The sport was named in 196613 coloursS to XXXL
The essentials: the word was coined in Japan in 1966 — a fighter mid-kick cut out of the lettering itself, from the I of KICK to the X of BOXING. 13 shades on one design: enough to kit out a training group without everyone wearing the same colour. Hooded sweatshirt, kangaroo pocket, drawcord. 6 sizes from S to XXXL, European cut — take your usual size. €39, free standard shipping.
A sport born out of a comparison
In the 1960s the Japanese promoter Osamu Noguchi brought muay thai fighters over to face karateka. What he saw convinced him to build a new discipline out of it: he coined the word kickboxing in 1966, keeping the ring and gloves of boxing and the kicks of karate.
The rule that defines it is a subtraction: fists and feet allowed, but no elbows and no knees — that is what separates it from muay thai. And no clinching, no ground work, which is what separates it from MMA.
In the United States a neighbouring discipline appeared at the same moment under the name full contact, before the two labels converged.
The artwork
KICK on the first line, BOXING on the second, in very wide slab-serif capitals packed together with no gap between them.
A single figure crosses both lines on the diagonal, cut out of the I of KICK and then the X of BOXING: leg thrown upward, torso leaning in. The fighter is not laid over the lettering, he is carved out of it. Single-colour, black on the light grounds and white on the dark ones. Plain back.
The garment
Lined hood with a drawcord, front kangaroo pocket, ribbed cuffs and hem. Straight cut, set-in long sleeves.
Technical specification
Technical specifications
Our advice: thirteen shades is on a single design — useful for kitting out a training group without everyone wearing the same colour. For a club order, write to info@esprit-boxe.com.
Your size
European cut — take your usual size, with no Asian sizing conversion to apply. Six sizes, S to XXXL, at one price. Worn over training kit, go one size up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between kickboxing and Muay Thai?
Kickboxing allows fists and feet. Muay thai adds elbows and knees, plus clinch work, which is why it is called the art of eight limbs.
What is the difference between kickboxing and MMA?
Kickboxing is fought standing only: no clinching, no takedowns, no ground work. MMA allows all three.
Who invented kickboxing?
The Japanese promoter Osamu Noguchi, who coined the word in 1966 after staging matches between muay thai fighters and karateka. He kept the ring and gloves of boxing and the kicks of karate.
What size should I order?
European cut — take your usual size, with no conversion to apply. Six sizes, S to XXXL, at one price across all thirteen shades.
Is kickboxing the same as full contact?
Full contact was the American name for a discipline that appeared at the same time as Japanese kickboxing, in the 1960s. The two labels have since converged, though full contact rules restrict kicks to above the waist.
How do you wash a printed hoodie?
The artwork is applied by heat transfer on PET film. Machine wash at 30 °C / 86 °F inside out, no tumble dryer, no iron on the print.
