Not all kicks are created equal. Nor are all kickboxing classes. But at some level, all of them can do the trick, whether it's for weight loss, cardio benefits or competition.
There's kickboxing lite, and then there's kickboxing that prepares you for competition by teaching razor-sharp moves with punishing kicks and punches.
Tucson offers both types - and a variety of classes in between.
There's also variety in where kickboxing classes are offered throughout the Tucson area - from big-box gyms like LA Fitness and Bally Total Fitness, to small facilities and martial arts studios.
"People want more out of their fitness," said Tracie Rogers, an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer, who has noticed people gravitating toward smaller, more boutique-type fitness studios and gyms - many of which offer kickboxing.
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"They want it to be time-effective. People who are exercisers want more bang for their buck. With kickboxing, they'll get a fantastic workout for an hour."
Increases strength, power
Kickboxing sites and local trainers say that kickboxing started in the United States in the 1970s and continues to attract fans and converts.
"If you want your body to change in a month, go to kickboxing three times a week and eat healthy," said Barb Trujillo, a 43-year-old who has been kickboxing for five years. "You will see your body changing. It's self-motivating - it's so awesome."
A hairstylist at Ahead of Style by day, bartender at Hotel Congress at night and nine-year Tucson Roller Derby member named Barbicide, Trujillo has done kickboxing at Undisputed Fitness and Training Center. She usually does kickboxing three times a week and has lost 30 pounds in the past year.
People love kickboxing because of ever-changing workouts that burn a ton of calories and result in an increase in strength and power over time.
Fluff-free fitness
Marianne Morrill, owner of AKKA Karate USA and a third-degree black belt in Kenpo karate, teaches kickboxing classes.
"She works every muscle in your body that you didn't even know you had," said Denise Calhoun, a 38-year-old who has been taking kickboxing with her husband, Tom Calhoun, at AKKA Karate for more than two years. "We came one time, and that was it.
"I never had any muscle tone until this class," she said.
During a recent class, Morrill put the class of eight through its paces.
"I will push as hard as I can up there," she said. There's a community feeling: Everybody's there; everybody's doing it together. There's that sense of being able to do it with somebody. They're increasing their fitness on their terms."
AKKA co-owner Tim Morrill has been married to Marianne for 29 years. The second-degree black belt said they got back into karate about eight years ago.
"We call her the Iron Maiden - there's no fluff in this class," said Tim Morrill, 49. "We cater to people who come in and want to hit the bag. ... We pride ourselves on the sweat angels left on the mats."
Total body workout
Tom Elias owns Mixed Martial Studio and is a former Arizona state champion in karate. He teaches kickboxing in a no-frills room with bright blue mats and a wall of mirrors.
After about five minutes of stretching, Elias is leading the class of seven through pushups, jumping jacks and crunches. Within minutes, a sheen of sweat is visible on the men and women, and heavy breathing can be heard between songs playing in the background.
"You learn a lot; we put combinations together," Elias said. "You learn balance when you're kicking. It's a core workout. You get total body fitness in every workout."
Tamara Mack, a 5-foot, 2-inch student clad in a black Everlast tank top that showed off perfectly sculpted arms, has been working out with Elias for almost two years.
The public relations director for the Salvation Army did judo as a kid and is a former spokesmodel for Sylvester Stallone's nutrition line.
Then she found Mixed Martial Studio.
"Once I went, I didn't stop going," said Mack, 43. "I love the physicality of it. The toning is great; you learn a lot more flexibility. It makes you a lot more aware of your body and how your body works."
Empowering hits
Trudy Wells is a kickboxing instructor at X1 Sports and Fitness, a new mixed martial arts and kickboxing gym at 3904 E. Grant Road.
After taking part in a variety of aerobics classes, she connected with kickboxing.
"It's addictive," she said. "When you start hitting a bag, it does something, especially for women. It's really cool.
"I feel a lot more confident," said the slightly imposing, muscular 30-year-old. "I'm already pretty intimidating, but now I know if I run into someone, I'm not worried about getting hurt."
Self-defense tips, too
Kickboxing is also rooted in self-defense. Some instructors recounted stories of people who have avoided trouble from relying on the confidence - and some moves - that kickboxing provides.
Elias, a seventh-degree black belt, remembered when he showed a few self-defense moves to a female friend when they worked at a movie theater.
"I told her if someone comes after her, 'Don't stop - keep going,' " he said. "Fifteen years later, a man attacked her in a parking lot, and she kept kicking. He ran away. It was great validation for me."
Elias' classes are fast-paced and continuously changing. They're geared more toward fitness than self-defense, but people still pick up moves from the classes.
"Even after Day 1, they're going to be able to have an understanding of stance and structure, as well as some punches and kicks," Elias said.
High value, hard core
Certified personal trainer Rogers said today's fitness classes are becoming more hard-core.
"We are being more athletic in our training," said Rogers, describing kickboxing as "an athletic, empowering type of a workout."
Rogers thinks that the popularity of mixed martial arts training and its facilities has lent itself to kickboxing's popularity.
"Plus, it's fun," she said. "You have the athletic side; you have the competitive side. You're going to get out of it what you put into it."
And what people get out of their fitness classes really factors in today's times.
"In today's economy, people are looking for the best value they can get," said Vera Knight, owner of Focus Fitness, which offers a weekly Turbo Kick class at her boutique studio.
Knight also sells an at-home program of DVDs called TurboFire for people who don't want to work out at a gym. She offers free coaching with the program.
"They can go home and push 'play' any time," said Knight, who has owned Focus Fitness for six years. "If they have questions, if they need accountability, I'm here for that."
The $119 cost includes 10 DVDs with about 15 workouts that range from a half-hour to an hour.
"It's going to take you a year to get good at these DVDs," said Knight, who has lost a total of 50 pounds from diet and exercise.
"I've done Zumba, boot camp, the treadmill, but I connect with Turbo," she said. "That's my soul mate workout, and I'm in the best shape of my life."
