Judo vs Kickboxing
Judo and Kickboxing side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Judo | Kickboxing | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan | Japan |
| Created | 1882 | — |
| Founder | Kanō Jigorō | — |
| Type | combat sport, martial arts and Olympic sport | combat sport and boxing |
| Competition at the Olympics | Yes – 64 Olympic events recorded | — |
| Notable practitioners here | 3052 | 408 |
| Top countries of practitioners | Japan, Russia and United States | Japan, Kingdom of the Netherlands and France |
| Equipment and weapons | judogi and tatami | fist and foot |
| Belt ranks | Yes | — |
| Weight classes | Yes | — |
| Energy use (MET) | 11.3 MET (Judo) | 7.3 MET (Kickboxing) |
Judo
Judo (Japanese: 柔道, Hepburn: Jūdō; lit. 'gentle way') is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), Paralympic sport (since 1988) and Commonwealth Games sport (since 1990). Judo is the most prominent form of Samurai throws and self-defense competed internationally. Judo was created in 1882 by Kanō Jigorō (嘉納 治五郎) as an eclectic martial art, distinguishing itself from its predecessors (primarily Tenjin Shinyo-ryu jujutsu and Kitō-ryū jujutsu) due to an emphasis on "randori" (乱取り, lit. 'free sparring') instead of kata (形, kata; pre-arranged forms) alongside its removal of striking and weapon training elements. Judo rose to prominence for its dominance over established jujutsu schools in tournaments hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁武術大会, Keishicho Bujutsu Taikai), resulting in its adoption as the department's primary martial art. A judo practitioner is called a "judoka" (柔道家, jūdōka), and the judo uniform is called "judogi" (柔道着, jūdōgi; "judo attire").
From the Wikipedia article Judo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is an umbrella term for different styles of full-contact hybrid boxing type, combat sports, and martial arts based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in various times in history. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and bare feet to favor the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general fitness, and competition. Some styles of kickboxing include: full contact karate, Muay Thai, Japanese kickboxing, Lethwei, Sanda, and Savate.
From the Wikipedia article Kickboxing (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q11420, Q178678. Practitioner counts are the people with a profile on this site. Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.