Can You Earn A Kickboxing Black Belt?

What about kickboxing? is a frequent query I receive due to the popularity of belt ranking in the martial arts. Do they also have belt ranks? This is a result of both students desiring to train and parents wanting to understand more about martial arts in general. Many prospective students find a ranking system based on merit to be appealing.

A belt rating system and a black belt are typically not present in kickboxing. Sporting accomplishments such as championships and competition records have historically served a purpose. Instructors and schools are using rankings more and more, from Muay Thai to American Kickboxing.

Are you interested in finding out more about how to rank in a kickboxing style? I’ll discuss some of your possibilities below if competing in full contact sports is not in your future goals. There might yet be a choice for you.

Why Doesn’t Kickboxing Have Belt Ranks Historically?

A succession of punches and kicks form the foundation of the combat sport known as kickboxing. Though there is plenty of room to incorporate your own style into the mix as well, it is frequently thought of as a fusion of sport karate and boxing. It is based mostly on a modest amount of technique designed specifically for full contact events.

Due to the fact that technique competency does not require as much time as it does in many martial arts disciplines, belt rankings were not realistic. It is challenging to defend the effort when there is little strategy available to divide between rankings.

The other component is what kickboxing really focuses on. The sport is around using this meager amount of technique in a real-world, full-contact scenario. This is also done in other sports, but because the permitted motions are so strictly constrained, a very high level of expertise is required in those that are employed.

The finest historical method for putting this to the test is in “the ring.”

Various forms of kickboxing are presently used in mixed martial arts alongside catch-wrestling and jiu-jitsu, including American Kickboxing, Japanese Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and several others.

Want to see a ranking of the top kicking bags that can help you advance your kickboxing training? See my essay here, which lists them all by style and divides them into age groups.

Are there belt rankings in some kickboxing styles?

Since traditional kickboxing lacks a ranking system for belts, no pupil who trains in it will receive a black belt. Depending on their abilities and how quickly they learn each stage, students that train will advance through the various moves and methods. While some pupils advance rapidly, others will need more time.

This may be disappointing for pupils who like the belt system. There are ranking systems in some of the other martial arts that demonstrate how far the student has progressed in their understanding of that specific form.

Although some schools employ the Muay Thai armband system and some incorporate karate into the sessions and do use the belt system, kickboxing generally does not have this.

There are schools that give rankings, including level designations, arm bands, and even whole belt ranking systems, for those who want to study kickboxing’s health and mental benefits as well as how to employ it for self defense.

You might wind up with a black belt or one of the higher belt selections if your school uses the belts. However, there aren’t any known Black Belt kickboxers who fight professionally.

Competitors will concentrate on honing their skills and picking up new tricks. They can use this in sparring or competitions to determine who would ultimately prevail.

How Can I Improve My Kickboxing Skills?

Continue going through your courses and picking up as many skills as you can to advance in kickboxing. When considering how to begin training in kickboxing, there are two possibilities. One is for competition, and the other is for health and fitness.

Exercise and Health

Numerous programs offer kickboxing as a cardio workout, self-defense training, or leisure sport. These programs are all strong contenders for some kind of ranking system.

These can be the perfect choice for individuals who don’t want to spar, fight, or compete. Fun and fitness are the main objectives, with self defense skills and some extra toughness as a bonus.

If achieving this is your major objective, then you should regularly workout in a pleasant and safe manner to achieve your goals. These objectives can take the form of belts, levels, rankings, weight loss, or colestoral reduction. Kickboxing in this recreational capacity might be a terrific alternative for any objective.

Studies even relate taking fitness-focused Kickboxing lessons to advantages for individuals with disabilities. Researchers at the University of Dayton in Ohio discovered in a study that people with multiple sclerosis benefited greatly from its practice.

Competitions

Students who are willing to spar with others, especially with more seasoned opponents, will discover that they advance more quickly than those who are more reserved.

Joining tournaments with fights against individuals who have studied kickboxing throughout time is a fantastic method to demonstrate your abilities for others who are interested in competitions. Although some kickboxers will wear black belts in the ring, since rankings are not utilized in this sport, this does not necessarily suggest that they are better than the other fighters.

Kickboxers can demonstrate their abilities while competing against other students at competitions. They may eventually develop the skills necessary to defeat rivals and take home victories.

A championship belt or other piece of evidence of a victory may be offered by some of these competitions, but these only serve to demonstrate the kickboxer’s victory in that competition, not their black belt or other belt color.

I’ve seen ranking systems offered by kickboxing schools. What’s the deal here?

Some kickboxing gyms are set up so that their students wear belts that are similar to those used in karate or judo. Some use this to encourage their pupils to work hard, some do it to make money, and some do it to incorporate karate training into their kickboxing classes.

Although kickboxing does not often use a ranking system, it is becoming more common. Many well-known Western kickboxers compete while wearing their belts to display their levels. However, since this is not how the system functions, there is no such thing as a black belt kickboxer.

Kickboxing Ukidokan

One of these well-known (and unbeaten) American kickboxers who developed his own system, complete with belt ranks, is Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. His system is one of the few in the world to be acknowledged as an official martial art by the main regulating authorities in Japan.

His style is a contemporary amalgamation of conventional Karate, Boxing, American Kickboxing, and his own unique fusion of application techniques and beliefs. To practice his system is to practice a whole martial arts curriculum complete with all the accoutrements. It’s not only a ring sport, per se.

This well-rounded sport and self-defense art is necessary to have a full belt ranking development. It really doesn’t work well to simply add a set of levels to the sport methods present in the majority of Kickboxing styles.

For additional information about Sensei Benny’s career and training method (Ukidokan), go to his website.

Thai boxing

Due to the popularity of Mixed Martial Arts and the fighters that enjoy it, Muay Thai is a well-liked kind of kickboxing. It originated in Thailand and was initially a warfare strategy used by warriors carrying two swords. Later, it turned into a violent sport.

Because of the Muay Thai ranking system, there is some debate about whether kickboxing has a black belt or not. This is a distinct style of boxing where athletes use their entire body as opposed to simply their fist. For instance, during the matches, competitors are permitted to defend themselves by using various body parts, such as their knees, elbows, and takedowns.

When competing in Muay Thai, competitors will display their status in the sport by wearing a series of armbands that are designed to signify several divisions. These differ slightly from the karate belts we typically see in Americanized versions of the martial art. A white, yellow, or orange armband may be worn by a beginner in Muay Thai. This allows students to advance through more movements while also demonstrating their skill levels to others.

Advanced Muay Thai fighters or those who have studied this kind of boxing extensively may wear an armband that is any combination of green, blue, purple, red, and brown. Additionally, other color combinations—such as black and gold—are employed to designate the course instructor.

The armbands used to identify the student’s level of Muay Thai experience. It is more important to consider how much they have learned an art form than who is the best. Kickboxing Masters may also decide to utilize these armbands in certain circumstances.