, commonly written as Shootboxing, is a combat sport.
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. 私説UWF 中野巽耀自伝 by Tatsuo Nakano. Page 18. Tatsumi Publishing Co., Ltd., 2020. ISBN 4777824268 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:
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: Old weight division (until 2001)Current weight division13 classes (+1 women's class) NameUpper weight limitEagleweightUnlimitedJunior EagleweightHawkweightJunior HawkweightFalconweightJunior FalconweightSeagullweightJunior SeagullweightCardinalweightJunior CardinalweightOwlweightJunior OwlweightSparrowweightLadybugweight15 classes (+6 women's classes) NameUpper weight limitSuper heavyweightUnlimitedHeavyweightLight heavyweightSuper middleweightMiddleweightSuper welterweightWelterweightSuper lightweightLightweightSuper featherweightFeatherweightSuper bantamweightBantamweightSuper flyweightFlyweightLightweightFeatherweightBantamweightFlyweightStrawweightAtomweight
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. YearChampionRunner-up 2025 Haruto Yasumoto Kotaro Yamada 2018 Kaito UMA 2016 Zakaria Zouggary Masaya 2014 Hiroaki Suzuki Zakaria Zouggary 2012 Andy Souwer Henri van Opstal 2010 Buakaw Por. Pramuk Toby Imada 2008 Andy Souwer Kenichi Ogata 2006 Kenichi Ogata Andy Souwer 2004 Andy Souwer Hiroki Shishido 2002 Andy Souwer Zheng Yuhao 1997 Rayen Simson Mohamed Ouali 1995 Hiromu Yoshitaka Ron Belliveau
Girls S-Cup World Champions Girls S-Cup, is the 8 woman single elimination World Tournament generally held once every year since 2009. YearChampionRunner-up 2018 Jleana Valentino MIO 2017 Rena Kubota Jleana Valentino 2016 Rena Kubota Klaudia Pawicka 2015 MIO Momi Furuta 2014 Rena Kubota Thicha Rongrien Kila Korat 2013 Mizuki Inoue Ai Takahashi 2012 Rena Kubota Mei Yamaguchi 2011 Erika Kamimura Seo Hee Ham 2010 Rena Kubota Ai Takahashi 2009 Rena Kubota Mei Yamaguchi
Shoot Boxing Japan champions
Men Shoot Boxing Japan champions
Heavyweight championship (formerly Super Eagleweight) Weight limit: 90kg
No.NameDateDefenses 1 Kengo Shimizu (def. Nangoku Chojin) December 1, 2015
Light Heavyweight championship (formerly Eagleweight) Weight limit: 80kg
No.NameDateDefenses 1 Keisuke Tsuyama (def. ) 2 Go Takano (def. ) 3 Kazuya Mori (def. )
Super Middleweight championship (formerly Hawkweight) Weight limit: 75kg
No.NameDateDefenses 1 Takeshi Caesar (def. Riki Tadakatsu) July 12, 1987 2 Hiromu Yoshitaka (def. Naoyuki Taira) August 26, 1990
Middleweight championship (formerly Junior Hawkweight) Weight limit: 72.5kg
No.NameDateDefenses 1 Toshiaki Tanaka (def. ) 2 Takashi Abe (def. Toshiaki Tanaka) 1993 3 Ryuji Goto (def. Shonan Kiarimi) February 2, 2003
Super Welterweight championship (formerly Falconweight) Weight limit: 70kg
No.NameDateDefenses 1 Kenichi Ogata (def. Seiichiro Nishibayashi) June 4, 1998 Ogata vacated the title on November 30, 2007. 2 Kenji Kanai (def. Koichi Kikuchi) February 3, 2008def. Takashi Ohno on July 21, 2008. 3 Takaaki Umeno (def. Kenji Kanai) June 1, 2009 4 Satoru Suzuki (def. Kenji Kanai) September 10, 2011 5 Yuki Sakamoto (def. Satoru Suzuki) April 20, 2013 6 Kentaro Hokuto (def. Yuki Sakamoto) February 11, 2017 6 Kosuke Takagi (def. Ryotaro) February 8, 2025def. Daiki Kazama on June 21, 2026.
Welterweight championship (formerly Junior Falconweight) Weight limit: 67.5kg
No.NameDateDefenses 1 Hiroki Shishido (def. Koichi Kikuchi) June 6, 2005def. Hitoshi Yamaguchi on July 21, 2008. Shishido vacated the title on April 3, 2009. 2 Takahiro Okuyama (def. Yoshimitsu Murata) June 26, 2022
Super Lightweight championship (formerly Seagullweight) Weight limit: 65kg
No.NameDateDefenses 1 Masahiro Hada (def. ) 2 Li Sogi (def. Takashi Abe) 1992 3 Takashi Abe (def. Li Sogi) December 9, 1992 4 Hidekazu Miyake (def. ) 5 Katsuo Ise (def. ) 6 Kenjiro Tatsumi (def. Katsuo Ise) 7 Hiroyuki Doi (def. Kenjiro Tatsumi) October, 1997def. Atsuhiro Tsuboi on May 21, 2000. Doi vacated the title in 2000. 8 Hiroki Shishido (def. Ki Sakaguchi) September 25, 2001def. Masaaki Kato on June 1, 2003. Shishido vacated the title on February 1, 2005. 9 MASAYA (def. Rudo) September 23, 2013 MASAYA vacated the title on May 1, 2014. 10 Hiroaki Suzuki (def. Shinsuke Hirai) September 20, 2014 Suzuki vacated the title on August 21, 2015. 11 MASAYA (def. Takahiro Okuyama) September 19, 2016 MASAYA vacated the title on March 1, 2017. 12 Kaito (def. Kenta) November 22, 2017 Kaito vacated the title on November 21, 2021. 13 Imoto Volcano (def. Kiyoaki Murata) December 26, 2021def. Hiroki Kasahara on August 9, 2025. 14 Hiroki Kasahara (def. Imoto Volcano) June 21, 2026
Lightweight championship (formerly Junior Seagullweight) Weight limit: 62.5kg
No.NameDateDefenses 1 Hiroaki Suzuki (def. Yuuji Sagawara) February 2, 2012 Suzuki vacated the title on September 20, 2014. 2 Renta Nishioka (def. Kiyoaki Murata) September 15, 2018 3 Hiroki Kasahara (def. Renta Nishioka) April 10, 2022 Kasahara vacated the title in 2024.
Super Featherweight championship (formerly Cardinalweight) Weight limit: 60kg