I <3 Kickboxing! (Alpha Martial Arts, Seattle, WA)
I was invited back to Alpha Martial Arts to try an I <3 Kickboxing class.
“It’ll be 60-minutes of cardio! You can totally do this.” Carissa, the kickboxing coach but also my partner in the 14.5 jab crossfit class I took. “You’ll be fine!”
While she was right, I was totally fine, I was pooped! WIPED OUT! EXHAUSTED! But the whole thing made me feel bad ass.
Let me back up:
Alpha Martial Arts, if you didn’t tune in last time, is a dojo with kickboxing, Muay Thai, Karate, and Crossfit all in 1 location. They also cater to kids, which gets the whole family involved.
The last time I took a kickboxing class was on a cruise ship and was catered towards people that needed a way to burn off calories from the all-you-could-eat pizza bar that was available 24/7. (Don’t judge). So I thought it was a good time to try this again.
After expressing my concern/worry to Carissa that I’m a total n00b, she waved it off and said “Just show up. It’ll be great.” I was mostly worried that my technique would be terrible, that I would be holding up the class because I didn’t know what I was doing, blah blah blah. (all the typical CDO stuff that happens). I showed up anyway.
SO Glad I did!
Kickboxing classes (at AMA) are exactly as Carissa said: 60 minutes of cardio with a crap-ton of new techniques thrown in. (Jab Cross, Uppercuts, roundhouse kicks, etc). You have gloves and are going against a pad or buddy the whole time. She sets timers for 2 minutes and then you have 30-seconds of rest while she explains the next exercise. Basically, it’s a Tabata on steroids… for 60 minutes.
Not to mention that taking your aggression out on a pad is really satisfying. 😀
The other class mates were a hodge-podge of experience levels. Some had been there for 4 years and some were new like me. However, none of that hindered the class because you move at your own pace and do as much as you can. The more classes you attend the more you’ll know the moves and the more you can just jump right in.
After the class I was drenched and shaky (blood-sugar went through the floor). Carissa explained that I had probably just spent 600-700 calories. (read: you should eat breakfast before you work out).
Carissa is a great coach who had the best formula of encouragement mixed with tips on how to correct form. I walked out of the gym with even more confidence (which is saying something because I’m pretty cocky already). So if you’re in the Seattle area and want to try something new to get your heart going, I would totally recommend one of the drop-in classes at AMA!
