Kickboxing in plain terms
Kickboxing is a family of stand-up striking sports rather than one fixed sport. Styles differ in what they allow: some permit kicks to the legs, some add knee strikes, and Muay Thai, a close relative, also uses elbows and clinch work. Fitness kickboxing borrows the techniques and the rounds, without hitting another person.
Boxing at RPM covers the fitness boxing the club runs. This guide explains what kickboxing training involves, so you know what you are asking for. If you are also weighing an MMA gym, a boxing gym or an MMA gym sets out where grappling comes in.
Boxing and kickboxing side by side
| Fitness boxing | Fitness kickboxing | |
|---|---|---|
| Strikes | Punches only | Punches and kicks, and knees in some styles |
| Stance | Usually more side-on, weight on the balls of the feet | Usually squarer, so either leg can kick |
| Pads | Focus mitts held by a coach | Mitts, plus kick shields and thicker pads for the legs |
| What tires first | Shoulders and calves | Hips, hamstrings and the standing leg |
| Learning curve | Fewer techniques to learn, each with plenty of depth | More techniques, and balance to master before power |
| Kit | Gloves and hand wraps | Gloves, wraps and often shin guards |
| Space | Bags and a stretch of open floor | More room around each bag, and floor you can turn on |
Inside a typical kickboxing session
- Warm-up: leg swings, hip circles and light shadow work that mixes punches with knee lifts and slow kicks.
- Technique: one kick broken into parts. For a roundhouse, that means stepping out, pivoting on the standing foot, turning the hip over and striking with the lower shin.
- Pad and shield rounds: a coach or partner holds a kick shield or pads while you throw combinations, such as jab, cross and a low kick. What 1:1 pad work looks like explains how a holder runs these rounds.
- Bag rounds: punches and kicks on a heavy bag, if the gym's bags are built to take kicks. Ask before you kick one.
- Conditioning and cool-down: a short finisher, then stretching for the hips and hamstrings.
What your legs have to get used to
Most adults have spent years walking and running, not standing on one leg while swinging the other. The first weeks of kickboxing are mostly the body catching up with that.
- Balance: every kick leaves you on one foot. Coaches build it with slow kicks and holds before speed.
- Hip mobility: kick height comes last. Low kicks first, and height follows as the hips open over months.
- The shin: striking with it feels strange at first. Pads, shin guards and gradual progress do the work. Kicking hard objects to toughen the shins is not part of fitness training.
- Feet: if your gym trains barefoot, the soles and toes need time too.
- Soreness: expect it in the hips, inner thighs and standing leg early on. Sharp or lasting pain, especially in a knee or hip, needs a doctor or physiotherapist.
Who kickboxing suits, and who might start with boxing
Kickboxing tends to suit people who:
- want legs and hips in every round, not only the arms and trunk
- enjoy a longer list of techniques to learn
- already have some flexibility from yoga, dance or football, or want to build it
Starting with boxing can make sense if you:
- want fewer techniques and quicker confidence on the bag
- have a knee or hip problem and your doctor or physiotherapist prefers you keep kicks out for now
- train at a gym that confirms boxing sessions but not kickboxing ones
Plenty of people do both: the punching from boxing transfers directly, and kicks are added on top.
Kit and the training floor
- Gloves and wraps, as for boxing. Ask the coach what glove weight they want you in.
- Shin guards, once partner drills with kicks begin. Ask whether the gym lends them or you buy your own.
- Footwear: some gyms train barefoot on mats and others in flat training shoes. Ask before your first session.
- Clothing that lets you lift a knee to your chest. Loose shorts or stretchy leggings, and modest options work fine.
- The floor itself: kicking needs room to turn and a surface that grips. Ask where kickboxing would run.
Where kickboxing stands at RPM
At RPM, one club on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, fitness boxing is confirmed: bag work, pad work and conditioning in the Mixed section's functional area, where the heavy bags hang beside a turf lane. The coach roster lists Hamza Taher with a kickboxing role in the Mixed section. RPM has not published whether kickboxing sessions are on the timetable, so put it on your list of questions.
- Ask whether kickboxing sessions run, in which format and at what times.
- Ask whether 1:1 sessions can include kicks, and which tier or package covers them.
- Ask whether the bags are suitable for kicks, and what footwear is expected.
- Women can ask about Imen Hasnaoui, listed on the roster as the Ladies section's combat and self-defence coach, and what her sessions include.
Session formats change, so book a free guided tour and ask the team what is running before you choose a tier.
Questions, answered.
Is kickboxing harder than boxing for a beginner?
It asks more of your balance and hips, so the first weeks can feel clumsier. The fitness side is demanding in both, and a good coach scales either to you.
Do I need to be flexible to start?
No. Beginners kick low, and flexibility builds with training. Tell the coach if a hip, knee or back problem limits how you move.
Will I have to spar or fight?
Fitness kickboxing is pads, shields and bags, with no one hitting you. This guide does not cover sparring or competition. If either interests you, ask how a gym runs and supervises it before you sign up.
Is Muay Thai the same as kickboxing?
They are related but not the same. Muay Thai adds elbows and clinch work, and many people regard it as a sport of its own. Ask a coach which style their sessions draw on.