The term kickboxing is a somewhat generic one used to cover the combination of several different striking or stand up fighting styles that fall within the classification of sport martial arts. Though the term kickboxing was specifically initiated in Japan and evolved from full contact karate, its history and roots are in many ways tied to the Thailand martial art of Muay Thai Boxing as well. The sport of kickboxing often takes place in a ring where combatants, depending on the style of kickboxing being practiced, may utilize kicks, punches, elbow strikes, headbutts, knee strikes, and or throws against one another. In 1920, the term Muay Thai began to be used, separating itself from the older art of Muay Boran Along with this, in 1966 he pitted three karate fighters against three Muay Thai practitioners in a full contact style competition. The Japanese won this competition 2-1. Noguchi and Kenji Kurosaki, one of the fighters that took on the Muay Thai opposition back in 1966, then studied Muay Thai and blended it with full contact karate and boxing to form a martial art style that would eventually come to be known as kickboxing. Along with this, the Kickboxing Association, the first kickboxing organization, was founded a few years later in Japan. Today there are several unique styles of kickboxing being practiced around the world.