snafu

Hello all, I've really enjoyed browsing the forum today. Read most posts going back to page 17.

I'm considering signing up at a local kickboxing school. I have no problem with training and working hard, have accepted that my nose will eventually get broken, I will probably get injured, etc. Despite all that and this may sound silly but I have somewhat strong anxiety when put in a class of any sort and my main concern is just getting up enough courage to go. I really want to do this but it would calm me a bit if I knew what to expect at the first class. I'll be okay once I go to a couple classes.

Thanks in advance for any information.

nevets2001uk

Hi Snafu

I'm fairly new to kickboxing myself and I'm not sure which type you are thinking of taking up but thought I'd let you know how my first class went if it helps. I'm learning American Style kickboxing with some Lau Gar Kung fu thrown in as well.

Our classes last 1 hour 30 minutes and the first 30 mins or so is based around a fairly hard warmup and stretching session. To be honest my fitness was way down when I started and the warmup did make me sweat buckets. As for the stretching; I'd always thought of myself as not very flexible but after a few weeks I'm starting to loosen up pretty well.

The remaining hour was then mostly taken up with learning the basic moves. Stance, Movement and the simpler punches and kicks. Nothing too complex as I think they accepted there were a couple of beginners in the class! The lesson ended with the more experienced members doing some light points sparring.

I'd been a little apprehensive myself about what to expect. Didn't want to go along and make a fool of myself by not being able to do stuff, but it all turned out okay. I was fortunate that I had a couple of friends who were interested in starting as well so I wasn't the only one that hadn't been before. Maybe if you're a little anxious you could find a partner to go along with. For me I find it helps to have someone to train with outside of classes as well.

Anyway good luck and remember to have fun! Hope the above helps a bit and makes some sense.

Steve

Harry

I was just like that, it doesn't sound silly at all, I spent an entire week putting off just ringing the center to ask if they did classes, they another few days waiting to call the guy who took them.
Just bundle up all your courage and remember that when you walk in there, every person you see throwing massive kicks, was new once, and had to walk through that door nervously like you will when you go.

In my first class I was really nervous, it was my first martial art, Im a very shy guy, and I wasn't very flexible.

We started off with a 20 minute warm up, jogging, press ups, sit ups, squat thrusts, leg raises, then leg stretches, toe to toe, then just swinging each leg up as high as we could 10 times.

Then we would break off into partners and start working on the pads.
12 minutes.
2 sets of 3 minutes for each partner.
If your new, you teacher will probably put you with another fairly new person so they can show and help you with the techniques.

After this we will useualy do bag work and/or sparring.
Occaisionally one of the other instructors will take a group of new people and explain tactics and work on pushing opponents back.
(They will useualy get a large pad and push it at you, you will them have to push it back with hooks and elbows, stepping back to get space for kicks if you can)

Then we will warm down for 5 minutes, just stretching legs.

Don't worry about flexibility, before I went, I could front kick someone in the groin maximum, now I can reach their nose. (I'm a white belt, I've been going for 4months tommorrow)
Just don't concern yourself with throwing massive kicks like the other guys, only do what you can, there is no point in over stretching and hurting yourself.

Talk to your instructor after the class if you can, ask him about all the details you want to get out of the way.
After my first class I approached him, gobsmacked, "You teach elbows and knee's?"


Nevets is right, it might be an idea finding a partner to go with you?

What type of kickboxing are you doing Snafu?

TONGPO

Like Harry said, everyone had to start somewehere. You'll be amazed at how friendly everyone will be....shared interest you see?

Go for it, good luck, you'll never look back