Kickboxing Moves for Beginners

Kickboxing is one of the martial arts that were developed in the Far East. Today there are several slight regional variations in the art of kickboxing, but the basic premise and the objective remains the same: To kick and punch your opponent into defeat or submission. Today, kickboxing has become a prominent, competitive martial art and there are several kickboxing competitions all over the world. Others use it as a form of self-defense. Still others use it as a workout due to the intensive nature of the sport. So whatever was the reason for why you have arrived at this article, here are some of the beginner level kickboxing moves.

Kickboxing for Beginners

As the name suggests, there are two basic and important aspects to kickboxing: kicking and punching. So on that basis here are some basic kickboxing moves that you can learn and practice as a beginner.

Basic Punches
The basic punches are the same as the punches in boxing.

• Jab: A jab is a fast straight punch thrown at the face. A kickboxer throws the jab with his front hand and quickly withdraws it for defense.
• Cross: A cross is a hit thrown with the left hand rightwards or the right hand leftwards. The cross is also supposed to be a quick hit. The jab and the cross are the two most common types of punches and the kickboxer uses these punches in a sequence.
• Upper Cut: The upper cut is a punch which is thrown from either hand to the chin of the opponent. It generally starts at the mid-section and goes straight-up. The upper cut is not commonly used in a punching sequence, but is used as a surprise punch.
• Hook: The hook is another surprise punch and is used to create maximum impact on the opponent. A hook is generally delivered by the leading hand and moves from one side to the other in an arching motion.

Basic Kicks:
As the name suggests, kickboxing is a form of boxing where kicking is allowed. Here are the basic kicks used by kickboxers.

• Roundhouse-Kick: A roundhouse kick is one of the most powerful kicks in kickboxing. For a roundhouse kick, the kickboxer has to stand with his side facing the opponent. The kickboxer then lifts his front leg, bends the knee and throws a kick at the opponent in one hard motion. The upper part of the foot is supposed to make the impact with the opponent.
• Front-Kick: The front kick is a fairly easy kick. Here you have to stand facing your opponent and lift one leg, bend the knee and throw the kick with the foot. The ball of the foot is supposed to make contact with the opponent as it can be harder.
• Side-Kick: To throw a kick from the side, the kickboxer has to stand with his side to the opponent. The kickboxer has to raise his front leg, turn it around at the knee, bring it back slightly and then shoot the kick hard at the opponent. Hitting the opponent with the outer part of your foot with this kick would make maximum impact.

So this was all about the basic moves of kickboxing. Even if you are not too interested in the different types of martial arts, kickboxing can work as a great workout routine for you. In case you ARE interested in the martial arts, kickboxing is one of the deadliest style of martial arts. Thus we can see that when it comes to learning kickboxing, everyone's a winner! These moves are the best way to get started!