Nutrition in Combat Sports

332 G.J. Buse
Fig. 19.1 Professional muay Thai kickboxers (Photo courtesy of Mick Lowe)
Although other styles such as Japanese kickboxing may have direct lineage to
Thai kickboxing, the styles of Chinese san shou, French savate, Indian adithada,
and American- or European-rules kickboxing seem to have developed asynchronously
and independently of their Thai counterpart. The following is not inclusive
of all kickboxing styles, but highlights the most common and influential styles
observed internationally.
Japanese kickboxing, also known as international rules kickboxing, gained popularity
in the 1960s and its development in Japan was likely influenced directly by Thai
kickboxing. [2] Japanese kickboxing is similar to Thai kickboxing, except the former
does not consistently allow for strikes with the elbows and knees. In addition, Japanese
kickboxing does not incorporate the ritualistic aspects of its Thai predecessor.
San shou is historically and etymologically related to san da , which translates to
free fighting . Derived from the hand-to-hand combat training of the Chinese military
and a ramification of modern wushu, san shou became recognized as an official
sport by the Chinese government in the twentieth century. [4]
Savate, which may be translated from French as old shoe and first referenced in
eighteenth-century literature, was likely derived from the fighting styles of sailors
and hoodlums. [5] By the 1800s, a savate training center was established in Paris,