Kickboxing: anything I should know?

glassofroses

I just signed up for a class next Wednesday and I'm a bit hesitant because I don't know that much about it. Is there anything I absolutely have to know?

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glassofroses

Ah, brilliant. Thanks!

I do know how to throw a punch and keep my guard up. My big brother saw to that.

Ready2Rock206

IT IS AWESOME!!!!!! No really - have fun, just keep moving, if you can't follow a combo just do your own thing (throw some jabs or something) and don't worry about it. One of my absolute favorite workouts!

supahdupahfitness

Beginners classes should have you set away from the intermediates. You'll be run through the basics, whilst the tutor gets a feel for your learning type, current abilities and limits and after that you'll be given drills to practice, practice, practice. You should leave the class with homework. You should also have been told why you are practicing what you are practicing and what your goals are and why. Questions should be allowed and celebrated, not berated or mocked. Don't pay for any arrogant tough guys to run you through some ambiguous wax on wax off bullsh*t. Get the knowledge you pay for. You should leave every class knowing more than when you went in.

Do not fall for the exercise loop. It's a money scam. This is where you turn up to lets say an hour class and the tutor gets you running laps, doing a few burpees, shouts at you to do a few push-ups and then in the last fifteen minutes he'll teach you a new move as some kind of reward. This is designed to slow your learning, and getting you paying for more classes, very often used to slow gifted students by money grubbing tutors. Do not pay to do push-ups, pay to learn what the class is teaching you. Get fit in your own time, your tutor should provide you with an exercise plan. If you want a class that makes you fit, pay for a fitness class, it'll be more dedicated with faster results.

In terms of making the most of your classes, make sure you've got water, don't be afraid to ask questions and make sure to put the time in at home because nobody can learn martial arts of any kind to a decent standard any time soon in only one hour a week. You've got to feel it, not just know it, physical skill requires physical training.

Kickboxing focuses a lot on, you guessed it, kicking and boxing. It's slightly outdated in today's world of MMA, Krav-Maga and Systema which all encompass realistic situations, grips, groundwork and weapons and are designed to be fast learning (and as such are often taught to our military personal between tours); however kickboxing has become a sport with rules to abide by set for a ring-type regulated situation. Also most martial arts in fact, such as Karate and Aikido for example have become watered down for the west since their birth in ancient times. This is due to sports rules and ring regulations, and diluted teachings from slightly uneducated western tutors. To get the real stuff you would have to go to Japan for the real Karate, or at least make sure you have fully traced the lineage of your tutor to an original tutor in, off the top of my head, Shotokan for example.

My advice, and I've got some decent experience, if you want quick, hard, fast and useful in day to day violent situations go for Krav Maga. If you want a lifestyle, are prepared to put the time and understanding in, I'd say chinese kungfu (go for Fujian White Crane it has a traceable lineage). MMA is very well known and thus thrown about, but it's regulated (they won't teach you to rip an eye out if someone's threatening you with extreme nastiness, if your going to spend money you want something you can use, not just a cool t-shirt and gel-filled gloves).

Martial Artist all my life.

glassofroses

I am really excited, Ready2Rock. It's something I've always wanted to do, but been too chicken to do it. I have problems with my hips so I didn't think would actually be able to do it. However, I've started yoga to strengthen my body, so hopefully between the two (as well as my own cardio/strength training) I can sort out my weak joints and sloppy core. Seriously, it needs a good kick in the *kitten*.

If I like it, I'll up it to twice a week. I would do the full three times a week but it clashes with yoga on a Monday.

Thanks for the advice, Supah. I'll definitely be on the look out for money grabbing tutors. Can never been too careful. However, I don't think we have that many martial arts centres here in my part of England. Our gyms are so superficial with their treadmills and their swimming pools. It's why I never joined one. This place seems to specialise in MA so I'm hoping to learn a lot.

ninerbuff

Don't wear tennis shoes. Better off using a pair of minimalist shoes so you're feet are flatter on the floor. Also keep your wrists "tight". Don't relax them especially in boxing because it's so easy to sprain them if you do. And try to make sure your supporting leg's toe is pointed 90 degrees opposite the kicking leg on round house kicks. This will help to keep from torquing your knee on the supporting leg.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

glassofroses

I have Nike Free Socflys, will they be okay?

Great advice on the wrists, thank you. I'll be extra aware of them just in case. Same with the toes. I'll probably have to get up and do it to see how it looks to remind myself, but better to be prepared than unprepared.

ninerbuff

glassofroses wrote: »

I have Nike Free Socflys, will they be okay?

Great advice on the wrists, thank you. I'll be extra aware of them just in case. Same with the toes. I'll probably have to get up and do it to see how it looks to remind myself, but better to be prepared than unprepared.

No. Look at some minimalist shoes.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

ninerbuff wrote: »

glassofroses wrote: »

I have Nike Free Socflys, will they be okay?

Great advice on the wrists, thank you. I'll be extra aware of them just in case. Same with the toes. I'll probably have to get up and do it to see how it looks to remind myself, but better to be prepared than unprepared.

No. Look at some minimalist shoes.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Or bare feet with foot pads if your dojo allows it

Laurenjenai

Very fun, and breath, don't hold your breath with each hit. Thumb on the outside of fist not the inside lol...hey some do...

Justthisgirl1994

I did kickboxing bare feet (so did the rest of the class and the instructor) for the year and half I was going to classes. They'll cover everything for sure. The only tip I have is to put 100% effort in and to have fun

glassofroses

Oh, if bare feet is an option I'll take that. The moment I come in the door it's shoes and socks off as I've always walked around barefoot. It drives my parents crazy when they see it.

LOL, thumb on the inside. Do you want to break it?

Thanks for all the advice. Now I don't feel like a complete noob going in there.