The name Kick-Boxing in Chinese / Japanese...

キックボクシング is the Japanese Katakana word for kickboxing.

This is a transliteration or borrowed word, meaning that it's meant to sound like “kick-boxing,” rather than being an organic Japanese Kanji word that means “kick-boxing.”

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

踢拳 is kickboxing in Chinese.

The first character means “kick,” and the second means “fist,” hence “boxing.”

拳擊 is the term used in Chinese to refer to the original Olympic sport of combat and fighting.

If you like to strap on your boxing gloves and go a few rounds or are just a fan of boxing, this could make a nice wall scroll for you.

Note that Japanese use the same first character (which means fist) but a different Kanji for the second. Please see our Japanese boxing entry for that version.

拳闘 is the term used in Japanese Kanji to refer to the original Olympic sport of combat and fighting.

This can also be translated as prizefighting.

The first Kanji means fist. The second means fight. So when literally translated, this means “fistfight” (though understood in Japanese as a more refined sport, versus street fighting).

Note: A completely different second character is used in the Chinese word for boxing but a Chinese person would still be able to guess the meaning of these Kanji.

斗志 literally means fighting spirit in Chinese.

As in the spirit that a warrior, soldier, athlete, or fighter must possess.

Note: There is more than one way to write the first character of this word. It is sometimes written like the version shown to the right (yes, it's completely different but has the same meaning & pronunciation). If you have a preference, please let us know in the special instructions about your order.

This literally means “fighting spirit” or “the will to fight.”

As in the spirit that a warrior, soldier, athlete, or fighter must possess.

闘魂 is an alternate title with the meaning “fighting spirit” or “the will to fight.”

闘気 is an alternate Japanese title for “fighting spirit.”

This one is more like “fighting energy.” The second character is “ki,” the same “ki” in Aikido. This “ki” is the spiritual energy that all martial arts practitioners must master and focus on.

ソバット is the Japanese Katakana for the French word, Savate, meaning “kick-fighting” or “French boxing.”

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

不怕练不成就怕心不恒 literally translates as: Do not worry about not being able to master [a skill]; What [one should] be concerned about is lack of perseverance.

Figuratively, this means: One's skills cannot be perfected without perseverance in practice.

For me, I've learned that you can only get so much from school or studying. You've really got to do “on-the-job training” to perfect your ability and skill.

For martial arts students: You can read about a kick in a book, or someone can tell you about a certain kick but until you practice the kick, there's no way you'll master it.

潭腿 is the title for “Tantui,” a northern school of martial arts boxing.

蹴球 is the title for football or soccer in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.

The sport is very popular in both Japan and Korea (Korea and Japan co-hosted the football World Cup in 2002 - a world-class sporting event held every four years that rivals the Olympics).

In Japan, they sometimes say サッカ (sakka) or フットボール (futto bouru) in place of the pronunciation shown above. 蹴球 is supposed to sound like the English word soccer and football/futbol respectively.

The first Kanji means kick and the second means ball. So technically, this means “kick ball” in Japanese and Korean (this is just an educational note - this will always be understood as the game of soccer/football).

FYI: This game would never be confused with American Football in Japan or Korea. Unlike the game of American basketball and baseball (both quite popular in Japan and Korea), there is only a vague awareness of a rugby-like game that is also called football in the USA.

酔拳 is the Japanese version of the title for Drunken Fist or Drunken Boxing.

ムエタイ is the Japanese Katakana title for “Muay Thai” or “Thai boxing.”

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

太极拳法 literally translates as “Tai Chi Fist Law” though 拳法 is also known in Japanese as “Kempo” which is sometimes read as “boxing” depending on context.

蒼軒跆拳道 is the title “Chang Hon Taekwon-Do” written in old Korean Hanja.

This literally means “Pale Blue Kick Fist/Punch Way.”

The rather awkward official romanization is “cang heon tae gweon do.”

Occasionally, you will see the first Hanja character written as 苍 instead of 蒼. it’s just a different way to write the same character. If you want 苍 instead of 蒼, just let me know.

八卦掌 is the title Baguazhang, a form of Chinese boxing.

Literally translated, this means “Eight Trigrams Palm.

You will see this romanized as “Ba Gua Zhang,” or “Pa Kua Chang” (same characters, just different romanization used in mainland China versus Taiwan).

八卦掌 is also known in Japan as hakkeshou or hakkesho.

跆拳道 is one of the most widespread types of martial arts in the world as well as being an Olympic sport. Taekwondo was born in Korea with influences of Chinese and Japanese styles combined with traditional Korean combat skills. Some will define it as the “Korean art of empty-handed self-defense.”

In the simplest translation, the first character means “kick,” the second character can mean either “fist” or “punching,” and the third means “way” or “method.” Altogether, you could say this is the “Kick Punch Method.” When heard or read in various Asian languages, all will automatically think of this famous Korean martial art. It is written the same in Japanese Kanji, Chinese, and Korean Hanja characters - so the appearance of the characters is universal. However, you should note that there is another way to write this in modern Korean Hangul characters, which looks like the image to the right.

We suggest the original Korean Hanja (Chinese characters) for a wall scroll, but if you need the Hangul version, you must use master calligrapher Cao Bin: Order Taekwondo in Korean Hangul

Note: Taekwondo is sometimes Romanized as Tae-Kwondo, Tae Kwon Do, Taekwon-do, Taegwondo, Tae Gweon Do, Tai Kwon Do, Taikwondo, Taekwando, Tae Kwan Do and in Chinese Taiquandao, Tai Quan Dao, Taichuando, or Tai Chuan Tao.