Page 164 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2016

HEALTHY LIVING blood, sweat & tears
kickboxing
story by Kelsey Sunderman photos by Donn Hupp
ickboxing as a sport has been around for centuries; some claim it originated as early as the 13th century in Thailand. The sport was originally known a
Muay Boran and existed as a form of combat training for Siamese soldiers, but it transitioned to become a mark of nobility as well as a style of practice in later years.
The next evolution of the sport is known as Muay Thai, which focuses on using the sport as a means of physical exercise, self-defense, and recreation.
This form most closely resembles today’s kickboxing, and ultimately gained renown as an organized sport with rules and requirements for protective gear.
Today, the term ‘kickboxing’ can cover a variety of styles, but typically describes martial arts that include a group of striking or stand-up fighting styles. Fitness kickboxing is popular along the Gulf Coast and is readily available for participants of any experience level. Alan Belcher MMA Club’s Gulfport and D’Iberville locations offer exciting and practical workouts with a customized blend of kickboxing and self-defense that are ideal for the modern woman.
The Club’s kickboxing classes consist
of a combination of intense aerobic and anaerobic cardio, full body targeting to burn calories, and practical self-defense techniques. According to Tyler Hill, an instructor at ABMMA, their classes are not only good for students’ health, but for their overall confidence as well. “Confidence leads to more awareness: awareness of people, surroundings, environment, etc. For women in the world we live in today, we teach that awareness is as important as any technique you can learn.” Hill said.
For Coast women who participate in
164 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2016
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