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Kickboxing Techniques

Rahul Thadani
Kickboxing is a popular form of martial arts that involves a lot of stamina, speed, strength, and technique. In order to master the many techniques of this art that you read about and hear, you need to physically perform many exercises on a regular basis.
An individual who practices kickboxing, needs to master the technicalities of this form of martial arts. Even the basic ones are not easy to pick up, and require proper training from an experienced and qualified instructor. There are many schools that offer such training, and you must do your research well before enrolling with such schools.
Instead of blindly believing all the exaggerated reviews that you read over the Internet, try to talk to participants belonging to a class. They will be the best judges of the credibility of these schools.
Kickboxing is a great way to exercise all the muscles in your body, and it also serves as an excellent means for self-defense. While learning any kind of martial arts it is important to start from the most basic moves, and this further highlights the importance of learning the correct techniques.

Breathing and the Right Stance

The key to all martial arts is to time breathing to perfection. The rate at which you inhale and exhale, and also, the exact moment at which you do so, can help you land a powerful blow, or block an incoming assault.
This is one of the first techniques that you will be taught, and the instructor will not proceed further until you learn how to time your breathing properly.
Many people tend to tense up when they are throwing their punches. This is not a good sign as it restricts the flow of blood within the body, and thus, hampers the movement of the body. You will also notice that if you hold your breath while throwing your blows, you will tire soon.
The next technique that you will be taught is the standing stance. The perfect stance is meant to enable you to throw punches and kicks with ease, and it also increases the reach of your blows.
If you stand with your legs too close to each other, or too far apart for that matter, you will be unable to achieve the full length of the kick. Your stronger arm and leg is usually positioned behind the other set.
For example, if you are right-handed, then your left leg and left arm must be in the front while you stand in a sideways position. Your elbows should be relatively close to your body, and your hands should be protecting your chin at all times. Your face needs to be facing downwards slightly, but not so much that it restricts your line of sight.

Punching

A beginner needs to know all he can about punching and kicking while learning techniques. These are the weapons of offense, and therefore, they must be carried out in the right manner.
For a punch to be effective, one must improve on the speed, accuracy, and the technique of the punch through various kickboxing exercises. With these three factors sorted, the power will come eventually.
You must know that you will be most vulnerable immediately after throwing a punch, so the idea is to keep your chin protected by your left shoulder (assuming you are right-handed) at all times. Remember to withdraw your punching hand as soon as possible.
The power in a punch is achieved by the twist in the body and how fast you can shift your body weight. The strength in the arm is useful, but that is not the key to throwing a good punch. Follow through properly and do not withdraw the arm as soon as you make impact. Try to push the punch through, as far as possible.

Kicking

The term kickboxing suggests that there will be some use of the feet and legs at some point or the other. Ensure that you are adequately warmed up before you set out to learn these techniques, as kicking carries a high risk of injuring yourself or pulling a muscle.
Again, the faster you twist your body (especially your hips), the more power you will get behind your kicks. This allows you to get the full power into your kick at the point of impact.
There are many different types of kicks that your instructor will show you during a kickboxing workout routine, and each of these has its own secrets and techniques.
Your footwork is extremely important when you are learning how to kick, and this is something that can only be improved with practice. The most basic techniques involve a lot of focus on proper footwork and maintaining good balance at all times.
Constantly changing the pace of movement and positioning keeps an opponent guessing and also lends you an element of surprise. If you are stationary in one spot, your movements will be very predictable.
At the end of the day, you can also learn all the necessary techniques by watching a lot of movies. But this will all be theoretical in nature. It's another reality to implement it in practice. This art cannot be learned solely by imagination and lot of television. To understand the true feel of the art, joining a professional class is the answer.