So, I found myself needing something different. Felt like I was just glued to the sofa or the work chair, you know? Getting soft. Plus, honestly, work was getting on my nerves, needed an outlet. Thought about hitting a gym, but weights bore me stiff. Then kickboxing popped into my head. Seemed like you could actually hit something, properly let off steam.
First thing I did, obviously, was grab my phone and start searching. Typed in the usual stuff, ‘kickboxing places around here’, ‘kickboxing classes for beginners’, that sort of thing. Spent a good chunk of time scrolling through results. Lots of flashy websites, some looked way too serious, like for pro fighters or something. Not really my scene.
Finding Potential Spots
A couple caught my eye, though. One was part of a big chain gym. Looked clean, maybe a bit too polished, probably expensive too. Another one was a smaller, local place. Looked a bit more rough and ready, which I kinda preferred. Less posing, more doing, hopefully.
I looked at their schedules. That was a big thing. Had to fit around work, obviously. The smaller place had evening classes that worked okay for me. The big chain one was mostly daytime or weekends packed.
Taking the Plunge
Decided to give the smaller, local gym a shot first. Felt less intimidating. I actually just drove past it one afternoon to see what it looked like from the outside. Seemed alright, just a regular unit on a small industrial park. So, I found their number online and gave them a call. Spoke to someone, sounded friendly enough, not pushy. They told me to just come down for a trial session. See if I liked it before signing up for anything long term. Sounded fair to me.
So, the next Tuesday evening, I showed up. A bit nervous, not gonna lie. Walked in, and yeah, it was basic. Mats on the floor, bunch of heavy bags hanging, some people already warming up. Had that gym smell, you know, sweat and effort. The instructor spotted me looking lost, came over, introduced himself. Real casual guy.
First Session Experience
He showed me the ropes, literally. How to wrap my hands. Borrowed some gloves. Then the basics: how to stand, how to throw a simple jab, a cross. Felt clumsy as hell. My feet were all wrong, arms felt like noodles. Tried hitting the pads with the instructor, then spent some time on a heavy bag. Man, that’s harder work than it looks on TV. Five minutes in, I was breathing heavy, sweating like mad.
- Learning the stance felt weird.
- Throwing punches felt unnatural at first.
- Hitting the bag was tiring but satisfying.
- Definitely got a workout.
The class finished with some conditioning stuff. Push-ups, sit-ups, horrible burpee things. Nearly died. But, you know, afterwards, walking out, I felt knackered but… good. Like I’d actually done something physical, properly moved my body. Cleared my head a bit too, hitting that bag.
Been going back since then. Still feel clumsy sometimes, still get wrecked by the conditioning. But it’s a good feeling. Definitely beats sitting around feeling annoyed. Found my little spot, gets the job done. Simple as that, really.
