Mistakes are common when it comes to kickboxing. You can’t expect perfection during every session and that goes for even the most experienced kickboxing practitioners. Here are 5 kickboxing mistakes even veterans make.
1. Neglecting to pivot your foot
When you throw a cross or hook, pivoting your foot enables your body to be in the proper position. This small but important motion is necessary for creating balance and ensures safety. Pivoting your foot also gives you the snap and power you want from your punches. If you’re neglecting your pivot, don’t fret. Even the most experienced kickboxers forget to pivot once in a while. One helpful tip is to pretend that your foot is the tip of a cigarette that you want to put out. You want to twist and push, as if you are putting out a cigarette.
2. Forgetting to breathe
Ever noticed that professional fighters often yell or grunt as they hit heavy bags? That’s not just for effect. Exhaling while you perform a technique is a breathing method that ensures you’re taking in oxygen as you punch and kick. Breathing is especially important during long combinations that require 3 or 4 punches followed by kicks, because it is easy to become exhausted without proper oxygen intake. Do you find yourself forgetting to breathe during combinations? Even veterans forget sometimes. It happens to everyone.
3.Not keeping your hands up
When you’re punching with proper technique, you punch with one hand while simultaneously guarding your head with the other hand. This is called “keeping your guard up.” Even veterans can sometimes forget to keep their hands up because they’re so focused on executing their punches. But even if you’re taking a fitness kickboxing class and there’s no one there to hit you back, it is essential to keep your hands properly guarding your face to ensure correct form and safety. Another factor to consider is dropping your hands after completing a combination. Often times, beginners and veterans will drop their hands after completing a combination or series of punches. Remember, it’s always a good idea to keep your defense and guard up. Be ready for everything, even in fitness kickboxing.
4. Taking too long of a break
Your body needs breaks in between workouts, especially one that is as intense as kickboxing. But often times, people will take too long of a break, including veterans. How long is too long? Usually a day or two is enough to recover from a grueling workout. But people sometimes take seven days to ten days off from training. That is the range for too long of a break. Anything past three days, and your body will begin to adapt to being dormant or not actively training, making it difficult to return to intense training. You get used to being too relaxed and will begin to deter yourself from training. This happens with veterans as often as it does with beginners. They will take a week off from training and return only to discover that their gains have been lost or have decreased dramatically. Aim to train at least 2 to 3 times a week to avoid taking too long of a break.
5.Having unrealistic goals
It’s easy for a beginner to have an unrealistic goal, simply because they don’t know any better. Beginners are starting from scratch so they don’t know what it takes or how long it takes to achieve certain goals. The veteran however, should know exactly what it takes, but where they make their unrealistic goal is within how long it takes. If a veteran has already lost 10 pounds, they may often assume that losing another 10 pounds will be easily done in a short period of time. Even with strength, a veteran may assume they will be stronger in too short of a time frame. Remember, veterans have already done the work. They know the routine and have already made their gains. Because they know the routine, they will assume further development will take the same amount of time, which may not always be the case. You should always have a realistic goal. Don’t expect to lose 10 pounds in one session and don’t expect to excel without coming to class often.