Aren't Kyokushin guys ideal sparring partners for boxers because of their close range fighting?

spacetime

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A kicker will usually try to hold a boxer at bay with long range fighting.. But Kyokushin guys are drilled day one to be fighting close range, with the exception of not punch each other in the face.

So then, if a boxer wants to spar you guys how do you adjust to the fact that he loves close range sparring just as much as you do and will throw combos to the face that you haven't seen before?

It just dawned on me that this match-up is disastrous not because there's not face punching in Kyokushin, but because of the range they fight in.

You guys understand my reasoning?
 
I have sparred a national level kickboxer using only my hands and he fought long range and gave me problems to close the gap. A Kyokushin-kai does not fight at that range, so shouldn't it be preferrable. What am I missing?
 
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There's more than one approach to KK but I guess, why? Are you competing in the Kumite or found a time machine to go and fight in UFC 1?
 
There's more than one approach to KK but I guess, why? Are you competing in the Kumite or found a time machine to go and fight in UFC 1?

How could they be competent in a range they never fought in? They are trained hard core close range, not the foot tag of american kickboxing with lead leg sidekicks. A boxer lands an uppercut.. .
 
Just watch any Dutch kickboxer vs a boxer... Dutch KB is basically KK with face punches. A KK guy would literally just have to hold a high guard to block all face punches. Couple of quick leg kicks and the boxer would be in big trouble. Also KK guys have extremely impressive close range head kicks.
 
Just watch any Dutch kickboxer vs a boxer... Dutch KB is basically KK with face punches. A KK guy would literally just have to hold a high guard to block all face punches. Couple of quick leg kicks and the boxer would be in big trouble. Also KK guys have extremely impressive close range head kicks.
blocking punches is not as simple as just using a high guard. you have to adjust your guard or any decent puncher will just punch through it or around it.
 
Just watch any Dutch kickboxer vs a boxer... Dutch KB is basically KK with face punches. A KK guy would literally just have to hold a high guard to block all face punches. Couple of quick leg kicks and the boxer would be in big trouble. Also KK guys have extremely impressive close range head kicks.

Exactly. They learned Boxing.
 
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Need I remind you all of the Kyoukushin crisis in K1 when their top fighters got Koed by head punches and Kyoukushin suffered a massive drop in popularity in Japan? They eventually learned boxing
 
blocking punches is not as simple as just using a high guard. you have to adjust your guard or any decent puncher will just punch through it or around it.

It's a hypothetical KK vs boxer fight. A KK guy just has to have enough of a defense to land a few leg kicks to disable a boxer.

Exactly they learned Boxing.

Not really sure what you mean but IMO the lack of face punches is a really big criticism against KK. You see top level black belts break down the second they get hit a few times in the face. Once you introduce face punches, surprise surprise it starts looking like KB.

It was such a big problem that the KK orgs considered going back to allowing face punches. But how do you allow face punches while still maintaining bare knuckle? Bare knuckle is the spirit of KK.
 
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