Introduction

Kickboxing fitness is a workout program that utilizes techniques, movements, and combinations of movements from boxing, karate, kickboxing, and self-defense training. The versatility and flexibility of this type of program allows an instructor to create an exercise routine that is tailored to the demands and expectations of any target audience!

Instructors/trainers are evaluated on their abilities and capabilities to provide safe and effective training routines and programs to participants who may have a broad range of experience, skills, physical conditioning, levels of function, abilities and capabilities. ‘Safe’ is defined as avoidance of acute and prevention of chronic injury. ‘Effective’ is defined as experiencing the most benefit, based on specific, defined participant goals and objectives.

Kickboxing or Boxing fitness training is not intended to develop Fighters or Black Belts! The goal is to provide safe workouts in which each movement is fully utilized, to positively stress the body and achieve the desired exercise program objectives and/or individual’s goal(s). Safety is important!

Boxing/Kickboxing Fitness Vs. Training Competitive Fighting and Self-Defense Training

Goals for a fitness /exercise activity utilizing boxing, kickboxing and martial arts techniques are very different from competitive fighter and/or self-defense training.

Competitive fighting and self-defense training are primarily concerned with teaching the individual to deliver various strikes with the greatest potential power and speed – in a repetitive manner. The goal is to out-point, knock out or physically destroy (for self-defense) an opponent! The development of speed and power in technique execution, for a fighter, is important. Competitive and self-defense training do pose a greater risk for physical injury! Concern for safety (defined as preventing injury resulting from improper technique execution) and improved health (defined as preventing disease through physical activity) are not primary goals for the competitive fighter or self-defense trainee.

Boxing or kickboxing fitness training is primarily focused on providing safe and effective exercise activities for participants of all sizes, age, fitness levels, skill levels, gender type, functional capabilities and medical conditions. Training methods and movement execution must be evaluated and modified to be safe and effective for every participant.

Application of Exercise Science Principles

Like any other fitness training program, boxing and kickboxing fitness training should be designed and facilitated according to proven exercise science principles, to ensure the safest and most effective routines and activities. A few of the most important principles include:

  • FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type)
  • Specificity
  • Progressive Overload
  • SAID (Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands)
  • Periodization

FITT Principle

The FITT principle is an acronym that represents:

  • Frequency – how often an exercise routine should be performed (typically stated in ‘sessions or workouts per week’) to achieve the intended outcomes.
  • Intensity – how strenuous a workout session should be to achieve the intended outcomes.
  • Time – how long (duration of) a workout session should be to achieve the intended outcomes.
  • Type – type of exercise that will achieve the intended outcomes.

Specificity

The fitness principle of specificity states that the body’s adaptation or change in physical fitness is specific to the type of training performed. To maximally improve muscle conditioning, you must perform resistance training. To maximally improve cardiovascular function, you must perform cardio-based exercise. To maximally improve any specific aspect of fitness or skill, you must perform specific activities that are applicable to the goal.

Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is the act of gradually increasing the demands or intensity of an exercise routine.

SAID (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands Principle

The SAID principle states that the body adapts to the specific demands placed upon it. In other words, you get what you train for. There must be a consistent stress placed on the body over an extended time, for adaptation to occur.

Periodization

Periodization is an overall concept of training that deals with the division of the training process into specific phases. Programming is the manipulation of the exercise variables within these phases that are needed to bring about the specific adaptations desired.

Summary

Boxing/Kickboxing fitness classes DO NOT TEACH SELF DEFENSE. Kickboxing Fitness participants learn, in a non-threatening environment, how to execute certain defensive movements and techniques.

A real conflict situation involves additional factors which influence learning practical, realistic, and effective street self-defense. Believing that one can learn real-life self-defense in a fitness class, is to create a false sense of confidence that could possibly have very negative results because:

  • The physiological AND emotional responses to a real attack are not duplicated in a fitness class.
  • Some techniques and movement patterns are executed differently for self-defense than they should be for a fitness-based workout because of the specific goal(s) for the technique or movement pattern.
  • In fitness training, you don’t learn how to get out of various types of grabs & holds or how to fight while on the ground or in any other potential environment.
  • And an important part of self-defense training includes the development of mental, emotional, environmental, AND physical awareness, none of which are part of typical fitness training.

Fitness training can enhance physical conditioning that would be needed for performance of physical self-defense (anaerobic conditioning with muscle endurance/strength/power conditioning). Boxing/Kickboxing Fitness training does provide practice time for certain physical self-defense skills (striking, blocking, evasion, balance, agility, reaction, etc.), but not under the physiological duress of a realistically simulated attack that would happen in a real self-defense training.

This concludes Part 1 of this 3-Part article series. Part 2 and Part 3 will list and describe the fitness components that can and should be part of a quality kickboxing fitness program!

Remember, “One Body, One Life, One Choice!”