Kickboxing (in Japanese キックボクシング kikkubokushingu) refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing. Kickboxing is often practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or as a contact sport.

Japanese kickboxing originates in the 1960s, with competitions held since the 1960s. American kickboxing originates in the 1970s. Japanese kickboxing developed into K-1 in 1993. 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 jujutsu and collegiate wrestling.

There is no single international governing body. International governing bodies include World Association of Kickboxing Organizations, World Kickboxing Association, International Sport Karate Association, International Kickboxing Federation, World Kickboxing Federation, World Kickboxing Network, among others. Consequently there is no single kickboxing world championship, and champion titles are issued by individual promotions, such as K-1, It's Showtime, Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, among others.

Michalis "Mike" Zambidis (Greek: Μιχάλης Ζαμπίδης; born July 15, 1980) is a professional Greek kickboxer and martial artist. He is a 15 time World Champion, and is the current W.I.P.U. "King of the Ring" super-welterweight kickboxing oriental rules world champion, also competing in the K-1 MAX.

Mike Zambidis started training in martial arts before he was nine years old with his brother Spiros Zambidis and his best friend Lazaros Filipas. He has trained in Shotokan, Kickboxing, Boxing , Muay Thai and Pankration. He started competing professionally in 2000, scoring a string of victories over notable opponents. So far, the majority of his wins have been knock-outs. He has been technically knocked out twice himself early in his career due to cuts, but after 2002, his next technical knock-out defeat came in 2008 against Andy Souwer in an extra round.

Zambidis has defeated notable kickboxer Jenk Behic twice, Gurkan Ozkan twice, Wanlop Sosathopan, Bakari Tounkara, Matteo Sciacca, Petr Polak. In 2002, he knocked out the strong and experienced Dutch-Morrocan Hassan Kassrioui.

Xu Yan (simplified Chinese: 许岩; traditional Chinese: 許岩; pinyin: Xǔ Yán; born 1981-11-04 in Beijing) is a female Chinese judoka who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the Lightweight (52–57 kg) event.

Loren A. Avedon (born July 30, 1962 in Los Angeles) is an American martial arts film actor. He has also acted in several popular American TV shows, including Baywatch.

He has over 28 years of martial arts experience and is a 5th Dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a 8th dan black belt in Hap Ki Do.

His first acting roles were as a child in TV commercials, mainly for Carnation Milk, The May Company, and other retailers. He also worked as a model, and appeared in a couple of martial arts films, such as Ninja Turf (1985), which were produced by his martial arts instructor Jun Chong.

Avedon got his main break as a martial arts film star, when producer Roy Horan phoned the dojang where Avedon was training, and asked if they had any suitable martial arts practitioners for the lead role in the film, No Retreat No Surrender 2 (1987). Avedon answered the phone, was given an audition, and won the lead role. He then signed a three film deal with Seasonal Films (the company which produced the No Retreat No Surrender films). In this three film deal Avedon also played the lead role in the films, No Retreat No Surrender 3 and King of the Kickboxers. Since then Avedon has starred in many more martial arts and action films, all of which have been B movies. In an interview Avedon said that he believed he would have had greater success in his film career (similar to the success of Jean-Claude Van Damme) if it had not been for poor representation and disagreements that he had with one or two other actors.(Lorenzo Lamas, Sherie Rose) He was offered a three film deal with film production company PM entertainment, but turned it down (the deal was given to Don 'The Dragon' Wilson) because he was holding out for a better deal. Avedon said that he now regrets turning down this deal.(True: Cannes 1991)