Shoot boxing (シュートボクシング, Shūtobokushingu), commonly written as Shootboxing, is a combat sport.

Quick Facts Also known as, Focus ...
Shoot boxing
シュートボクシング
Also known asStanding Vale Tudo,
Shootboxing
FocusHybrid
Country of originJapan Japan
CreatorCaesar Takeshi
Famous practitionersAndy Souwer, Kenichi Ogata, Hiroki Shishido, Rena Kubota, Ai Takahashi, Mitsuya Nagai
ParenthoodBoxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Judo, Jujutsu, Shoot Wrestling
Olympic sportNo
Official websiteshootboxing.org
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Shoot boxing is also a stand-up fighting promotion company based in Tokyo, Japan. The organization was founded by former kickboxer Caesar Takeshi in 1985.

Shootboxing, the combat sport, is a mixture of its two parent combat styles of shoot wrestling and kickboxing, allowing for kicks, punches, knees, elbows, throws, and standing submissions (chokeholds, armlocks and wristlocks).

History

Shoot boxing was created in August 1985 by former kickboxer Caesar Takeshi. [1] The first Shootboxing event took place on September 1, 1985.

Some mixed martial artists such as Hayato Sakurai began their careers in Shootboxing. Shootboxing has also drawn fighters who became famous in other promotions such as Jens Pulver. Many K-1 World MAX stars also either debuted in Shootboxing or have fought for Shootboxing in the past, including Andy Souwer, Albert Kraus, and Buakaw Banchamek.

Rules

Shootboxing rules are as follows:[2]

Match form

Professional shoot boxing matches fall into one of two classes, Expert class and Freshman class. The length of an Expert class match is five rounds of three minutes each, followed by one or two extra rounds of three minutes each in the event of a tie. The interval between rounds is one minute.

The length of a Freshman class match is three rounds of three minutes each, followed by one or two three-minute rounds in the event of a tie. The interval between rounds is also one minute.

Weight classes

Professional shoot boxers are divided into weight classes as follows:

More information Name, Upper weight limit ...
Old weight division (until 2001) Current weight division
13 classes (+1 women's class)
Name Upper weight limit
Men
Eagleweight Unlimited
Junior Eagleweight 80 kg (176.4 lb)
Hawkweight 75 kg (165.3 lb)
Junior Hawkweight 72.5 kg (159.8 lb)
Falconweight 70 kg (154.3 lb)
Junior Falconweight 67.5 kg (148.8 lb)
Seagullweight 65 kg (143.3 lb)
Junior Seagullweight 62.5 kg (137.8 lb)
Cardinalweight 60 kg (132.3 lb)
Junior Cardinalweight 57.5 kg (126.8 lb)
Owlweight 55 kg (121.3 lb)
Junior Owlweight 52.5 kg (115.7 lb)
Sparrowweight 50 kg (110.2 lb)
Women
Ladybugweight 52 kg (114.6 lb)
15 classes (+6 women's classes)
Name Upper weight limit
Men
Super heavyweight Unlimited
Heavyweight 90 kg (198.4 lb)
Light heavyweight 80 kg (176.4 lb)
Super middleweight 75 kg (165.3 lb)
Middleweight 72.5 kg (159.8 lb)
Super welterweight 70 kg (154.3 lb)
Welterweight 67.5 kg (148.8 lb)
Super lightweight 65 kg (143.3 lb)
Lightweight 62.5 kg (137.8 lb)
Super featherweight 60 kg (132.3 lb)
Featherweight 57.5 kg (126.8 lb)
Super bantamweight 55 kg (121.3 lb)
Bantamweight 52.5 kg (115.7 lb)
Super flyweight 50 kg (110.2 lb)
Flyweight 47.5 kg (104.7 lb)
Women
Lightweight 65 kg (143.3 lb)
Featherweight 60 kg (132.3 lb)
Bantamweight 55 kg (121.3 lb)
Flyweight 52 kg (114.6 lb)
Strawweight 49 kg (108.0 lb)
Atomweight 46 kg (101.4 lb)


Close

Sparrowweight was divided into Flyweight and Super flyweight, and Eagleweight was divided into Heavyweight and Super heavyweight since 2001.

Match judgment

One way to win a shoot boxing match is to knock one's opponent out. A fighter can be knocked out in different ways. If, after being knocked down, a fighter fails to stand up after a count of ten, or if, after standing up, he fails to assume a fighting stance after a count of eight, he is knocked out. The same occurs if a fighter is knocked out of the ring and fails to return before a count of twenty. A referee may also rule a fighter knocked out if the fighter shows no fighting spirit, appears unable to defend his or her self, or makes a gesture of submission.

Technical knockouts can also occur in shoot boxing, in cases where the fighter is injured, the referee rules the fighter knocked out after two knockdowns in the same round, or the fighter's corner throws in the towel. A fight may also be stopped if a doctor rules that continuation would be dangerous to a fighter.

If neither a knockout nor a technical knockout occurs, the winner is determined by a decision. Fighters are graded on their effectiveness on attack and defense, their success in achieving and escaping submissions, and how close they have come to ending the match. Decisions generally produce a winner, but can result in a draw.

A judgement of "no contest" may also be returned, if the judges suspect foul play or conclude that the fighters are not fighting sincerely.

Match scoring

Fighters are awarded points for their success in striking, throwing, and applying standing submission holds to their opponent. They are also given points for four categories of performance: number of times down, amount of damage done to opponent, number of clean hits, and aggressiveness. Fighters are graded from 1–10 in each category, with the difference of score in any one category being limited to 4 points.

Extra points can be awarded at certain points in the match, when the referee makes certain calls. When a fighter performs a front or back throwing technique, the referee calls "shoot", denoting one of these opportunities. The other occurs when a fighter achieves a standing submission; at this point, the referee calls "catch".

Fouls

Foul play is recognized as the following ① to ⑬. After a warning, the fighter will receive a point deduction for further infractions. If the same fighter commits another foul, another point is deducted, and a final warning is given. If a third warning is given to the same fighter, he is disqualified and loses the fight. If the referee feels that it was not a flagrant foul, he may allow the fight to continue.

  • 1:Headbutting the opponent.
  • 2:Striking the opponent in the groin.
  • 3:Biting the opponent.
  • 4:Attacking the opponent while he is falling, or when he is getting up.
  • 5:Attacking an opponent after the referee signals for a break.
  • 6:Utilizing the ropes to aid one's offense or defense.
  • 7:To insult or use offensive speech and actions towards an opponent or the referee.
  • 8:Striking the opponent in the back of the head.
  • 9:The act of intentionally grounding a glove or knee to the mat to defend an attack.
  • 10:Intentionally causing the opponent to fall out of the ring.
  • 11:Intentionally leaving the ring.
  • 12:It makes everything of the act of not being admitted by the other rule foul play.
    • a) If a fighter ever accuses the judges of not being impartial, points are to be immediately deducted.
    • b) The act of ducking the head low and diving into the opponent in such a manner that appears similar to a headbutt.

When either fighter receives a cut from a headbutt, the fighter that made the cut receives a point deduction, even if the headbutt was accidental. If the referee decides that the headbutt was intentional, the fighter receives a two-point deduction.

    • c) Repeated holding which does not appear to be an attack, nor an attempt to escape attacks, will be subject to point deductions after warnings from the referee.

"An attempt to escape attacks" is defined as the act whose intent is to interrupt the opponent's offense or defense by grappling immediately after an attack.

A fighter will be disqualified in the case of any of the following situations:

  • 1:When there is intentional foul play, and the referee declares a disqualification for the action.
  • 2:When the fighter does not obey the referee.
  • 3:If a fighter cannot continue when the round begins.
  • 4:When a fighter's attitude is overly rough or violent, with the intent to cause bodily harm above and beyond what is considered to be necessary to compete.
  • 5:When the referee decides a fighter lacks fighting spirit, or the desire to continue.
  • 6:When a fighter receives three point deductions in one round.
  • 7:When a doctor declares a fighter unfit to continue the match.
  • 8:When violating fight regulations.

Championship history

S-Cup World Champions

Male S-Cup World Champions

S-Cup, the Shoot Boxing World Cup, is the 8 man single elimination World Tournament generally held once every 2 years since 1995.

More information Year, Champion ...
Close

Girls S-Cup World Champions

Girls S-Cup, is the 8 woman single elimination World Tournament generally held once every year since 2009.

More information Year, Champion ...
Close

Shoot Boxing Japan champions

Men Shoot Boxing Japan champions

Heavyweight championship (formerly Super Eagleweight)

Weight limit: 90kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Kengo Shimizu
(def. Nangoku Chojin)
December 1, 2015
Close
Light Heavyweight championship (formerly Eagleweight)

Weight limit: 80kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Keisuke Tsuyama
(def. )
2 Japan Go Takano
(def. )
3 Japan Kazuya Mori
(def. )
Close
Super Middleweight championship (formerly Hawkweight)

Weight limit: 75kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Takeshi Caesar
(def. Riki Tadakatsu)
July 12, 1987
2 Japan Hiromu Yoshitaka
(def. Naoyuki Taira)
August 26, 1990
Close
Middleweight championship (formerly Junior Hawkweight)

Weight limit: 72.5kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Toshiaki Tanaka
(def. )
2 Japan Takashi Abe
(def. Toshiaki Tanaka)
1993
3 Japan Ryuji Goto
(def. Shonan Kiarimi)[3]
February 2, 2003
Close
Super Welterweight championship (formerly Falconweight)

Weight limit: 70kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Kenichi Ogata
(def. Seiichiro Nishibayashi)
June 4, 1998
Ogata vacated the title on November 30, 2007.[4]
2 Japan Kenji Kanai
(def. Koichi Kikuchi)
February 3, 2008
  • def. Takashi Ohno on July 21, 2008.
3 Japan Takaaki Umeno
(def. Kenji Kanai)
June 1, 2009
4 Japan Satoru Suzuki
(def. Kenji Kanai)
September 10, 2011
5 Japan Yuki Sakamoto
(def. Satoru Suzuki)
April 20, 2013
6 Japan Kentaro Hokuto
(def. Yuki Sakamoto)
February 11, 2017
Close
Welterweight championship (formerly Junior Falconweight)

Weight limit: 67.5kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Hiroki Shishido
(def. Koichi Kikuchi)
June 6, 2005
  • def. Hitoshi Yamaguchi on July 21, 2008.
Shishido vacated the title on April 3, 2009.
2 Japan Takahiro Okuyama
(def. Yoshimitsu Murata)
June 26, 2022
Close
Super Lightweight championship (formerly Seagullweight)

Weight limit: 65kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Masahiro Hada
(def. )
2 Japan Li Sogi
(def. Takashi Abe)
1992
3 Japan Takashi Abe
(def. Li Sogi)
December 9, 1992
4 Japan Hidekazu Miyake
(def. )
5 Japan Katsuo Ise
(def. )
6 Japan Kenjiro Tatsumi
(def. Katsuo Ise)
7 Japan Hiroyuki Doi
(def. Kenjiro Tatsumi)
October, 1997
  • def. Atsuhiro Tsuboi on May 21, 2000.
Doi vacated the title in 2000.
8 Japan Hiroki Shishido
(def. Ki Sakaguchi)
September 25, 2001
  • def. Masaaki Kato on June 1, 2003.
Shishido vacated the title on February 1, 2005.
9 Japan MASAYA
(def. Rudo)[5]
September 23, 2013
MASAYA vacated the title on May 1, 2014.
10 Japan Hiroaki Suzuki
(def. Shinsuke Hirai)[6]
September 20, 2014
Suzuki vacated the title on August 21, 2015.
11 Japan MASAYA
(def. Takahiro Okuyama)[7]
September 19, 2016
MASAYA vacated the title on March 1, 2017.
12 Japan Kaito
(def. Kenta)
November 22, 2017
Kaito vacated the title on November 21, 2021.[8]
13 Japan Imoto Volcano
(def. Kiyoaki Murata)
December 26, 2021
Close
Lightweight championship (formerly Junior Seagullweight)

Weight limit: 62.5kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Hiroaki Suzuki
(def. Yuuji Sagawara)
February 2, 2012
Suzuki vacated the title on September 20, 2014.
2 Japan Renta Nishioka
(def. Kiyoaki Murata)
September 15, 2018
3 Japan Hiroki Kasahara
(def. Renta Nishioka)
April 10, 2022
Close
Super Featherweight championship (formerly Cardinalweight)

Weight limit: 60kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Katsumi Omura
(def. Toshio Kurosawa)
March 21, 1987
2 Japan Kyoichi Otsu
(def. Katsumi Omura)
July 12, 1987
  • def. Nobukazu Katori on January 31, 1988
3 Japan Makoto Oe
(def. Kyoichi Otsu)
May 21, 1988
Oe vacated the title in 1990.
4 Japan Nobukazu Katori
(def. )
1991
5 Japan Kazuki Wakamiya
(def. Nobukazu Katori)
October 5, 1991
  • def. Ryuji Ooike on April 17, 1992
Wakamiya vacated the title in 1992.
6 Japan Masahiro Okamoto
(def. )
November 22, 1992
  • def. Seichiro Nishibayashi on January 23, 1994.
7 Japan Takehiro Murahama
(def. Masahiro Okamoto)
November 22, 1994
  • def. Kazuki Wakamiya on June 4, 1998.
Murahama vacated the title in 1999.
8 Japan Tatsuya Maeda
(def. Takato Kitaoka)
April 7, 2000
9 Japan Tomohiro Oikawa
(def. Tatsuya Maeda)
September 22, 2002
10 Japan Tomoki Matsuura
(def. Tomohiro Oikawa)
July 4, 2003
11 Japan Tomohiro Oikawa
(def. Tomoki Matsuura)
June 4, 2004
  • def. Takeshi Ishikawa on April 4, 2008.
  • def. Hiroaki Suzuki on September 4, 2009.
Oikawa vacated the title in 2011.
12 Japan Akifumi Utagawa
(def. Koji Ikegami)
June 3, 2012
  • def. Naguranchun Masa M-16 on June 21, 2014.
Utagawa vacated the title on June 21, 2014.
13 Japan Kiyoaki Murata
(def. Koji Ikegami)
September 16, 2017
Murata vacated the title on August 2, 2018.[9]
14 Japan Kazuki Fukada
(def. Kazuya Ueda)
September 15, 2018
15 Japan Hiroki Kasahara
(def. Kazuki Fukada)
September 28, 2019
Kasahara vacated the title on November 21, 2021.[10]
16 Japan Yuki Kasahara
(def. Shota Tezuka)
December 26, 2021
Close
Featherweight championship (formerly Junior Cardinalweight)

Weight limit: 57.5kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Naguranchun Masa M-16
(def. Akito Sagimura)
September 10, 2011
Naguranchun vacated the title on April 4, 2013.
2 Japan Koya Shimada
(def. Motohiro Shinohara)
April 18, 2014
Shimada vacated the title immediately after winning it on April 18, 2014.
3 Japan Kazuki Fukada
(def. Genki)
August 13, 2016
Fukada vacated the title on August 2, 2018.[12]
4 Japan Hiroki Kasahara
(def. Genki)
September 15, 2018
5 Japan Yuki Kasahara
(def. Shota Tezuka)
September 19, 2020
Kasahara vacated the title on November 21, 2021.[13]
6 Japan Kyo Kawakami
(def. Kaito)
April 10, 2022
7 Japan Kotaro Yamada
(def. Kyo Kawakami)
April 30, 2023
Close
Super Bantamweight championship (formerly Owlweight)

Weight limit: 55kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Nobukazu Katori
(def. Katsushi Sanada)
July 9, 1988
2 Japan Yoshikazu Katori
(def. )
July 9, 1988
3 Japan Ryuji Ooike
(def. )
4 Japan Shigeyuki Wakabayashi
(def. )
5 Japan Yoshichika Suzuki
(def. )
6 Japan Yoshihiro Moriya
(def. Atsushi Miyaji)
April 15, 2001
  • def. Takafumi Ichimasa on September 22, 2002.
Moriya vacated the title on September 23, 2006, when he retired.[14]
7 Japan Phantom Shinya
(def. Akito Sagimura)
February 3, 2008
8 (interim) Japan Noriyuki Enari
(def. Akito Sagimura)
September 12, 2008
9 Japan Phantom Shinya
(def. Noriyuki Enari)
September 4, 2008
10 Japan Ryuya Kusakabe
(def. Phantom Shinya)
September 18, 2010
11 Japan Masahiro Fujimoto
(def. Kazuyuki Fushimi)[15]
June 3, 2012
12 Japan Kazuyuki Fushimi
(def. Masahiro Fujimoto)
February 23, 2014
13 Japan Taiki Naito
(def. Kazuyuki Fushimi)[16]
November 30, 2014
  • def. Seiki Ueyama on November 11, 2016
  • def. Seiki Ueyama on September 16, 2017
Naito vacated the title on June 10, 2018.[17]
14 Japan Seiki Ueyama
(def. Genki Takeno)
December 26, 2021
15 Japan Koyata Yamada
(def. Seiki Ueyama)
February 11, 2023
Close
Bantamweight championship (formerly Junior Owlweight)

Weight limit: 52.5kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Kyo Kawakami
(def. Syuto Sato)
November 24, 2019
Kawakami vacated the title on November 11, 2021.[18]
2 Japan Syuto Sato
(def. Kazuyuki Fushimi)
December 26, 2021
Close

Women Shoot Boxing Japan champions

Girls Japan S-cup

2014 SHOOT BOXING Japan Girls -48 kg S-cup
DateChampionNationalityEventLocationRunner-upNationality
2014-08-02Yukari YamaguchiJapan JapanSHOOT BOXING Girls S-cup 2014Tokyo, JapanMIOJapan Japan
2015 SHOOT BOXING Japan Girls -48 kg S-cup
DateChampionNationalityEventLocationRunner-upNationality
2015-08-21MIOJapan JapanSHOOT BOXING Girls S-cup 2015Tokyo, JapanMomiJapan Japan
SHOOT BOXING Girls S-cup 2019
DateChampionNationalityEventLocationRunner-upNationality
2019-07-21MegamiJapan JapanSHOOT BOXING Girls S-cup 2019Tokyo, JapanMISAKIJapan Japan
Women's Lightweight championship

Weight limit: 65kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Mina
(def. Takako Mizoguchi)[19]
November 28, 2020
Close
Women's Flyweight championship (formerly Ladybugweight)

Weight limit: 52kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Terumi Fujiyama
(def. )
2 Japan Fumiko Ishimoto
(def. )
3 Japan Kyoko Kamikaze
(def. )
1990
4 Japan Terumi Fujiyama
(def. )
5 Japan Rumi Nakamura
(def. )
May 1, 1996
6 Japan Ai Takahashi
(def. RENA)[20]
June 5, 2011
Takahashi vacated the title when she retired on December 1, 2015.
Close
Women's Strawweight championship

Weight limit: 49kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan MIO
(def. Union Akari)[21]
November 11, 2016
Close
Women's Atomweight championship

Weight limit: 46kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan MISAKI
(def. Suzuka Tabuchi)
December 26, 2021
Close

Shoot Boxing International champions

Shoot Boxing International Men champions

World Heavyweight championship

Weight limit: 90kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Nobuki Iwashita
(def. )
2 Australia Adam Watt
(def. Bill Lasfar)
October 27, 1995
Close

World Middleweight championship

Weight limit: 75kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Takeshi Caesar
(def. John Navarolli)
August 13, 1988
2 United States Manson Gibson
(def. Takeshi Caesar)
May 26, 1989
Close

World Super Welterweight championship

Weight limit: 70kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Netherlands Andy Souwer
(def. Hiroyuki Doi)
February 1, 2004
2 Japan Kaito
(def. Samo Petje)
June 25, 2023
Close

Australia Super Welterweight championship

Weight limit: 70kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Australia Daniel Dawson
(def. )
2 Australia Luke Maitland
(def. )
Close

Brazil Super Welterweight championship

Weight limit: 70kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Brazil Marfio Canoletti
(def. )
Close

America Super Welterweight championship

Weight limit: 70kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 United States Ronnie lewis
(def. )
January 12, 2001
Close

World Welterweight championship

Weight limit: 67.5kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Hiroyuki Doi
(def. Danny Steele)
January 12, 2001
Close

Oriental and Pacific Super Welterweight championship

Weight limit: 67.5kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Hiroki Shishido
(def. Luke Maitland)
June 1, 2009
Shishido vacated the title on June 30, 2012.
2 Japan Hiroki Shishido
(def. Moody Rawai)
August 10, 2013
  • def. Jaoweha Grandthaiboxing on September 19, 2015
Close

World Super Lightweight championship

Weight limit: 65kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan Hiroaki Suzuki
(def. Christian Baya)
August 22, 2015
Suzuki vacated the title when he left the Shoot Boxing organization on August 31, 2018.
Close

America Super Featherweight championship

Weight limit: 60kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 United States Shane Stafford
(def. )
Close

Shoot Boxing International Women champions

Asia Tournament

2016 SHOOT BOXING Girls Asia Tournament
DateChampionNationalityEventLocationRunner-upNationality
2016-07-07MIOJapan JapanShoot Boxing Girls S-cup 2016 ~Shichiseki Joshi Kaku Matsuri~Tokyo, JapanUnion AkariJapan Japan

World Women's Flyweight championship

Weight limit: 52kg

More information No., Name ...
No. Name Date Defenses
1 Japan RENA
(def. Kane Chopirom)
August 21, 2015
  • def. Klaudia Pawicka on July 7, 2016
Close

See also

References

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