Is Kickboxing Hard To Learn? (Fully Explained)
Kickboxing is practiced by millions of people all around the world. In fact, it is one of the very few martial arts that are well spread all across the world, and it seems like every town has at least one school.
The secret is the fact that kickboxing meets the demands of just about every age group. It is a great option for people who want to learn self-defense, pursue a pro career, or maybe lose weight and improve fitness. But, how hard is kickboxing to learn actually?
Compared with other martial arts, kickboxing is not difficult to learn. Students with average fitness levels and talent are capable of developing solid skills in around 1.5–2 years of training. This is much less time than in other martial arts such as Muay Thai (3–4 years) and BJJ (up to 10 years).
Keep reading this article to learn more about how difficult is kickboxing to learn and other unique information.
Is kickboxing difficult to learn?
This truly depends on what you want to achieve. To develop solid skills, the ones that you can apply in a self-defense situation, you will need around 1.5 to 2 years of consistent training.
This is more than enough for you to stamp the moves into the muscle memory, train reflexes, get in shape, and learn how to stay calm in a fight. So overall, kickboxing falls into the group of martial arts that are relatively easy to master, and it is not that physically demanding.
Kickboxing is, in some way, a simpler version of Thai boxing as it focuses only on mixing kicks with punches. The main goal is to learn how to mix these two weapons together with footwork and upper body movement.
Most of the kicks come from karate and Taekwondo, while the punches and footwork are very much the same as the ones in western boxing. Though this may sound complex, bear in mind that it all revolves around 5–6 different kicks and the same number of punching techniques.
On average, students need between 3–6 months to get their bodies in the required shape and master all the basics. After 6 months, most of them start doing live drills and sparring, which elevates their skills to the intermediate levels. After around 1 year, most of the students would be capable of taking part in amateur matches, which also means that they are skillful enough to apply the knowledge in a real fight.
Is kickboxing hard on your body?
As its name suggests, kickboxing is an activity where two people are blasting each other with punches and kicks. On top of that, most gyms put a lot of emphasis on hard full contact sparring which increases the risk of injuries even higher. However, bear in mind that the intensity of the classes depends on what you want to achieve in the gym.
For example, each gym includes an amateur group where people train at a lower intensity, at their own pace, and according to their fitness levels. Coaches usually won’t push your body and mind over the limits on a daily basis as they would in case that you want to be a pro fighter. No, the focus is on learning how to perform the right way, getting a good workout, and burning a lot of calories. You will do the same workouts but at a lower intensity.
Sparring is optional and if you are in for some live action, you would have to wear full protective gear which includes:
- Headguard
- Mouthguard
- Full padded boxing gloves
- Hand wraps
- Shin pads
On top of that, beginners are not allowed to use more than 50% of the power, and seniors should not go above 70% as the emphasis is on learning and sharpening their skills. Together with wearing protective gear, this minimizes the risk of injuries by a lot, and you don’t have to worry too much about getting hurt. But what about the pro fighters? The story is a bit different as this group of students must train hard, and the injuries are quite common.
Can kickboxing be self-taught?
Most techniques are direct and simple. Apart from talent, you need to be flexible and strong to perform the right way. But overall, you can learn the basics by training alone (check the basic courses at theosugym.com) , but not more than that. Following various tutorial videos or maybe books enables you to learn how to:
- Throw punches and kicks the right way
- Stand in a proper stance
- Keep your hands in guard
- Throw basic combinations
- Move around the bag
But apart from the basic understanding of stances and techniques, you won’t learn much else. To develop proper skills, automatic reactions, and reflexes, and condition your mind and body for intense combat, you would have to train in a real gym, under real coaches, and with real training partners.
However, do not be discouraged by this. Watching kickboxing tutorials on the web and training alone is a good way to start if you are not able to go to the real gym. With a bit of dedication and consistency, you can develop a solid base and understanding of the moves. On top of that, you will improve your range of motion, maybe lose extra weight and become stronger. All of this would pay dividends once you decide to enroll in real kickboxing schools. You will be much ahead of other beginners.
Is training in kickboxing dangerous?
Yes, kickboxing falls into a group of dangerous martial arts. According to studies, the injury rate is 40 out of 1000 minutes of practice time, which is a lot. In fact, it is much bigger than in other, similar martial arts such as boxing where that number is 17.1 injuries. Both coaches and students do a lot of things to minimize the damage, but overall, kickboxing as a concept is very dangerous.
Each martial art that includes striking and embraces hard methods of training is an ideal recipe for minor or severe injuries. Do not sign up for kickboxing classes thinking that it won’t happen to you as absorbing hard kicks to the rib cage or head and clean punches to the face is not what you are supposed to do to your body. However, there are certain things that you can do to minimize the damage, here are some tips:
- Never get into the brawls and real fights in sparring
- Always wear a protective gear
- Train smart and do not push yourself too hard all the time
- Always pay extra attention to how much rest you take
- Drink plenty of water and follow a healthy diet
What are the most common injuries?
Some of the minor injuries that you will probably sustain in training are:
- Bruises
- Lacerations
- Contusions
- Muscle strains
- Abrasions
- Shin splints
Some of the serious injuries that, let’s hope you never have to experience are:
- Concussion
- Joint dislocations
- Broken nose or jaw
- Rib, foot, arm, hand, and finger fractures
Final thoughts — is kickboxing hard to learn?
The thing is, kickboxing is not hard to learn in terms of techniques. You don’t have to be very talented to master all of the techniques, and on average, you will need around 1.5 to 2 years of training to achieve that.
At first, training sessions might feel exhausting and techniques too complicated. But the key is to believe in the learning process. It would all become much easier as you get stronger, more flexible, and agile, and improve balance and coordination. It usually takes from 6 months to 1 year for students to get their physical fitness to the required levels.
Training is fun, playful, and dynamic as you always learn something new, and each school embraces a respectful and friendly atmosphere. However, the biggest downside of kickboxing training is the high injury rate. But if you are an amateur looking to get in shape and develop solid fighting skills, then you don’t have to worry too much about getting hurt.
