Times have changed a lot since I started training in the sport of Kickboxing. I would like to share some of the changes I have seen and/or experienced.

1. There were no official kickboxing gyms. You learned at a boxing gym or a Karate school. 
2. There were no kickboxing or boxing classes. You went to a gym and a coach would show you the basics and you would watch the veterans train and figure it out yourself, using the "School of Hard Knocks". 
3. Hand wraps did not have velcro. They were laced at the ends. You either had to have someone tie them for you or using one hand and your mouth. 
4. Sparring gloves did not have velcro. You hand to have someone tie them for you and you used sweat wrist bands to keep the bows. 
5. Nobody stood over you and told you what you were supposed to do. You were accountable for yourself. You studied the pro fighters and figured out what you were supposed to do by watching them and through trial and error.
6. Kickboxers came from a traditional martial arts background. Most fighters had black belts or experience in Karate, Taekwondo, or Kung Fu. It was rare that one had no martial arts background to start with. 
7. One went to a Boxing gym to learn how to punch not martial arts Dojos. 
8. Amateur Kickboxers did not wear headgear in the 80s. 
9. Americans were dominating the sport of Kickboxing. 
10. American Full Contact Karate, aka above the waist kickboxing was the most popular style of kickboxing. 
11. PKA Kick of the 80s (aired on ESPN weekly).
12. We bowed to the Ref and to our opponents before fighting. 
13. We had to wear pants and black belts.  
14. Low Kick or International rules was mostly done by WKA. 
15. By the 90s Muay Thai and K1 became popular. 
16. Kickboxing Gyms started popping up. Cardio Kickboxing came about too. 
17. Kickboxing as a martial art was established (meaning students did not necessarily come from a traditional martial arts background). 
18. Fighters started wearing shorts of trousers. 
19. The Europeans were dominating the sport of Kickboxing. 
20. Kickboxing (K1 or Glory) rules is the most popular style of Kickboxing. 

Here's a video of tournament Karate Champ, Raymond Daniels fighting multiple time Thai Boxing and Kickboxing Champ, Nieky Holzken. Daniels is an accomplished sport Karate fighter (point and continuous sparring). He fought for the World Combat League (Chuck Norris' organization the aired several years ago on TV where fighters fought on Kickboxing Teams). He has demonstrated an unorthodox style that has served him well. But when going up against the likes of Nieky, you will a foundation of strong basics. Watch this video and see how Nieky walks Daniels down taking away his space and not allowing him to build momentum on techniques that would serve him well on a mat  without ring ropes. You will see Daniels be worn down methodically by pressure, low kicks and body shots. Despite Daniels abilities and accomplishments, he simply doesn't posses the experience to take on a fighting like Holzken (with over 100 kickboxing fights).

Sparring is the best way to find out if something works. You develop timing, reaction, learn to read your opponent, and learn what works best for you. In all my years of training in martial arts, I feel that my years training in boxing gyms influenced my outlook on martial arts in general. I took the method of learning in boxing and have applied it to the other combat sports I have trained in. Here is a video showing some training with pro boxers at Doraville Boxing Club in the 1990s.

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How you stand when you fight depends on the situation. In this video clip I will show different fighting stances depending on the type of match I am competing in. Depending on the sport and ruleset you will see what stance best suits that particular situation. Some stances will be angled and some sideways. Hand positioning for defense will depend on the weapons of attack. Some stances are higher (i.e. Kickboxing) and some lower (i.e. Boxing). So, review this video and see what positions and postures I use that helps determine strategies for attack and defense.

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