What is legal where
Sixteen codes, one table. Every row is a question the rulebooks actually disagree on — there is no point listing techniques all of them permit. Select codes to narrow the comparison, or filter to only the rows where they diverge.
Comparing
Modern professional
Foundational codes
WAKO amateur
Adjacent traditions
Legend Permitted Permitted with limits Not permitted
Tap a cell for the caveat. Scroll the table sideways to reach every code.
| K-1 | GLORY | ONE | Japanese | Dutch | Full-Contact | Low-Kick | Point-Fighting | Light-Contact | WAKO Full | WAKO Low-Kick | WAKO K-1 | Sanda | Savate | Kyokushin | Shootboxing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strikes | ||||||||||||||||
| Punches to the head | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Permitted | Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO Full: Permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Permitted | Kyokushin: Not permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted | ||
| Leg kicks to the thighThe single sharpest divide between codes. | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Not permitted | Low-Kick: Permitted | Point-Fighting: Not permitted | Light-Contact: Not permitted | WAKO Full: Not permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Permitted | Kyokushin: Permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted |
| Knee strikes | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Not permitted | Low-Kick: Not permitted | Point-Fighting: Not permitted | Light-Contact: Not permitted | WAKO Full: Not permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Not permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Savate: Not permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted | ||
| Elbow strikesNo mainstream kickboxing code permits them — this is the clearest line between kickboxing and Muay Thai. | K-1: Not permitted | GLORY: Not permitted | ONE: Not permitted | Japanese: Not permitted | Dutch: Not permitted | Full-Contact: Not permitted | Low-Kick: Not permitted | Point-Fighting: Not permitted | Light-Contact: Not permitted | WAKO Full: Not permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Not permitted | WAKO K-1: Not permitted | Sanda: Not permitted | Savate: Not permitted | Kyokushin: Not permitted | Shootboxing: Not permitted |
| Spinning attacks (backfist, back kick, hook kick) | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Permitted | Low-Kick: Permitted | Point-Fighting: Permitted | Light-Contact: Permitted | WAKO Full: Permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Permitted | Kyokushin: Permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted |
| Kicking with the shinSavate requires the shoe to make contact. | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Permitted | Low-Kick: Permitted | Point-Fighting: Permitted | Light-Contact: Permitted | WAKO Full: Permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Not permitted | Kyokushin: Permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted |
| Targets | ||||||||||||||||
| Any target below the waist | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Not permitted | Low-Kick: Permitted | Point-Fighting: Not permitted | Light-Contact: Not permitted | WAKO Full: Not permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Permitted | Kyokushin: Permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted |
| Kicks to the head | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Permitted | Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO Full: Permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Permitted | Kyokushin: Permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted | ||
| Grappling | ||||||||||||||||
| Clinch work | Full-Contact: Not permitted | Low-Kick: Not permitted | Point-Fighting: Not permitted | Light-Contact: Not permitted | WAKO Full: Not permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Not permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Not permitted | Kyokushin: Not permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted | ||||||
| Sweeps and catching a kick | GLORY: Not permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Not permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Not permitted | Low-Kick: Not permitted | WAKO Full: Not permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Not permitted | WAKO K-1: Not permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Not permitted | Kyokushin: Not permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted | |||
| Throws and takedowns | K-1: Not permitted | GLORY: Not permitted | ONE: Not permitted | Japanese: Not permitted | Dutch: Not permitted | Full-Contact: Not permitted | Low-Kick: Not permitted | Point-Fighting: Not permitted | Light-Contact: Not permitted | WAKO Full: Not permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Not permitted | WAKO K-1: Not permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Not permitted | Kyokushin: Not permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted |
| Standing submissions | K-1: Not permitted | GLORY: Not permitted | ONE: Not permitted | Japanese: Not permitted | Dutch: Not permitted | Full-Contact: Not permitted | Low-Kick: Not permitted | Point-Fighting: Not permitted | Light-Contact: Not permitted | WAKO Full: Not permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Not permitted | WAKO K-1: Not permitted | Sanda: Not permitted | Savate: Not permitted | Kyokushin: Not permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted |
| Format | ||||||||||||||||
| Gloves worn | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Permitted | Low-Kick: Permitted | Point-Fighting: Permitted | Light-Contact: Permitted | WAKO Full: Permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Permitted | Kyokushin: Not permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted |
| Contested in a roped ring | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Permitted | Low-Kick: Permitted | Point-Fighting: Not permitted | Light-Contact: Not permitted | WAKO Full: Permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Sanda: Not permitted | Savate: Permitted | Kyokushin: Not permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted |
| Knockouts sought and permitted | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Dutch: Permitted | Full-Contact: Permitted | Low-Kick: Permitted | Point-Fighting: Not permitted | Light-Contact: Not permitted | WAKO Full: Permitted | WAKO Low-Kick: Permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Sanda: Permitted | Savate: Permitted | Kyokushin: Permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted |
| Extension round settles a draw | K-1: Permitted | GLORY: Permitted | ONE: Not permitted | Japanese: Permitted | Full-Contact: Not permitted | Low-Kick: Not permitted | Point-Fighting: Permitted | Light-Contact: Permitted | WAKO K-1: Permitted | Sanda: Not permitted | Savate: Not permitted | Kyokushin: Permitted | Shootboxing: Permitted | |||
Common questions
- Are elbows ever legal in kickboxing?
- No. No mainstream kickboxing ruleset permits elbow strikes. This is the clearest technical line between kickboxing and Muay Thai, and it is the reason a Muay Thai fighter moving to K-1 or GLORY rules has to rebuild their close-range game.
- Which kickboxing rules allow leg kicks?
- Most of them, but not all. K-1, GLORY, ONE, Japanese, Dutch, American low-kick, WAKO low-kick, WAKO K-1, Sanda, savate, Kyokushin and shootboxing all permit them. American full-contact and the WAKO full-contact, light-contact and point-fighting categories do not — those restrict every strike to above the waist.
- What is the difference between K-1 rules and GLORY rules?
- The legal techniques are effectively identical. The differences are in enforcement: GLORY separates the clinch faster and actively penalises passivity, which produces higher-volume fights than the K-1 bouts of the 1990s.
- Can you throw someone in a kickboxing match?
- Only under Sanda and shootboxing. Every other code either bans throws outright or permits a narrow sweep — typically catching a kick and dumping the opponent in the same motion, which several rulesets allow.
- Why can Kyokushin fighters not punch to the head?
- Because knockdown karate is fought bare-knuckle. Removing head punches is what makes full-power competition without gloves survivable. Kicks to the head remain legal, which is why the high kick and axe kick are such prized finishing techniques in that ruleset.