First, let’s briefly go over what is REAL Kickboxing. Today
you can go in almost any city and find a dozen “combat” clubs &
schools. By combat I mean kickboxing, mixed martial arts, Jiu
Jitsu, karate, boxing etc. There is an “expert” on every street
corner. I know of several that took a correspondence course or
2 day seminar and viola, a kickboxing "expert" is born! I chuckle
when a new student has told me they’ve trained in real kickboxing
and don’t have a clue what a 2 - 3 combo is or betteryet,
when we do “technicals” and while throwing the “Jab Cross”
combo they jab to the right then cross to the left! Can you spell
“aerobics”?
Does that mean we have to get all serious and start beating our
brains out? Seriously. Real Kickboxing can be fun, exiting and
a real blast. The thing is, if your going to put in the effort, why not
have fun and learn the real thing?
The Benefits...
It’s a total body workout. Yes Kickboxing will condition every muscle in your body. One of the general areas that will benefit the most will be your mid section or your “core”. A close second will be your heart and lungs. Again, a close third will be your muscles. Yes Kickboxing will get you toned up quickly. For that you need proper equipment. The other day in Canadian Tire, a guy saw the T-shirt I was wearing and told me he was also a kickboxer. When I asked how many heavy bags did they have where he trains, he looked puzzled and said “none”! I guess he’s building all his “power” hitting the air? Where are my leotards??
The benefits are many... Weight Loss, Flexibility, Strength, Confidence, Speed, Agility and an absolutely fantastic stress relief. There is just something about beating the crap out of a heavy bag while the music is blaring.
Personally, my favorite is the feeling of “empowerment” that comes from pushing yourself past the point you thought was impossible.
The bottom line... you can do all the reading you want but your body won’t improve until you get in the club and at least try out the first 2 free weeks!
