20 Points on Kickboxing From 80s to Present

Times have changed a lot since I started training in the sport of Kickboxing. I would like to share some of the changes I have seen and/or experienced.

1. There were no official kickboxing gyms. You learned at a boxing gym or a Karate school. 
2. There were no kickboxing or boxing classes. You went to a gym and a coach would show you the basics and you would watch the veterans train and figure it out yourself, using the "School of Hard Knocks". 
3. Hand wraps did not have velcro. They were laced at the ends. You either had to have someone tie them for you or using one hand and your mouth. 
4. Sparring gloves did not have velcro. You hand to have someone tie them for you and you used sweat wrist bands to keep the bows. 
5. Nobody stood over you and told you what you were supposed to do. You were accountable for yourself. You studied the pro fighters and figured out what you were supposed to do by watching them and through trial and error.
6. Kickboxers came from a traditional martial arts background. Most fighters had black belts or experience in Karate, Taekwondo, or Kung Fu. It was rare that one had no martial arts background to start with. 
7. One went to a Boxing gym to learn how to punch not martial arts Dojos. 
8. Amateur Kickboxers did not wear headgear in the 80s. 
9. Americans were dominating the sport of Kickboxing. 
10. American Full Contact Karate, aka above the waist kickboxing was the most popular style of kickboxing. 
11. PKA Kick of the 80s (aired on ESPN weekly).
12. We bowed to the Ref and to our opponents before fighting. 
13. We had to wear pants and black belts.  
14. Low Kick or International rules was mostly done by WKA. 
15. By the 90s Muay Thai and K1 became popular. 
16. Kickboxing Gyms started popping up. Cardio Kickboxing came about too. 
17. Kickboxing as a martial art was established (meaning students did not necessarily come from a traditional martial arts background). 
18. Fighters started wearing shorts of trousers. 
19. The Europeans were dominating the sport of Kickboxing. 
20. Kickboxing (K1 or Glory) rules is the most popular style of Kickboxing.