Karate vs Kickboxing
Karate and Kickboxing side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Karate | Kickboxing | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Ryukyu Kingdom | Japan |
| Type | martial arts and Olympic sport | combat sport and boxing |
| Competition at the Olympics | Yes – 10 Olympic events recorded | — |
| Notable practitioners here | 878 | 408 |
| Top countries of practitioners | Japan, United States and France | Japan, Kingdom of the Netherlands and France |
| Equipment and weapons | — | fist and foot |
| Energy use (MET) | — | 7.3 MET (Kickboxing) |
Karate
Karate (空手) (; Japanese pronunciation: [kaɾate] ; Okinawan pronunciation: [kaɾati]), also karate-do (空手道, Karate-dō), is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called te (手), "hand"; tī in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts. While modern karate is primarily a striking art that uses punches and kicks, traditional karate training also employs throwing and joint locking techniques. A karate practitioner is called a karate-ka (空手家).
From the Wikipedia article Karate (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): Q11419, 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.