FAQs

Why take up Kickboxing?

• Fun & Fitness
• Stress-Relief
• Competition
• Self-Defense
• Self-Development

How do I sign up?

The Kickboxing Club has a Stall during O-Week where new and previous Members can sign up. If you'd like to sign up after O-Week, you can do so during one of our classes.

You will be asked to fill out a Membership Form, and pay your Membership Fee.

Please be aware that you will also need to purchase your uniform within the first couple of weeks of starting training. You have the choice between a T-Shirt / Singlet for tops, and Long Training Pants / Muay Thai Shorts for bottoms.

Note that beyond this, you do not have to spend any more money on Training Equipment as you would in other clubs. We provide bag gloves, focus mitts, kickshields, forearm strike pads, Muay Thai pads, 5 ft punching bag, speedball, floor-to-ceiling ball, 16 oz. boxing gloves, three different types of headgear, hand mitts, shin pads, and skipping ropes.

For more information see fees and uniforms

Is this like Tae Bo?

No, our classes are not run as aerobic-style classes choreographed to music. Although we do play music in the background, turning up the volume when we do our endurance work, we do not choreograph moves to music.

We teach the Martial Arts of Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Filipino Kickboxing.

Isn't Kickboxing a macho sport that guys take up?

Not necessarily. Our classes are fairly evenly split between males and females. We cater for a wide variety of needs. Some people just want to do Kickboxing for the health and fitness aspects, and don't want to end up with bruises on their shins from leg-checking, or facial injuries from contact sparring. That's OK.

We don't force people do things they don't want to. You work at your own pace and allow yourself to be pushed as far as you want.

Kickboxing looks painful. Doesn't it hurt?

This depends on what kind of pain we're talking about. Those who attend our classes just for health and fitness reasons will not be in the kind of pain that Fighters will be in. Generally, it's a 'good' kind of pain, where your muscles become fatigued from training. It's quite normal to feel sore a day or two after training. In fact, if you don't feel muscle soreness, you haven't worked at the maximum intensity you're capable of.

Occasionally, people get injured in class accidentally. These injuries are almost always minor bruises, scratches, sprains or strains. As with any sport or physical activity, there is a risk of injury, but we place a high importance on safety, and have had very few injuries in class.

Some students (male and female) train because they want to spar and/or compete and realise that a high level of fitness and physical conditioning is required, so they are willing to put themselves through more pain than the average student. Again, this path is optional, and not all students will want to walk this way.

How safe is it?

Safety is our number one priority. While we expect our students to put in maximum effort, if they have any pre-existing injuries or health conditions, they are advised to seek their doctor's advice, and notify Instructors of their injuries or conditions prior to class. We don't want students to aggravate existing injuries or sustain injuries in class, as this keeps them out of action for longer period of time. If you're not spending time training, you're not developing.

For more information on how we make sure our students train safely, read our Safety Regulations.

Can beginners join the Club?

Of course. The majority of our members are beginners. We often split up our classes so that beginners receive special attention from Instructors, and the more advanced students can move at their own pace without feeling that their progress is being hampered.

Is there sparring done in the classes?

Yes. However, we do not allow students to start sparring as soon as they join the Class, no matter how much experience they may have had in the Martial Arts.

Every Martial Arts Club has their own rules about what is allowed and prohibited in sparring. For example, Olympic TaeKwonDo and Full-Contact Karate are full-contact Martial Sports like Kickboxing, but do not allow punches to land on the head. This differs from Kickboxing rules, where head punches are allowed. Thus, we must allow new students to become accustomed to our sparring rules.

We also introduce all students to sparring progressively, starting out with shadow-sparring, non-contact sparring, light-contact sparring, semi-contact sparring, then full-contact sparring.

Can I compete?

Yes. If you have been training hard consistently for at least one Semester, show an interest in competing, are proud to represent your Club and University, and are willing to put in the "blood, sweat and tears", then you will be given special attention by the Instructors in order to train for your competition.

However, training for a competition does not guarantee that you will compete at a time of your choosing. Please understand that you will not be entered into a tournament or match if you're not ready for it. Competition requires not only technical training, but also tournament-specific training, rigorous fitness work, and mental strength. To be successful, you need to be dedicated to your training and very hard-working.

Why should I compete?

There are many benefits to competing in Martial Arts competitions - physical, mental, psychological, and spiritual (as strange as that may sound).

Many students are keen and very eager to compete, as it's definitely a very exciting and adrenalin-filled activity. However, you must keep in mind that you are not only representing yourself, but also the Monash University Kickboxing Club, and your performance will reflect on the Club and the University.

Having said that, the highest aim of competition is not just to win trophies. When people become too focused on the prize, they try to win at all costs. This can lead to tunnel-vision where all the training becomes geared towards competition at the expense of other parts of the art, such as the 'art' and self-defense aspects. It can even result in cheating or the use of 'dirty' tactics in competition, which are not the sorts of activities any competitor should be engaging in.

The main objective of competing is to raise the level of your training to improve your technical ability, mental and psychological toughness, physical condition, and give a sense of urgency, importance and purpose to your training. You give yourself the opportunity to develop the discipline to fight according to the rules, and test yourself under pressure. We also videotape all bouts for feedback.

If you give it 110%, your efforts are most likely to be rewarded with a trophy. If you've done your best and you don't win, it's not the end of the world. You should be proud that you've given it your all, and be happy with your performance if it's a personal best.

Often, you have more to learn from a loss than a win. So even when losing, you're still gaining. After a loss, you will re-evaluate your training methods, training intensity and diet. You'll review your strengths and weaknesses, and find ways to improve your performance. You will be spurred on by your desire to succeed.

Someone who wins all of the time can become complacent in their training and preparation. Once you stop trying to improve your performance, even if you maintain the same level of skill and fitness, you start going backwards because other competitors will keep improving. You'll understand this better when you start competing.

Kickboxing Club Members who participate and represent the Kickboxing Club in martial arts or martial sports competitions and tournaments will be inducted into the Kickboxing Fight Club.

Members of the Fight Club will be awarded a Fight Club Certificate at our Annual Awards Presentation Night to acknowledge their courage, fighting spirit and support for the Kickboxing Club.