Kendo vs Kickboxing
Kendo and Kickboxing side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Kendo | Kickboxing | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan | Japan |
| Type | gendai budō, budō and martial arts | combat sport and boxing |
| Notable practitioners here | 1 | 408 |
| Top countries of practitioners | Japan | Japan, Kingdom of the Netherlands and France |
| Equipment and weapons | shinai, bōgu, hakama and keikogi | fist and foot |
| Belt ranks | Yes | — |
| Energy use (MET) | — | 7.3 MET (Kickboxing) |
Kendo
Kendo (Japanese: 剣道, Hepburn: Kendō; lit. 'sword way' or 'sword path' or 'way of the sword') is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship exercises, and today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread to many other nations across the world.
From the Wikipedia article Kendo (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): Q170931, 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.