How to Start Kickboxing

What is kickboxing?

Kickboxing is the stand-up combat sport that combines boxing's punches with kicks. It grew out of the meeting of karate and Muay Thai in Japan in the 1960s, and out of full-contact karate competitions in the USA in the 1970s; today it's one of the most widespread ring sports in the world.

There isn't a single rule set. In the full contact style, kicks are only thrown above the waist; in the low kick style, kicks to the thigh are allowed; under K-1 rules, knees are added too. What they all share is this: no elbows, no long clinch, and a game played at range and in combinations. The fundamentals you learn in the beginner group at the gym (stance, punches, kicks, defence) are the same in all of these styles.

Do I need to be flexible or fit to start?

No. The sentence kickboxing beginners say most often is "let me get in shape a bit first, then I'll come", and the order is exactly the other way round: conditioning and flexibility are both results of the classes. In the beginner group the tempo is set to the individual; you stop when you run out of breath, and nobody is counting.

Relax about high kicks too. The target in the first month isn't head height but a clean, balanced kick at waist height. Hip flexibility opens up over the weeks with the stretching at the end of every class; through repetition, not through forcing it.

Age isn't a barrier either: there's no upper limit for the adult groups, and kids' and teens' classes run from age 6 in 6–9, 10–13 and 14–18 age groups.

What happens in the first kickboxing class?

The first class isn't a test; it's an introduction. A typical beginner class goes like this:

• Warm-up and skipping. Ankles, knees and hips get ready; the heart rate comes up.
• Stance and footwork. Feet shoulder-width apart, hands at the chin, weight balanced between both feet. The kickboxing stance is a little more upright than boxing, because you have to be ready to throw a kick and to check one at any moment.
• Straight punches. Jab and cross; you learn on day one that the punch comes from the hip, not the shoulder.
• First kicks. The front kick and the roundhouse, a turning kick thrown at waist height. Slowly and with balance first, then on the pads.
• Combinations on the pads. Two- or three-move series like jab-cross-kick. This is usually the most enjoyable part of the class.
• Short conditioning and stretching. A few minutes of core and leg work, followed by hip stretches.

There is no sparring. Nobody takes a punch or a kick on day one; partner work only happens with members who want it and are ready, with protective gear, and weeks later.

What gear do you need?

For the first class, comfortable sportswear is enough; water is free at the gym. Classes are on tatami mats; if you prefer shoes, wear soft-soled trainers with clean soles that you only use in the gym, or come in socks. The gym has gloves for the trial class. Once you decide to continue, you'll need the following, in order:

• Hand wraps. They protect the wrist and knuckles; the first thing to buy, and cheap.
• Boxing gloves. Usually 10–12 oz for the bag and pads. It varies with your weight and what you'll use them for; ask the coach before you buy.
• Shin guards. Needed if you move on to partner kicking drills; not needed at the start.
• Mouthguard and headgear. Only for sparring.

Buying all of it on day one is the most common mistake. Wraps and gloves are enough for the first month; you buy the rest when the need comes up.

How does the first month go?

Weeks 1 and 2: Stance, footwork, jab, cross and front kick. Your calves ache from the rope, your shoulders from keeping your hands up, your hips from kicking; that's normal, and it eases after the second week.

Weeks 3 and 4: The hook and uppercut are added, and you start working the roundhouse kick on the bag. The basics of defence come in: blocking, stepping back and checking a kick with the shin. By the end of the month you can throw a three- or four-move combination without losing your balance.

The goal for the first month isn't to hit hard but to stay balanced with your hands up after you strike. Power arrives on its own on top of correct mechanics.

The most common beginner mistakes

• Dropping the hands when you kick. One arm swings for balance, but the other hand stays at the chin. It's the first habit that gets corrected.
• Not pivoting the standing foot. If the heel doesn't turn, the hips don't turn; the kick stays weak and the load goes into the knee.
• Trying to kick high. A kick forced to head height before the flexibility is there is unbalanced and can strain the groin. Low and clean first.
• Leaning back. If your torso falls away as you kick, no punch can follow; the combination breaks.
• Holding your breath. You exhale briefly on every strike; hold it and you're spent after two combinations.
• Hitting the bag at full power from day one. Loading the wrists and shins before they've adapted is the most common cause of injury in the first month.

How many classes a week, and when will I see progress?

2–3 classes a week to start. With one class, technique is forgotten by the following week; coming every day wears out your hips and shins in the first month before they can recover. If you want to build strength and endurance faster, adding one functional training session a week gives better results than adding another kickboxing class.

Breathing settles in the first two weeks, the basic strikes in the first month, and in three months combinations and defence start to flow. Because kickboxing is high tempo, it's the class most chosen by people with a weight goal; for diet and routine, see the guide to losing weight with martial arts.

Kickboxing, Muay Thai or boxing?

The short answer: if you want kicks but want to start with a simple system, kickboxing; if you want the widest system, with knees, elbows and the clinch, Muay Thai; if you want to focus only on punches, footwork and head movement, boxing. All three share the same foundation; the stance and sense of distance you learn in one carries over to the others, so your first choice isn't an irreversible decision.

For a detailed comparison, see the guide Muay Thai, kickboxing or boxing? And if the cage and ground fighting catch your interest later on, a kickboxing base is a solid start for MMA.

Where to start kickboxing in Konyaaltı, Antalya

F8 Training Studio is in Konyaaltı's Bahtılı neighbourhood, on Atatürk Avenue. Our kickboxing classes are led by Turkey National Muay Thai Team Coach Doğukan Siler, with beginner and advanced levels in separate groups; the first class is free. The studio is open every day 07:00–22:00 with no appointment needed; message us on WhatsApp and we'll settle the right group and time for your level together. Shower, changing room, free parking and a free café for members are all on site.