There are 3 kickboxing schools in my area.
One is run by an ex-champion of some sort (he has pictures on the wall of him winning some belt) who is generally recognised to be an excellent instructor. I trained with him for a year.
There are two other wannabes (one is a tae-kwon-do guy teaching kickboxing (emphasis on KICK)), I don't know what the other guys is, just that he's not good.
But ALL three have far more hours devoted to cardio stuff than pad work or sparring. By cardio stuff I mean tae-bo not medicine-ball. There are as many women as guys, and the women are there just for the workout.
Looks like the money is in aerobics now and the kickboxers have sold out. If someone in my city tells me they 'do kickboxing' chances are they've never taken or given a shot and all they've ever done is shadow box.
Few people are fearful these days if they hear you do TMA, is the same thing happening for kickboxing? How many other schools are like this?
most school. It has been like that for a while.
The real world doesn't care if you can kick or punch. But they do care if you have a gut...that is the way it is.
More time devoted to Cardio Kickboxing 'cause their's more interest from the public which means more business for the instructor and therefore more money. If they still offer a real kickboxing class, their's no problem with them doing cardio kickboxing to make a living.
I thought it would be more difficult to do mckickboxing than mckarate, but I was wrong.
"More time devoted to Cardio Kickboxing 'cause their's more interest from the public which means more business for the instructor and therefore more money. If they still offer a real kickboxing class, their's no problem with them doing cardio kickboxing to make a living. "
You're right, but it has severely devalued the impression I get when I hear someone does kickboxing.
It's real hard to have a fighting only school. The cardio class pays the bills so the fighters can train.
Besides, in an amateur match, cardio is usually the deciding factor anyway.
Why would anyone else care if a school taught Cardio kickboxing? If it is not what you are interested in, then dont go.
I dont get mad at McD's for not making the best burger in the world. Could they improve their burgers? Sure...but it meets the customers needs, and it makes them money.
So when I want a really good burger I go somewhere else.
Like I said ...no one is the real world cares if we can fight or not.
But do you get mad at McDojos for teaching crap but selling it as something useful? Lots of the people doing the cardio class think they are doing kickboxing!
I train at OC Kickboxing in Irvine. They have WAY more cardio classes (and women) than skill clases there. But they also have a lot of 1 hour long classes dedicated to pad and ring work.
Even in the cardio classes the instructors know why I'm there and will point out my skill deficiencies while I'm doing bag work, and give pointers to make me a better fighter. The rest of the students are just working out. Its a business and if it weren't for fat chicks I wouldn't have the opportunity to train Muay Thai in such a loaded (equipment) gym.
NoWhereMan makes a great point though..and I think if there a problem it would be that. Not that gyms and schools are teaching this stuff. But that some of them are selling it as a self defense/fitness course.