Teaching Kickboxing Class w/ Tabata

Last night I got the chance to teach the cardio kickboxing class at the dojo. It was my first time teaching, and I think i did well. I had been asked the night before if I would do it, and I jumped at the chance. Sensei Kris is the usual teacher and she was there, in case I needed help.

I had some ideas and wanted to make it my own class, so I changed up the format a bit. In Sempai Scott's kickboxing, the warm up is shadow boxing, Sensei Kris has us do relays with a partner. I decided that we would warm up with three rounds, 2 minutes each, of cardio.I was hoping it would be okay, and it was. I made then sweat. More than one time I was asked if I were trying to kill them. That was the best compliment.

Cardio Kickboxing Class

All rounds are timed for 2 minutes with a round timer. A warning bell goes off when there is 30 seconds left. There is a 30 second break between rounds.

3 rounds warm up :

1st round is a go easy round just warm up.
2nd round, to go a bit harder.
3rd round is to give all you got. 

Warm up rounds were a mix of the following:

• jog in place
• mountain climbers
• jumping jacks
• butt kickers
• high knees

After a rest round it was time for bag work. I had the following stations:

• jump rope
• speed bag
• heavy bag: combo of jag, cross, switch foot, knee
• heavy bag: combo of jab, cross, hook, hook
• water bag: timing your punches with your feet (helps work your brain while working your body)
• freestanding heavy bag: double kick, low round house, high round house same leg, switch
• freestanding heavy bag: front snap kick, alternating lead and back legs, switching stances
• agility ladder ins and outs (video below)

Sensei said that Shihan insists that we do abs, squats and push-ups in some form so for the next thee rounds:

• Ski Abs and at the 30 sec warning, in and outs (video below)
• girly push-ups (knuckle push-up position on your knees, bring yourself down almost touching the floor and pulse up only a few inches. Do not go all the way up. Goal; 200 in 2 minutes)
• wide leg squats

Rest round and then I really put the cardio into cardio kickboxing.

Tabatas (video below)
I had them put on their gloves again and on freestanding heavy bags we did punching, tabata protocol style. It was rough and I wish I would have done it with them, but instead I had to use the stop watch and cheer them on. I think that half of them got the idea, the other half were still leaving gas in the tank so they could complete the eight rounds.

Don't know Tabata Protocol? Well it is a special interval training. 20 seconds as hard as you can go and 10 second rest, 8 times. If done properly it is "4 minutes of hell". At the first round you have to go all out, working at 100% so that when you get to the fourth set, you are having a hard time. By set eight you should want to lie down and die. This is THE best fat blasting workout and does amazing things for your cardio.

The 10 second rest is very important. Maybe the most important part. The start and stop of tabatas help your heart. I also think is simulates fighting on the mat as far as the heart rate.

Hopefully soon, I will start making my own videos, until then here is some stuff I found on youtube of the exercises we did.