Kickboxing is a stand-up combat sport based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate mixed with
boxing. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or as a contact sport. Historically, kickboxing can be considered a
hybrid martial art formed from the combination of elements of various
traditional styles.
This approach became increasingly popular since the 1970s, and since the 1990s, kickboxing has
contributed to the emergence of mixed martial arts via further hybridization with ground fighting techniques from
Brazilian jiu-jitsu and folk wrestling.