Kickboxing originated in Japan in the 1950s and spread to North America and Europe in the 1970s. The World Kickboxing Association was founded in the 1970s and is now the largest kickboxing organization with over 100 member countries. Kickboxing gained widespread popularity in the 1990s with the introduction of special rules for competitions. It is now practiced by an estimated 2-3 million people in the UK.

1. KICKBOXING
Darwesh Salimi

2. History of Kickboxing
 Started in the 1970s by the
World Kickboxing Association
 There are over a hundred
countries world wide
participating in the sport of
kickboxing
 TheWKA is the largest and the
oldest of the kickboxing
association
 An estimated 2-3 million British
people are currently training in
martial art
 TheWKA now have no fewer
than 129 international offices
and their administration office is
based in Erdington
Photo by Dominique Tardy

3. Timeline of Kickboxing
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
Japanese
karateka named
Tatsuo Yamada
created a new
sport that
combined karate
and Muay Thai
Competitions
between karate
and Muay Thai
began. First
Kickboxing events
held in Osaka,
Japan
Kickboxing had
expanded beyond
Japan and had
reached North
America and
Europe
In Japan the sport
was widely popular
and was regularly
broadcasted on
television before
losing popularity
during the 1980s
New K-1 special
kickboxing rules (no
elbow and neck
wrestling) in 1993,
and kickboxing
became famous
again

4. Cyril Abidi
 He is a heavyweight champion in kickboxing
 Cyril was 6 years old when his family moved to France
 Abidi grew up in the north of Marseille, in a modest
Moroccan family
 When he was 6, his mother took him to judo classes to keep
him off the streets
 He practiced judo for four years until he was inspired by
Bruce Lee
 French Kickboxing Champion 1996
 K-1World GP 2000 inYokohama Finalist
 K-1World GP 2000 3rd Place
 K-1World Grand Prix 2003 in Paris Finalist

5. How I started Kickboxing
 I became interested in
being a kickboxer when I
started kickboxing 2007 in
the UK
 I go toTownhill Boxing
Club in Swansea
 I introduced one of my
Persian friends who is
professional in kickboxing
to the boxing club
 Since that time I have
wanted to become more
proficient

6. World Kickboxing Association
Amateur Weights
Weight class name Upper limit in kilograms
Bantamweight 54
Featherweight 57
Lightweight 60
LightWelterweight 64
Welterweight 67
Light Middleweight 71
Middleweight 75
Light Heavyweight 81
Cruiserweight 86
Heavyweight 91
Super Heavyweight No weight limit

7. Sources
 http://www.fotopedia.com/items/mugpet-
7kOrkH5ShyQ
 http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-
3403058163
 http://www.wkaassociation.com/about-wka-
2/kickboxing-facts-figures/
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickboxing_weig
ht_classes
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickboxing