What is kickboxing
Kickboxing is a contact combat sport. combining contains elements of various martial arts. Sweeps, kicks, as in karate and taekwondo, punches to the head, as in boxing, clinch and knee work, as in Thai boxing, are allowed here. This universal trend is relatively young – it appeared in the USA only in the 70s of the last century.
Konstantin Midonov
Trainer of the highest qualification category in kickboxing and Muay Thai, judge in kickboxing of the All-Russian category.
Kickboxing was invented at a time when there was debate about what was better – boxing or karate. Competitions began to be held using boxing gloves and kicks. Back then it was called “full contact karate”.
A little earlier, Japan had its own version, which combined techniques from karate and Thai boxing. Then the founders of kickboxing from the USA developed their own rules and created the official organization World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO), and the Japanese style became one of the directions – the toughest K1 discipline.
What disciplines are there in kickboxing?
In kickboxing allocate seven disciplines:
- Full contact — punches and kicks to the head and torso above the waist, sweeps are allowed here. Everyone must throw at least six kicks per round.
- Low kick – the same as full contact, only with permission to use blows to the hips.
- K‑1 – the toughest type of kickboxing, in which punches and kicks to the head and body, as well as kicks and knees to the legs, including joints, are allowed. In addition, here you can fight in a clinch – hold your opponent by the neck and shoulders with one or two hands and attack him with your knees.
- Point fighting game — athletes hit half-heartedly, but as quickly and accurately as possible to earn points. With each hit, the referee stops the fight, and the judges show on their fingers the number of points the kickboxer has earned.
- Light contact – fighters control the force of the blows, but the fight does not stop until the central referee commands.
- Kick-light — fighters control the force of the blow, the fight does not stop when hit. In addition, they can use low kicks. Unlike previous “light” disciplines, here you can hit the hips.
- Musical forms is a duel with an imaginary opponent in which a person demonstrates the technique of oriental martial arts. You can perform with or without traditional weapons.
Competitions in the first three disciplines are carried out in the ring and consist of three two-minute rounds with 60 seconds of rest between them. The blows are delivered with full force to cause maximum damage to the opponent. You can win either on points or by knocking out your opponent or depriving him of the opportunity to continue due to injury.
In the last four types of kickboxing, participants compete on the tatami. Here they no longer hit at full strength, and the main emphasis is on technique and speed of movements. The one who scores the most points for hitting the enemy wins.
Kickboxing can also be divided into professional and amateur.
Konstantin Midonov
Mostly professional fights take place in ring disciplines. In this case, the fighters do not use protective equipment – the helmet and leg protection are removed. All that remains are boxing gloves (usually lighter weight than in amateur fights) and a groin bandage. They box not only for awards, but also for fees.
Official competitions are held for each discipline, but the kickboxer is not required to participate in them. It is quite possible to practice this sport and never enter the ring or tatami.
At what age can you start kickboxing?
Konstantin Midonov says that preschoolers can be brought into the kickboxing section, starting from the age of 4. In such groups, children engage in physical training and outdoor games with elements of kickboxing.
Also, children under 12 years old have practically no power loads with equipment – only work with their own weight. At a younger age, the main emphasis is on developing coordination, balance and flexibility.
Konstantin Midonov
Children of primary school age can participate in inter-club meetings and informal festivals to gain their first competitive experience. Officially, you can perform in the ring not in full contact from the age of 10, and in full contact from the age of 11–12.
There is no upper age limit. You can join the section at 20 or 50, participate in amateur competitions, or never enter the ring or tatami at all.
Why you should try kickboxing
Kickboxing is not only an effective martial art, but also an excellent physical activity that helps improve your fitness. By doing it, you will be able to:
- Increase strength. Punch practice and special exercises strengthen muscles of the whole body. Of course, exercise will not help you pump up, but your body will become more toned, and with a small percentage of fat, also sculpted.
- Increase your stamina. Intense work in pairs, on bags and apparatus increases overall endurance, and sparring and interval training increases the ability to withstand high intensity movements.
- Improve agility and reaction speed. Kickboxing trains coordination, makes movements economical, fast and accurate.
- Develop mental toughness. In one study notedthat to succeed in kickboxing you need to develop not only physical skills, but also mental toughness – self-confidence, the ability to cope with disappointment and concentrate on the task, ignoring distractions. In the long term, kickboxing training and competitions can increase a person’s ability to disconnect from extraneous thoughts, motivate themselves and fight negative attitudes and fears.
- Learn self-defense techniques. Kickboxing includes a variety of strikes and techniques that can be used in real combat for self-defense.
- Increase physical activity. Kickboxing combines intense work, a wide variety of movements and interaction with other people. If you quickly get tired of the monotony and are bored alone, it can become your favorite sport and will help you maintain a healthy weight, strength and flexibility at any age.
Is kickboxing dangerous?
Like any contact sport, kickboxing can lead to injury. The level of risk depends on what goals you are pursuing.
Konstantin Midonov
The risk of injury during training is minimal. When getting into sparring, both children and adults wear protective equipment. Before loading, a thorough warm-up, stretching and preparatory exercises are always carried out.
If you are going to perform in the ring, the risk of injury increases significantly. Kickboxers often happen head injuries from missed blows. Also, fighters suffer from sprained ankle and knee joints, damage to the muscles and tendons of the legs, and back injuries.
Of course, it all depends on the level of the kickboxer and the discipline he practices. A professional who performs in the ring in full contact runs the risk of getting a traumatic brain injury much more than an amateur who boxs only in training and half-heartedly.
Who shouldn’t do kickboxing?
Kickboxing is not suitable for those who have medical conditions for which it is not recommended to engage in contact sports or train at high intensity.
If you have problems with vision, cardiovascular system, diseases of the respiratory system, spine and joints, neurological disorders and injuries, be sure to consult with a therapist before signing up for a class. And tell the coach about it.
If you are going to enroll your child in the section, you must undergo a medical examination at the clinic at your place of residence and obtain permission to attend classes. In the future, he will be registered at a physical education clinic. There, once every six months, the child will undergo a medical examination, on the basis of which he will receive access to classes and competitions.
How do kickboxing classes work?
Kickboxing classes can vary greatly depending on the specific club. Typically, training lasts 1–1.5 hours and may include:
- Warm up — 10–15 minutes of warming up and preparatory exercises. This could be running in a circle combined with joint warm-up, jumping rope, or performing simple movements in an interval manner.
- Practicing strikes and combinations. Such work can take place alone in front of a mirror; in pairs, when one holds the projectile and the other performs a blow or technique; individually on bags and pears.
- Sparring — training battles with other trainees.
- General and special physical training – exercises designed to improve some aspect of physical fitness. For example, throwing a ball against a wall, box jumping, push-ups, arm throws with dumbbells, movements to strengthen the core muscles.
- Stretching – exercises to develop flexibility.
The specific content of the lesson depends on the level of training of the athletes and the training cycle.
How to prepare for your first kickboxing lesson
Find a club that offers kickboxing training and sign up for a class. This is a fairly popular sport, so there will be no problems finding it.
Most clubs have protective equipment that newbies can use until they acquire their own. So for the first workout you can only take comfortable sportswear. No shoes are needed – classes are conducted barefoot. It is also worth bringing a water bottle and a towel with you.
In the future you will need to purchase the following equipment:
- Boxing gloves or kickboxing gloves.
- Kickboxing helmet.
- Kapu.
- Shin guards – protection of the shin and foot.
- Feet are foot protection for kickboxing in the point fighting discipline.
- Chest and groin protection for women, groin protection for men.
- Boxing bandages for fixing the wrist.
The specific set depends on what discipline you will train and compete in.
What other martial arts are worth trying? 🥊🤼🥋
