COMBAT SPORTS
Think out of theBOX F
Combat sports are great for the physique and growing in popularity, but do they have a place in the mainstream? Kath Hudson reports
in the world, while the Brits’ Olympic boxing success has piqued the interest of many. Meanwhile, over the past year, personal trainers who specialise in combat training and who either fi ght or train fi ghters themselves say they’ve been inundated with work. According to the experts, it’s the dramatic results
that can be achieved with combat training that’s the biggest selling point. As a result, all the operators we spoke to reported social media and word of mouth, based on excellent results, as the main drivers of their business. Clearly, once people try combat sports, they get hooked on the fun, effective workouts. Sessions are also very much in keeping with current trends: combat classes tend to be offered as small group training, and the workouts tend to be short and sharp. We speak to a selection of combat-focused clubs
across the UK to understand how they are reaching out to new audiences…
TOTAL BOXER: FEMALE-FRIENDLY Having recently celebrated its first birthday, north London-based boxing club Total Boxer is launching what it says is an industry first this month: Boxing Yoga. Through his experience as a boxing coach, club
The launch of Boxing Yoga at Total Boxer is said to be an industry fi rst
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owner Matt Garcia had noticed more people becoming interested in training but not wanting to fi ght, as well as more women getting involved. He therefore came up with the idea to marry boxing with yoga, working extensively with boxing, martial arts and yoga instructors to integrate the two disciplines into a challenging and effective workout. Comprising fl owing, choreographed yoga postures with boxing postures, the class offers a strengthening and stretching workout. “It encapsulates what we’re about: get fi t, not hit,” says Garcia. “We’re taking a holistic approach to boxing.” Going forward, Garcia will be offering teacher training sessions and may introduce a grading scheme.
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or a 30-something mum looking to get back into shape after a couple of babies, the idea of a boxing class might seem a bit intimidating – especially as google searches throw up black-
bordered websites with aggressive-looking fighters. However, women like these are among those fuelling the trend towards boxing as a mainstream fitness activity: they have found the core work has relieved their bad backs, while the training as a whole has proved an excellent stress-buster that makes them feel empowered. The ‘badass’ attitude of combat sports isn’t, it seems, as offputting as one might think. MMA is now reportedly the fastest-growing sport
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