Sure, kick-boxing will help you drop the kilos (and fit into clothes you might not have been able to wiggle into for years), but it’s still a martial art, which can be pretty intimidating at first.
The most common question beginners have is, of course, whether it’s safe. You might start out practising on a punching bag, but you’ll eventually have to face a fellow student, and that’s the bit that scares most people. But is it dangerous? “The most obvious risk to your safety is during sparring,” says Reddy. “But if your instructor is concerned about you, they won’t let you free-spar until you’re at least a couple of weeks into classes.
Do your part too: always wear a mouthguard, handwraps and headgear,” he says. “But in short, it’s as dangerous as the environment you’re in.” This means being diligent about the kind of gym you decide to learn the sport in.
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