Boxing Vs Kickboxing: Which Is More Effective & Right For You

Generally, boxing is less effective in actual self defense because you are restricted to only punches but is more technical, harder to grasp and more popular worldwide. Whereas kickboxing is more effective in self defense, is less technical and is less popular than boxing.

Personally, I have tried kickboxing and boxing training. I find kickboxing more suited to my style and purpose. It better equips me for self-defense and all-around fitness. Also, I find kickboxing to be easy to learn compared to boxing.

Although boxing and kickboxing might seem similar on the surface, they have quite a few notable differences. Before you enroll in any boxing or kickboxing class, it is important to know how they compare. Understanding this helps determine which fighting styles are better suited for you.

Below is a table highlighting the major differences between the two martial arts, boxing and kickboxing. These contrasts will be discussed further in the article.

 

	Boxing	Kickboxing
More Effective for Self Defense	Less effective	More effective
Techniques	Only punches are permitted	Punches, kicks, and knee strikes are permitted
More Difficult	More difficult	Less difficult
Safer to Learn	More dangerous	Less dangerous
Equipment Required	Less equipment	More equipment
Rules	More rules	Less rules
Popularity	More popular	Less popular
History	Around since 3000 BC; Originated in Ancient Greece	Around since 1990s; Originated in Japan

 

Boxing vs Kickboxing: Which is More Effective? (for Self-defense)

Kickboxing is more effective when it comes to self-defense. It is a full-contact martial art that employs a diverse range of skills, using both upper body and lower body movement, which is essential for self-defense.  

On the other hand, boxing focuses on too much punch power and speed which may not always be appropriate in certain self-defense situations.

The versatility involved in using your whole body as a weapon is very effective in self-defense. With kickboxing, you will be equipped with the necessary hand and body techniques to defend yourself against a wide range of attacks.

This full-body fighting ability gives kickboxers an advantage over boxers, who are only trained to attack their opponent with punches.

Moreover, kickboxing is not as technical as boxing. Because boxers are limited to their fists, they must master different punches, footwork and head movements at an intense level.

These high-level techniques are important in the boxing ring but aren’t as helpful in real-life situations where street rules don’t apply. This leaves boxers mainly on the defensive in fights outside of the arena.

On the other hand, kickboxers are better equipped to remain on the offensive. Kickboxing is a more explosive martial art. This means that a kickboxer is trained to punch and kick harder and faster than a boxer, resulting in knockouts more easily. 

Another point worthy of note is that boxing relies heavily on upper body strength. This is very hard to achieve without extensive weight training. Therefore, if you don’t have good upper body strength, you won’t be able to deliver powerful punches like a skilled boxer.

In contrast, kickboxing trains the whole body, making the combat sport effective for people of any bodily strength. As long as you can land a punch with sufficient power, you can stun or knock out an opponent. A well-timed kick can also shatter an opponent’s jaw or send them flying across the ring.

 

Boxing vs Kickboxing: Techniques

Kickboxing employs more techniques than boxing. As the name implies, kickboxing combines punches and kicks so that you will be required to learn both hand and leg techniques. Knee strikes and clinching are also permitted in the sport, which is not allowed in boxing.

But the number of techniques employed in each martial art says nothing about their technicality.

Boxing is more technical than kickboxing. The fact that boxing is only limited to the fists makes a higher mastery of the fighting style a given. More rules are implemented in boxing, with a lot of emphasis placed on footwork, head movement, and punches.

The techniques used in boxing play a larger role in a boxer’s success than their power. Generally, it would be best to have great footwork in boxing for faster movement and evasion, making it difficult for an opponent to land a solid punch.

It would also be best to keep your punches tight to increase the chances of your fist connecting with your opponent’s flesh. The knowledge of head movement is equally important to evade a death blow skillfully.

Other techniques in boxing are jab, cross, hooks, and uppercuts. There are also self-defensive techniques like slips, rolls, and blocks. But all these techniques are summed up in good footwork and upper body coordination.

On the other hand, kickboxing employs other body techniques prohibited in boxing. However, you don’t need to practice a lot of them to be an effective kickboxer. In contrast, boxing techniques take longer to master up to a satisfactory fighting level. This makes boxing a more technical sport than kickboxing and less suited for those not so interested in learning martial arts.

Overall, it depends on the learner. Whether you want to study a less technical martial arts with more techniques, or you’re down for a more intense combat sport with fewer techniques, boxing and kickboxing both require a certain amount of training and dedication to master the sport.

 

Boxing vs Kickboxing: Which is More Difficult to Learn?

Boxing is more difficult to learn than kickboxing because it requires more punch power and speed. Boxing also requires a high mastery level of the techniques before you can begin to fight professionally.

This makes it a better option for those looking for an intense workout, as opposed to those just looking for a physically challenging sport.

On the other hand, kickboxing employs more techniques. There are kicks, punches, and knee swipes involved in their attacks. However, boxing is more difficult because you’ll also have to integrate complex defense techniques with attacks.

Using only your fists for fighting provides less flexibility, making it more difficult to fight comfortably as a boxer without fully mastering the boxing techniques.

Additionally, boxing is also more effective than kickboxing when it comes to training your cardiovascular system. So if you’re a beginner, you might find boxing more difficult at the beginning due to the cardiovascular workouts involved.

While kickboxing does have some cardiovascular benefits, boxing is thought to be more effective in giving overall fitness.

Most people who are new to boxing only need about an hour and a half of weekly boxing sessions to see noticeable improvements in their cardiovascular fitness.

Compare that to kickboxing which generally only requires about 25 minutes per session, and you can see how boxing would be a more efficient way to achieve your fitness goals.

Ultimately, it comes down to what you are looking for in a sport. If you are looking for an intense workout that will physically and mentally challenge your body and improve your cardiovascular fitness, boxing would be your perfect sport, albeit difficult to learn in the beginning.

On the other hand, if you only want a physically challenging sport that is less intense but still provides a good workout, kickboxing is great. 

 

Boxing vs Kickboxing: Which is Safer?

Boxing is a more dangerous sport than kickboxing because boxers specialize in throwing punches repeatedly at the head.

The head is a very delicate part of the body because it houses a vital organ — the brain. A skilled boxer’s punches are intense and can lead to severe brain damage on their opponent when executed well. Hard punches can also lead to the boxer fracturing or breaking their hand.

Extreme boxing injuries are so common that medical professionals seek to ban the game. However, to reduce the likelihood of severe head injuries, it’s against the rules for a boxer to hit an opponent who is knocked out. But that doesn’t eliminate the danger boxing poses.

On the other hand, kickboxing involves kicking and punching, which can be riskier. Punches and kicks are executed on all parts of the opponent’s body, not just one like in boxing. This exposes other parts of the individual to casualty.

However, the head has a higher need for safeguarding in these combat sports. Therefore, if you are looking for a safer and more convenient form of fighting, kickboxing may be the better option because the head isn’t a kickboxer’s only target.

 

Boxing vs Kickboxing: Equipment Required

Boxing and kickboxing both require a good amount of equipment to start. A boxing/kickboxing ring, mouth guard, a punching bag, and heavy gloves are all mandatory for both sports. However, boxing gloves are different from kickboxing gloves.

Boxers rely mainly on punches, so it’s only natural for boxing gloves to be rounded at the fingers. This will give it a more natural fist shape. Kickboxing gloves are squarer and provide more flexibility than boxing gloves when used.

If you’re a beginner, hand wraps are really helpful equipment to protect your knuckles, but your boxing or kickboxing gloves will provide you with the padding you need.

Moreover, boxing shorts are not mandatory in boxing, and you should be fine with regular shorts. Shoes are also permitted because you are not expected to use your feet to attack in boxing.

However, shoes are prohibited in kickboxing because they can injure your opponent. But you can wear ankle wraps to provide some protection for your feet.

Kickboxing requires additional sets of kneepads and headgears because kicks are involved. You are also recommended to get kickboxing shorts. They are designed specifically to make movement flexible. 

 

Boxing vs Kickboxing: Rules

Boxing employs more rules than kickboxing. Over 30 rules have been implemented in boxing, and the rulesets are categorized into amateur and professional rules. Some of the standard rules and regulations employed are:

1. You cannot hit below the belt of your opponent.
2. You cannot hold your opponent by the hair, neck, or back of the head.
3. You cannot punch your opponent when they’re knocked down.
4. You cannot kick your opponent or throw your knees or elbows at them.
5. You cannot push or bite your opponent.
6. Only punches made with closed fists are permitted.

These boxing rules restrict attacks to only the fists, and this already brings about a few differences in kickboxing. For example, it is illegal to kick and throw knee strikes in boxing, but it’s permitted in kickboxing. In boxing, it is illegal to hold your opponent by the hair or the neck, while in kickboxing, this is legal. 

The major rules in kickboxing you should note are not kicking your opponent’s throat, using judo throws, or using your elbows to fight. Other than that, punches and kicks at different parts of the opponent’s body are allowed in kickboxing.

There are also a few key differences in how the winners are determined. In boxing, judges score rounds based on technical points scored by each fighter, while in kickboxing, there is a point system that awards points for takedowns, knockdowns and punches landed.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference to determine which of the two sports you want to participate in. If you prefer boxing because you think it’s more technical than kickboxing, that’s great! However, if you’re more interested in kicking and punching your opponents, kickboxing may be a better option for you.

 

Boxing vs Kickboxing: Which is More Popular?

Americans have been developing an increasing interest in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) for a long while, but boxing still holds the crown for the most popular combat sport.

This is probably because boxing originated earlier than many other combat sports. It also has a longer history than most of them.

However, more people are steadily losing interest in boxing nowadays and moving on to learn other martial arts forms, including kickboxing. This might be because the media isn’t doing a good job covering boxing fights, making the entertainment boxing provides less appealing.

Moreover, kickboxing is relatively new, and people might be interested in learning a martial arts form totally different from what they’re constantly used to seeing being featured in the media.

 

Boxing vs Kickboxing: The History

Boxing and kickboxing have been around for centuries, but boxing is older than kickboxing. It is believed to have originated in Ancient Greece around 3000 BC. Boxing was originally used as a way to settle disputes between two opponents. 

Over time, boxing became a major sporting event in the Olympics in 688 BC. It was later abolished in 393 AD because it was considered too violent. However, modern boxing became more popular in the 18th century after its rules were established in Great Britain. It has been evolving from the 16th century till the 19th century into what we know today. 

Kickboxing, on the other hand, is a relatively new sport. It was founded in Japan in the 1960s. It took some elements of fighting from Karate, Muay Thai, and Western boxing.

However, the modern version of kickboxing, K-1, was developed in the 1990s. It is based on traditional martial arts techniques such as punching, kicking, and grappling but uses shorter punches and kicks than boxing does. 

If both the boxer and kickboxer are professionals, the kickboxer is more likely to win a fight. Kickboxing is a martial art that uses both kicks and punches to fight. It is a more effective combat art than boxing because of the versatile fighting techniques employed.

Legs are generally longer than arms, so a kickboxer’s kicking technique will give them a longer range to attack from. This poses a disadvantage to the boxer because boxing requires tight punches.

Boxers are trained to attack from a short distance, with their fists and elbows held close to their chest. They wouldn’t stand much of a chance against kickboxers, who are comfortable attacking long-range.

However, boxers have a better balance. Their footwork techniques make them stable. Less emphasis is placed on footwork in kickboxing, so a boxer can easily topple a kickboxer mid-kick. 

Since boxers work on developing their upper body strength, a blow to a kickboxer would be packed with greater force and can easily lead to a knockout. Therefore, a kickboxer should avoid close contact with a boxer if they want to survive the boxer’s quick and heavy punches.

All-in-all, it still comes down to the fighters. A professional boxer can easily take down a less experienced kickboxer and vice-versa. This is because they would’ve had more time to hone their skills and perfect all their techniques. 

Boxing and kickboxing are two highly useful combat sports to train in. They provide you with excellent fighting techniques. However, answering the question of which of the two is better for you depends on what you are looking for in your learning experience.

If you are in search of a combat sport that is safe, easy to learn and effective in self-defense, then kickboxing should be your to-go martial arts. However, boxing will be the better choice if you need an extremely physical and challenging experience.

It takes a lot of discipline and dedication to master this intense combat sport, but it’ll still be worth it.