3 Types Of Fighting Sport

Based of technique focus, there are 3 types of fighting sport:

1. Punching Style

The oldest unarmed fighting sport type recorded in history (ancient Sumerian Boxing), this fighting sport type focus on close range hand strikes. For examples: Boxing, Hokkien Kuntao, Panantukan, Nanpai Kungfu, Wei Kuen Do.

Most common reason why the creators of punching style arts created martial art like this was because natural condition and the environment of their countries which prevents them from using long range high kicks. For examples: Slippery desert with soft sand, village in the dense jungle or densely built-up port city.

This fighting style is powerful for close range combat but weak for long range combat (Of course!! Punch is shorter than kick!!).

2. Kicking Style

This fighting sport type focus on long range high kicks. For examples: Taekkyon, Taekwondo, Savate, Beipai Kungfu.

Most common reason why the creators of kicking style arts created martial art like this was because natural condition and the environment of their countries which allows them to using long range high kicks. For examples: Vast agricultural area with flat ground, stable desert with solid sand or sparse development city which have lot of vacant lands.

This fighting style is powerful for long range combat but weak for close range combat (You can’t do your Taekwondo or Kungfu high kicks well in narrow alley right? Of course!!).

3. Balanced Striking Style

This fighting sport type focus on both hand and leg strikes 50:50 balancedly. For examples: Karate, Koppo, Kenpo, Jeet Kune Do, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Tang Soo Do, Silat.

The reason why the creators of balanced striking style arts created martial art like this was because they want to created more modern martial art that can be used for both close and long range combats.

This fighting style is most dynamic martial art that can be used anywhere. Sadly it punch and kick techniques quality is 50:50, it punching technique quality is half of real punching style arts and it kicking technique quality is also half of real kicking style arts. If you challenge kickboxer/karateka guy for punch-only match against boxer then that kickboxer/karateka guy will be lose, if you challenge kickboxer/karateka guy for kick-only match against taekkyon-kkun then that kickboxer/karateka guy will be lose.