Whatever kickboxing you do is different to mine, I think. We do white, yellow and then orange belts. 3 months intervals, and then after your orange belt to purple it's 6 months between each belt. To get your black from purple you've to train a year, and then for each black it's a year until your third where it's 2 years *or something along those lines*. It was explained to me before but I don't remember exactly what happens after your first black. I think once you get to your 3rd black you've to do some community work, like setting up classes etc. Maybe that's just what it's like round here! I dunno The KBing I do, each belt costs more. Though my club is very strict and the standards for each belt is very high, the trainer deducts points for every tiny slip-up, including if you hit someone and knock them down and you say "are you ok?" -- points off! You don't get belts in boxing AS FAR AS I'M AWARE. I have a few friends who box/used to box and they tell me there are no belts. Ugh I hate boxing, not even a martial art! It's so thug-like! Yeah, I agree with that. I remember someone very passionately told me that point sparring isn't kickboxing, it's freestyle karate. I see what he means (not in a ring, not kickboxing rules, not even boxing gloves etc).
ROFLMAO! Maybe your mates are thug-like. Boxing is as much a martial art as any, and if done right is graceful and effective.
Martial Art - Definition Not in the true sense, no. But how many other systems of combat can you truly call a 'martial', 'military' or 'war' art? If you ask, 'Has Boxing training ever been used by the military?' The answer is, 'Yes it has'. Boxing is at least a true and honest combative discipline. At the highest level (and even at lesser levels), the training produces super-fit and well-trained fighters. Why else are these ring gladiators paid more than any other combat athletes? Pugil
My friend who took up boxing years ago and I were talking, and I asked him why he took up boxing and not kickboxing. His exact response: "I would have LOVED to take up kickboxing, seriously, but there's way more money in boxing". He then gave an example of the pay between a kickboxing fight and a boxing fight and there were thousands of pounds in difference. I almost cried, even though I don't want to fight in competitions. I still almost made me teary! Why IS boxing more highly paid? I don't think it's as enjoyable to watch as kickboxing. A kick to the head! There's nothing better to watch!
Prizefighting Boxing [as in 'English Boxing'] first started out as means of deciding a quarrel, and it was originally a bareknuckle fight. When organised contests started to take place it became known as Prizefighting. They also referred to it in the early days as Pugilism, although the term 'Boxing' was also used from quite early on too. Because of its long traditions of fighting for a 'purse' [prize-money], that has continued through to today. Prize money in the early times might not sound much by today's standards, but if you compare the cost of living, and wages generally, the prize money was certainly very good for the time. From the earliest of times, and continuing until today, Boxers potentially take their lives in their hands (quite literally) everytime they enter a contest ring. Fatalities were, and still are, a distinct possibility. How many kickboxers, or even MMA guys, do you know who have been killed in the ring? Or suffered long-term brain damage from their sport. Whilst Boxing may not look as dramatic, to unappreciative or unenlightened spectators, it continues to be a supreme test of skill and manhood. Although I too love Kickboxing (Savate especially), at the end of the day, kicks function best below the waist and punches are better delivered above! Kicking to the head is a highly risky exercise most of the time, and is also a compromise between high scoring athletic ability and what is truly functional. Pugil
So why dont i hear you slagg judo or BJJ off for having belts? Personaly i couldnt give a shaz about gradings, but it seems some people look at it with double standards.
Jackets need belts Forgive me butting in on this reply, but isn't it something to do with attire? I mean, in Judo or BJJ they wear a Gi with an open jacket - no buttons of zip fasteners, etc. Therefore, the only sensible way to keep the jacket in any kind of order (i.e. not in disarray) is to have a belt. Surely a jacket is not a requirement of kickboxing, so why the need for a belt? Pugil
yeh sure, they sould just all wear a white belt but they still have grades. Having said that all the gis ive had could be fastened with ties inside with no real need for a belt to keep it together really.
Im a Black Belt in kickboxing. Some grading systems are all about $$$ and £££ but thats if they tiurn out crap people If they have hard requirements, then thats ok ive nothign against instructors charging for gradings, as long as they award belts to someone who deserves it
Good question! That's a good question. Our local newspaper (Cambridge Evening News) recently featured a youngster having just been awarded his black belt in Shotokan Karate at the age of eight years. Whilst it's good to see youngsters getting involved in the martial arts, and other combat disciplines, and being rewarded for their efforts, I can't really see how it is possible for him to be black belt already. According to the article he had been training since he was "...about six-and-a-half. I have some good adult students (one young woman in her early twenties in particular) who have trained several times a week (and in her case over 6 years) who I still haven't awarded black belts to. At least when I do they'll know that it actually means and stands for something. Pugil
American kickboxing - with the main emphasis being on sport competition. Took me around 6 years. Started when I was 10, I'm now 17. I started training twice a week. About 2 years ago I upped this to 3 and over the last year I've been training 4-5 times per week (at 2 hours per session). EDIT: and the first time I took it, I failed.
