Wellness – Be strong, be healthy and take care of you! Part of this involves exercise, another is self-care, but the key is also safety. Local fashion designer and fitness guru Kate Mensah encapsulates these features in her kickbox coaching. Here we will walk you through some workout drills to get you up to speed on kickboxing.
1. Uppercut: This vertical punch that goes straight to the chin or the stomach. This punch gets its power by slightly leaning on the side of where you are punching. Always have one leg forward and one leg back in order for you to have a good balance when bringing your punch forward.
2. Knee up: Bring one knee up at your waist level, and stay on your tiptoe on the other leg when you bring your hip forward and lean back to reach out to your opponent’s stomach or chin. Always keep your face away from your opponent in order to protect yourself and be ready to attack.
3. Elbow: With your right leg forward and your left leg back, bend your elbow by bringing your hand at your chest level. Then twist your hip and left knee in, in order to throw your elbow to your opponent’s face.
4. Hook: Bend your elbow 90 degrees, palm facing your face, then twist your right hip toward the left side so your punch will follow your rotation. Your arm should be at your shoulder level, basically at the face level of your opponent.
5. Jab: Basic punch – Full extension of your arm, palm facing down, twist your hip to reach forward as much as you can. Keep your opposite hand at your face level protecting the side of your face; we call that keeping your guard on.
6. Cross: Basic punch – Full extension of your rear arm, palm facing down. The power of your punch comes from the rotation of your hip so you can reach your opponent's face further without being to close to him/her.