This list covers 19 sports that start with the letter K, ranging from “Kabaddi” to “Knife Throwing.” These activities span team games, combat disciplines, water sports, and traditional martial arts from cultures around the world. People play and practice them for competition, fitness, self-defense, and simple recreation.
Sports are structured physical activities with rules, skill requirements, and often a competitive element between individuals or teams. Many of the entries here carry deep cultural roots, like Kabaddi, a South Asian contact sport that dates back thousands of years and remains a major draw in professional leagues today. Others, like Kickball, started as playground games and grew into organized adult competitions.
Below you’ll find the table with each sport and a description.
Sport: the name of the activity, so you can quickly scan the list and find one you recognize or want to learn more about.
Description: a short explanation of how each sport works, including its origin, equipment, or basic rules, so you understand what makes it unique.
Sports
Sport
Kabaddi
Karate
Karting
Kayaking
Kendo
Kickball
Kickboxing
Kin-Ball
Kitesurfing
Korfball
Krav Maga
Kubb
Kung Fu
Kurash
Kyudo
Kalaripayattu
Kayak Polo
Kite Fighting
Knife Throwing
Descriptions
Kabaddi
A contact team sport from South Asia where a “raider” tags opponents while holding their breath and chanting, then sprints back to their own half without being tackled.
Karate
A striking martial art from Okinawa, Japan, using punches, kicks, knee strikes, and open-hand techniques, practiced both as self-defense and as a competitive Olympic sport.
Karting
Motorsport racing in small, open-wheel go-karts on scaled-down circuits, popular as an entry point for young drivers aspiring to Formula 1 and other racing series.
Kayaking
A paddle sport in which athletes propel a narrow, covered boat using a double-bladed paddle, contested in disciplines like slalom, sprint, and whitewater freestyle.
Kendo
A modern Japanese martial art descended from swordsmanship, in which competitors use bamboo swords and protective armor to score strikes on specific target areas.
Kickball
A bat-and-ball game similar to baseball where players kick a rolled rubber ball instead of hitting it, then run the bases as in traditional baseball.
Kickboxing
A striking combat sport combining boxing punches with kicks from martial arts like karate and muay thai, contested in a ring under various rule sets.
Kin-Ball
A Canadian team sport where three teams share one giant ball, aiming to hit it so opposing teams cannot catch it before it touches the ground.
Kitesurfing
A water board sport where a rider harnesses wind power through a large controllable kite to glide, jump, and perform tricks across the water’s surface.
Korfball
A Dutch mixed-gender team sport blending elements of basketball and netball, played with two-person teams shooting a ball into a basket without a backboard.
Krav Maga
An Israeli self-defense and combat system emphasizing practical, fast-acting techniques, increasingly practiced as a competitive and fitness-oriented martial art worldwide.
Kubb
A Scandinavian lawn game where players throw wooden batons to knock over the opposing team’s wooden blocks before toppling a central “king” piece.
Kung Fu
An umbrella term for numerous Chinese martial arts styles emphasizing strikes, forms, and weapons training, practiced for self-defense, fitness, and competitive wushu sport.
Kurash
A traditional Uzbek jacket-wrestling sport in which competitors try to throw their opponent onto their back while gripping a special belted jacket.
Kyudo
The traditional Japanese art of archery, emphasizing precise form, breathing, and mental discipline as much as accuracy in hitting the target.
Kalaripayattu
An ancient martial art from Kerala, India, combining strikes, grappling, weaponry, and healing techniques, considered one of the oldest fighting systems still practiced today.
Kayak Polo
A fast-paced water sport where two teams in kayaks pass and throw a ball, trying to score by throwing it into an elevated net.
Kite Fighting
A competitive sport where flyers maneuver kites with abrasive lines to cut down opponents’ kites, popular in countries like India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Knife Throwing
A target sport in which competitors throw specially balanced knives at a wooden target, scoring points based on where the blade sticks.
If you think there is a missing term, let us know using the contact form.
