Boxing background to teach kickboxing?

[AMP-RYU]

I just wanted to get some "martial artist" point of view on this topic. Does anyone here think that you must have boxing experience to teach kickboxing? Even though kickboxing was derived from full contact sport karate, some people on the kickboxing forum think that TKD and Karate artist can't kickbox because of no Boxing background. I just wanted to get some input from what other tkd and karate artist think of this. Thanks to all.

 

[Tez3]

Learning kick boxing from a kick boxing instructor is the best thing, no?
If I want to learn TKD I go to a TKD instructor so for kick boxing it'll have to be a good kickboxing instructor. Boxing/karate/TKD instructor? no.
There's plenty of good kickboxing instructors around now.

 

[dancingalone]

Even though kickboxing was derived from full contact sport karate

Kick boxing is such an inclusive term these days. Your statement is true, but only for 1 small facet of the sport, like I believe guys like Brad Hefton who fought in the PKA. What about the muay thai or bando? What about the kick boxers from Europe who came from a savate background?

Anyway, I agree with Tez that it's probably best to seek out a professional kick boxing coach who will be familiar with all the tactics and techniques of the various kick boxing camps.

 

[terryl965]

I would like to think that each of us would get a highly train person to teach the art we are going to take.

 

[searcher]

I answered this in the kickboxing section. I am a karate instructor and I assist with TKD, but I also teach kickboxing. I am a firm believer that you have to know how to box in order to teach kickboxing. It is crucial to the understanding of how to kickbox.

 

[seasoned]

There are people in my area with only a MA back ground that teach kick boxing. They hang a lot of bags, teach hook, cross, and upper cut, add some kicks, and away they go. If people don’t know the difference and are only looking for a continuous workout with a lot of moving around, that may be all they want. I don’t particularly teach that way or would I sanction it, but there must be a market for it.

 

[IcemanSK]

I went from training & teaching TKD for 12 years into a full-contact rules kickboxing gym in the early 90's. I figured, "how much different could it be?" Truth is, it's 2 very different things. If you're going to compete, you need to learn how to box.

If you're going to teach a Tae-Bo-type kickboxing class, I'd suggest learning how to teach an aerobics-type class. It too, is not as easy as it looks.

The kickboxing gym where I trained produced boxing & kickboxing world champions. It was a great gym. The sport of kickboxing isn't merely adding more punches to TKD. There is an art to both boxing & putting punches together with kicks for the ring.

I wish you the best.

 

[myusername]

I just wanted to get some "martial artist" point of view on this topic. Does anyone here think that you must have boxing experience to teach kickboxing? Even though kickboxing was derived from full contact sport karate, some people on the kickboxing forum think that TKD and Karate artist can't kickbox because of no Boxing background. I just wanted to get some input from what other tkd and karate artist think of this. Thanks to all.

As I said in the other thread, I don't think it is essential to have a background in boxing to teach kickboxing, but I think a knowledge of boxing technique applied to a kickboxing contest is helpful as you are bound to encounter it. Also from experience I have noted that my punching power has improved greatly since training in boxing just once a week. However, there are lots of hand strikes in TKD and Karate. At the end of the day it is up to you and your students how you train for your fights and if it works it works.

I think it comes down to personal preference. When I was looking at kickboxing clubs in my town recently I visited one that came from a freestyle karate background and in my trial class I recognised that it was not what I was personally looking for. They were good fighters and there were some very skilled people in that class and the instructor knew his stuff but for me I felt I wanted to continue to learn how to punch like a boxer rather than a karate student.

I visited another kickboxing only gym and the instructors preferred method of training the hand skills of a kickboxer seemed very similar to the the way my regular boxing coach taught. Added to this were spinning techniques and backfists. If I were to start kickboxing I personally would go to this class but that is just because that is what works for me and what I am looking for. We all have personal preferences and I don't think it right to say one method is better than another.

 

[Aefibird]

but that is just because that is what works for me and what I am looking for. We all have personal preferences and I don't think it right to say one method is better than another.

Indeed, just like with any other martial art style what works for one person won't be right for another. Some folk are looking for nothing more than a good workout and for them a kickboxing class that is kind of arerobics with kicks in is perfectly fine and adequate for their needs. Others will take up kickboxing and want to use it to perfect MA skills they already have, whereas others still will start kickboxing training with the sole aim of being a pro-fighter and participating in title matches.

Over in this part of the UK the majority of kickboxing schools around here have a belt and ranking system because that is what is "wanted" and "expected" from the people who are looking to train in kickboxing. Other schools will have no belts, no ranks and no visible signs of progression other than improvement in the ring.

That's not to say one way is better than any other, just to say that people will prefer different ways of training.

Whatever the club setup though, IMO it's wrong for a person to have trained in (say) TKD and then think that because they can do one striking art they can "do kickboxing". It would be like a person going from a Tang Soo Do class into a Goju Ryu class and thinking they can "do" Goju because they know how to kick and punch. If you're going to do kickboxing then do kickboxing, not one art and then name it something else. Same with teaching, there's too many differences in ways of training IMO to be able to teach Karate and teach Kickboxing without any specific training in Boxing or Kickboxing.

 

[AMP-RYU]

Thank you all. Thats all I needed! I will "change" my Sport Kickboxing Class to Full Contact Sport Karate. Even though my students kick and punch each other full contact in a ring, I guess there is a difference. I thank you all!

 

[searcher]

Thank you all. Thats all I needed! I will "change" my Sport Kickboxing Class to Full Contact Sport Karate. Even though my students kick and punch each other full contact in a ring, I guess there is a difference. I thank you all!

I never said you should change what you are doing from that standpoint. I just think you should get some boxing training. It will make your guys better and give you added knowledge to boot.

 

[Jimi]

I feel you are being too thin skinned about this AMP-RYU. If you look at the core of my assertion, it is that I am surprised that someone claiming no background in Boxing or a Kickboxing art has trained & fielded fighters with apparently not much understanding of being trained to corner or how to register a fighter for Amateur Full Contact. With such experience, someone is better off preparing a fighter for a Full Contact Match. I guess I am seeing that your argument is that you see your system of Martial Arts is the base of KICKBOXING=Full Contact Karate. My opinion is that it is not. You are more upset that my opinion or that of another forum member do not agree. If you can not handle someone elses opion, you take your risks posting on a forum that allows others to express their opinion as well. As for wether you are qualified to prepare fighters for Full Contact, no-one is stopping you. Just watch out for the Bama Lethwei, Muay Thai & other Full Contact fighters that in my opinion are better prepared for Full Contact. I have a question AMP-RYU. Have you registered Full Contact fighters for a sanctioned bout? If so, I hope they have done well. My harsh opinion aside, would you consider training with a Boxing Coach or Kickboxing Instructor with considerable ring experience to better you knowledge & better your fighters chances? Or do you feel your Martial Arts Black Belt Rank is sufficient? Hope you will answer my questions & not point out you believe Karate is Full Contact because you let your students go Full Contact in club.

 

[AMP-RYU]

You just have to realize that not everyone who comes to train in kickboxing wants to compete in professional bouts. Most of my students are teens aged 16-25. If I didnt have Kickboxing in my advertisments I would never have had these students. These kids recognize this word and respect it more than karate. Teens this age hear karate and think goofy gis and colored belts and that karate is stupid. Im opening up martial arts to a whole new level of kids and atleast they arent out walking the streets at night. We dont do alot of big matches. I get a ring and rent the local kc hall gymnasium and hold kickboxing matches. These kids love it and the people in our town love to come. Its great for everyone. Saying this do I think my students can compete against "real" kickboxers HELL YEAH! They are good and I respect how hard they work and they respect themselves for working as hard as they do! This creates respect for everyone they meet. This is really all I can say.

 

[Jimi]

If your students are happy with that, more power to them. If you are ever interested in having an assoc. like USABF or USAMTA sanction bouts and/or have a rep. coach share any insights into cornering etc... that you may find of use, Best of luck & good training.

 

[Gizmo]

We made the transition from TKD to WAKO kickboxing and it definitely took us a while to add some boxing stuff to our repertoire (despite the fact, that we did well in our first tournaments with our less than mediocre boxing skills - using some of the TKD timing and surprising our opponents with non-standard actions).

On the other hand, the opposite situation is also quite common here where I live - I know many people who have good boxing skills and their knowledge of kicking is limited to sloppy front kicks and roundhouse kicks, yet they still rate themselves as KICKboxing exponents...