kickboxing has been popular as a sport in the UK since the 1970s when a influx of Japanese martial arts experts arrived on these shores and opened classes in a vast array of martial arts, particularly karate and Judo. Many participants were prompted to try the sport having seen the kickboxing films which flooded the market, especially those starring Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. After “Karate Kid” hit our screens in 1984, many a young boy and quite a few girls wanted to try kickboxing London saw the most marked rise in the kickboxing club scene, as this was where the most teachers were available, but the craze was a nation-wide one.

For those outside the martial arts world, the vast number of different terms can seem daunting. Most of us have heard of karate and judo and possibly Tae Kwon Do, but will refer to any martial arts type action we see in films as ‘karate’, whereas the expert would be able to differentiate between Jiu Jitsu, Aikido or different styles of karate. Kickboxing technically refers to any number or combination of techniques, often chosen from several different schools of martial arts, which include body contact and blows, not just from the feet but the hands as well. This kicking is not found in every martial art, some of which work only with throwing and grappling, but it is found in karate and in many of the martial arts found in Thailand, hence the number of Thai kickboxing classes. Although the kickboxing approach can allow for more flexibility by drawing moves from different martial arts, it can sometimes lack the underlying philosophy taught alongside most martial arts which will usually emphasise self-control, restraint and taking a defensive rather than offensive stance towards conflict.

Until the late 1990s, it was comparatively unusual for a woman to belong to a kickboxing club. Many women learnt a few basic martial arts moves in self-defence classes but taking part in regular martial arts classes was something of a rarity. These days the scene is very different and women from all walks of life are finding that, quite apart from the ability to defend oneself, kickboxing and other martial arts can provide an incredibly effective aerobic workout, greater flexibility and co-ordination, and faster reflexes. Women also find that both knowing how to defend themselves and being in better physical shape overall gives them enormous self-confidence, and it’s no longer seen as being weird to enjoy a work-out as intense as kickboxing London, like many other major cities, sees more women starting to attend for reasons of self-defence more than anything else but, once taking part in a club, they’re often hooked for good!

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