If you just want to sweat go for a run

Some times at the end of those intensive lesson when everybody is pushed to the limit some of my students come to me and congratulate or thank me for how good the lesson was.  Curiously this happens more often when I happen to run a “low tech” lesson with simple and immediate techniques that simply require intense and fast workout.

Kickboxing can be a hard and sweaty job: repeating many times sequences of punches and kicks at a fast pace can surely be a physically demanding task.  At the same time those who feel that a good lesson should be just the one that makes you sweat profusely I suggest to go for a run, do a round of circuit training.

My main goal as a coach is surely to prepare students in most aspects of performing martial arts, including teaching and improving techniques, combinations, balance, foot work, guard, strikes, defence and so on.  When sparring there are also aspects like release tension and being relaxed while having another person in front that is there to punch and kick you.  In certain cases an individual gets stuck in a situation where a certain kick or punch doesn’t work or it is not as efficient as it could be.  These are the times when the expert teacher or coach can really help to  get things working.

To some extent when I enter more complicated areas of training, explain or practice a difficult set of combinations it seems that a smaller number of students find it useful: is it perhaps because the others don’t really grasp the full essence of the lesson?

Beginners course Feb 2009

For those who have been delaying exercise until the New Year and then missed our very successful beginner course in January, here is the opportunity you were waiting for.  CARISMA is running a new beginners course, starting on the 17th of February to run for 4 consecutives Tuesday and Thursday classes (e.g. 17, 19, 25 and 27).

If you would like to join (or you know somebody who would like to) please do it on that date: the club is very close to its full capacity and we might not run another beginners course for a while after this date.

There is no need for booking: please just turn up at 6pm at Kelsey Kerridge Sports Hall, Queen Anne terrace, Cambridge.

Varsity 2009

We would like to invite all of our members and followers to watch the Varsity 2009 Kick Boxing fights on the 20 February 2009.  Nine members of Cambridge University Kickboxing Society (CUKBS), both male and female, will fight against Oxford opponents in 3 x 1.5 min rounds Light Continuous Kickboxing.

The show will be held at the Cambride Union and tickes will be available soon at their office.  CUKBS members remember your termcard for your discount.

As known CARISMA is the official coach for CUKBS and this is the opportunity of seeing several CARISMA members in action so please come and support us.

Boxing Training with Ben Hudson

Ben Hudson, long time personal friend of mine, is a top professional boxing trainer and former professional boxer with a career of 49 fights.  Ha has been boxing for over 20 years and training under his guidance is a great experience for both the amount of practical skill and knowledge he manages to pass onto his trainees.

Ben agreed to run a boxing session for CARISMA, on Thurs, 15 January, at Kelsey Kerridge: this session will be based purely on boxing, including pad work, offensive and defensive strategies, so just bring your boxing gloves, hand wraps, trainers and focusing mitts for those who own a pair.

For kickboxers this is a great opportunity to maximize your own boxing skills and, for the most advanced, to refine them with input from a true expert.