the roundhouse kick. There are, |
| Karate matches in which opponents could participate. It | | | | however, many techniques that have developed since |
| was actually Osamu Noguchi that coined the term | | | | the Yamada and Naguchi's inception of the sport, such |
| kickboxing and after several matches, popularity of this | | | | as kneeing techniques (including the straight knee thrust |
| new martial art spread fairly quickly. | | | | and leaping knee strike). Kickboxing has evolved into |
| Before his death in 1967, Osamu Noguchi also created | | | | one of the most popular sports and martial arts today, |
| the Kickboxing Association and it was after this that | | | | credit for which can only be given to its founders, |
| kickboxing began to take its true place not only among | | | | Yamada and Naguchi. |
| Japan, but in other countries as well. However, when | | | | |