Kickboxing rules in well-known competitions and tournaments

Often the question arises, who is the best kickboxer or which is the most important kickboxing tournament. We try to give you some answers to this question and finally introduce you to some famous kickboxers from movies and TV.

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Due to the wide organization of kickboxing throughout the world and the division into many federations, several kickboxing world champions, European champions and national champions exist at the same time. Furthermore, different championships are organized for all disciplines (SK/PF, LK, VK, K1), which does not make the whole thing any clearer.

Besides the biggest organization, WAKO, other federations organize championships. As a result, in the case of kickboxing competitors, in addition to the acquired title, the name of the organization is included. Kickboxing world champions determine, among others, these organizations:

• WKF – World Kickboxing Federation
• WKC – World Karate and Kickboxing Commission
• ISKA – International Sport Karate Association
• WKU – World Kickboxing and Karate Union

From most of the big organizations exist in turn national federations and regional federations, which then act for the organization of national tournaments, Dan examinations or training courses. To list all these championships here would not be very helpful. If you are interested, please inform yourself about the internet presence of the respective organization, which tournaments take place on which date and in which discipline.

The German Kickboxing League (DKKBL) organizes every year the fights in which the German team champion in pointfighting, semi-contact, is determined. No national league is planned for the disciplines light contact and full contact.

• Currently, the German team champion is determined in a first and second round, each of which is held on a single competition day. The current Kickboxing Bundesliga is therefore more like a tournament-like championship.
• Currently, there are no league fights in the Kickboxing Bundesliga, but the DKKBL is working to establish a nationwide league structure with district leagues, district leagues, state regional leagues and state leagues, similar to soccer.
• The league currently consists of a 1st – 3rd division of 8 teams each, for a total of 24 teams, separately for men and women.
  (As of August 2016)
  

The division in competitions in weight classes differs from association to association and also from discipline to discipline. The same applies to the age classes. Thus, although the class has the same name, it may have different weight limits in WAKO and WAK. Furthermore, the limits for full contact are often different from those for semi or light contact.

The exact upper and lower limits can be found at the respective federation. We will only briefly mention the frequently used weight classes here:

• Super Heavyweight
• Heavyweight
• Cruiserweight
• Light Heavyweight
• Light Heavyweight
• Middleweight
• Semi-Middleweight
• Welterweight
• Light-Welterweight
• Light Heavyweight
• Flyweight
• Bantamweight
• Featherweight

This is also valid for the age classes. Representative are here the used classes of the WAKO:

• Youth B
• Youth A
• Juniors
• Men
• Ladies
• Veterans

Even if the competition, especially in full contact, is powerful and dynamic, there are also rules in kickboxing. Points are awarded for all techniques you learn in training and you are allowed to attack head, torso and the legs (foot sweeps, low kicks against the thighs), although the low kicks are not in accordance with the rules in every fight variant.

• For hand techniques to the torso or head as well as lowkicks and foot sweeps 1 point is awarded,
• for leg techniques to the head or jump kicks to the torso 2 points,
• for jump kicks to the head 3 points.

All other attack zones are forbidden as well as attacks on an opponent on the ground, in the ropes or all actions after the commands “Stop” and “Break”. Hand and foot techniques should be used in a balanced way. For example, if you fight only with your hands, you may receive warnings and even minus points. In the WAKO full contact fight even 6 kicks per round (18 per fight) are prescribed.

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First and foremost, of course, the instructions of the referee must be obeyed. The most important commands are:

• On the command “Shake Hands” the fighters greet each other by handshake
• At “Fight” it is allowed to fight, at “Stop” all actions have to be interrupted
• On the command “Break” both opponents have to step back and are allowed to continue fighting (for example to solve a clinch)
• With e.g. “1 Point red” or “2 Point blue” score points are awarded for the named side
• With “no Score” the hit is not scored (unclean or simultaneous hit)
• One warning “Warning” will be given for minor rule violations. Three warnings or one serious violation will result in one minus point “Point minus”. With three “Point minus” the fighter concerned is disqualified