A kickboxing instructor is someone who has a certification in cardio kickboxing, and is therefore qualified to teach the sport to other people. One of the most popular forms of kickboxing is sometimes also referred to as cardiovascular or aerobic kickboxing. This type is the most commonly used by fitness instructors, and it combines various elements of aerobics, martial arts, and boxing.
For the most part, a kickboxing instructor is someone who focuses on helping people get into better physical condition, often by slimming and toning their bodies through challenging exercise. The cardiovascular form does not involve any direct contact between participants, which is the primary element separating it from martial arts-focused kickboxing. An instructor usually leads group classes at some type of health or fitness center, though private, individual lessons can usually be obtained for a somewhat higher price.
When a kickboxing instructor begins a class, it is generally with several minutes of warm-up activities, such as stretching, push-ups, light jogging in place, or jumping rope. Once the warm-up is complete, most teachers will lead a class into 30 minutes of rather strenuous kickboxing activity. Some of the moves that are most commonly used during cardio classes are kicks, punches, and knee strikes. While these moves are typically performed without the use of special equipment, some instructors do utilize punching bags.
Much of the time, a kickboxing instructor will try to obtain the health history of students before allowing them to enroll in a class. This is to ensure client safety during the workouts, which can be quite strenuous. Some teachers may even require potential clients to obtain clearance from a doctor before starting to participate regularly in these types of classes.
Any good kickboxing instructor will be a highly trained fitness professional, and will more than likely be in excellent physical shape. This is because obtaining a kickboxing certification generally requires quite a bit of training. It is usually a good idea to check the credentials of an instructor before enrolling in a particular class, just to be on the safe side.
It is also recommended that people look for someone who is not only a licensed kickboxing instructor, but a licensed fitness instructor as well. Be aware that some beginner level kickboxing classes require at least an intermediate overall fitness level. This means that, as a general rule, people who are not already in moderately good shape should probably not enroll in a kickboxing class.