I posted this the the 'Beginning MA' thread, but as I haven't had any response, was hoping that somebody in the specific kickboxing sub-forum can help... Can anybody suggest any good kickboxing clubs in Brighton please? The two that I've found which are reasonably close to where I live are http://www.rkb-martialarts.com (Dave Russell) and http://kicksuk.co.uk (Chris Kent) RKB looks to offer a bit of a mix of styles, whereas Kicks looks to offer both kickboxing & Thai boxing separately. I'm a complete beginner when it comes to this, having never practiced a martial art before or been particularly into exercise, but am looking at something which will primarily improve my fitness as well as teaching me some self-defence techniques. Has anybody been to either of the above clubs or heard good/bad things about them please? I'm looking at doing it as cheaply as possible too as I haven't got that much money. For that reason (as well as distance), I've already discounted clubs in Hove which cost more for lessons as well as costing bus fare to attend. Thanks for any advice!
Can anybody offer any advice, even if not from the area, but just looking at the websites? I'm keen to try out kickboxing but before I do would like some input as to which is the better club. Thanks!
They both look a bit suspect to me, still you can try a lesson of each and see which suits you. Look for gyms with full contact fighters, no grading system, coaches that have fought professionally.
I might be going to Brighton next year so I've looked into it a bit ZT fightskool is supposed to be good, though there thai boxing might be more geared towards MMA, also http://www.crawleythaiboxing.co.uk/index1.php is apparantly close to Brighton and is a good club.
Thanks for your replies Axelator. The grading systems put me off quite a bit to be honest - if I'm going to start it then I'd rather do it to get fit and learn the art than 'work my way up' in the gradings. I've looked into the boxing club in Hove which looks rather good. I'm more inclined towards using my upper body anyway, so after doing some more research I might try that out on Saturday when it runs. FYI, Crawley's reasonably close to Brighton, but it's a car or a train ride away. Too far for me!
Well if you find any good clubs let me know please, if I go to uni there I will have to check them out.
Will do mate. Don't know if you're going to Sussex or Brighton, but found these clubs associated with Sussex http://www.sussex.ac.uk/sport/1-6-1.html Cheers
Lumpini in Crawley is very good Thai club, Kicks is very good for Kickboxing, ZT is very good for MMA and Jiu Jitsu
1. Your going to find a grading system in kickboxing, its weather they make you take it or not is the key to a decent club (if you ask me) 2. Find a gym that's suits you 3. Finding a Ex-Professional kickboxing fighter as a coach does not make a decent club nor instructor if you ask me, im not saying it doesnt help but isnt always key
Kicks Did you end up checking out kicks? Did you like it? I am probaby going to start there next year for the same reasons, cost and proximity. They just got a new Muay Thai instructor, so that's good. I suppose the only way to tell is to go to the classes... I have been to ZT Muay Thai, very good but an expensive gym. They have regular competitive "Fight Nights" at Hove town hall, so they are in the business of getting it right. There is also apparently "Chinese Kickboxing" in Kemp Town once a week, but I haven't heard anything about it. I would stick with Kicks or, if you get the money, ZT, or both. They both have multiple classes, helpful if you actually have a life outside MA.
I didn't go to Kicks in the end, as my focus swung towards taking up boxing instead. Unfortunately Kicks only runs a boxing training session on a Friday when I can't make it, but I've been told by them that might be expanding in the New Year so am planning on checking back then. ZT looks good, but is too expensive for me!
Sorry to resurrect an old thread of mine, but I've contacted Kicks about their Thai boxing - it appears on the plus side that they don't grade in it, but on the downside charge for the introductory lesson, plus expect £15 membership fee & £15 insurance on your second lesson, plus mentioned that once they get them, you'll have to wear a club t-shirt in training so even more $$$'s! The cynical side of me thinks that they're too much into making money, which I can't afford plus puts me off! Other's may think differently!
basically this area is lacking in muay thai clubs. so the bottom line is this.. crawley = *lumpini for mt - if you can travel and your serious about learning this is the best mt gym in sussex Brighton = *kicks for kickboxing and mt - chris kent who runs kicks was a good kickboxing fighter in his time and some good fighters have come out of this camp. *zt for mma *sama for karate and kickboxing worthing = *gym xtreme for kickboxing/mma portsmouth = *master sken – mt there may be a few other little clubs around but these are the only worth worrry about.
kicks now do muay thai with a guy who has fought muay thai and gym xtreme in Worthing has an English champion muay thai instructor James Robson.
OK, I've trained at a couple of these clubs ... Kicks is very good. You do have to work through their grading system in kickboxing, but Kicks has a solid track record of producing full-contact kickboxing champions. It's a very friendly club with good instructors. Muay Thai is taught by Jono Reden, who has fought and trained a lot in Thailand. Again, he's a great instructor. There's no grading in Muay Thai, only a split between begginers and advanced classes. ZT has a less friendly reputation, but I've never trained there, so this may be unfair. The "Chinese kickboxing" is actually San Da. This is a Chinese full contact sport, which is similar to kickboxing with the addition of take-downs from Chinese wrestling. (San Da is Cung Le's main art, as MMA fans will know.) Brighton Nam Yang club runs San Da training. Nam Yang has a good track record of national titles and is very friendly.
Just to add to the excellent insights given by other posters, I trained with Chris Kent in what was then his Kickboxing Karate school in Lewes Road in Brighton during the 1990's and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I was there between 1992 to 1995 so my info is very outdated but I hope that it can still shed some light. Chris Kent was then a 4th dan in Wado Karate, real nice guy, also has experience kickboxing fights. His Lewes Road school is a full-time, built in traditional Japanese style school with training areas and changing rooms and they offer both wado karate and kickboxing classes (this was in the 1990s and it was real cool especially since kickboxing was all the rage thanks to 'kickboxer' movies). You can train in either karate or kickboxing or both. Both require students to grade but kickboxing requires a shorter time to achieve black belt. If your goal is primarily fitness, then kickboxing with Chris Kent should suffice. You'll get a good workout. Hopefully this helps.
:fight1: You're not kidding about his kickboxing experience: Chris Kent, the founder of Kicks came from a Karate background into Kickboxing. He was the first British PKA Champion retiring undefeated after three years of competition, and rated 6th in the world. Chris Kent is a 7th Degree awarded by the ISKA. In the eighties and nineties he was a major participator, promoter and teacher of kickboxing in the UK, Europe and the USA, though he has taken more of a backseat in the last few years. His fighters have toured world wide and been televised on SKY and EUROSPORT. Fighters have included Professional Welter Weight World Champion Nick Clark and Professional Super Welter Weight World Champion Jim Caldecourt, Professional Super Welter Weight Intercontinental Champion Tom Montgomery, Amateur World Champion Anthony Hogbin, and Amateur World Flyweight and Professional European Champion Tiffany Williams. :kick: Also, here's a link to info about San Shou in Brighton: www.namyang.co.uk/martial-arts/sanda-kickboxing/san-da-chinese-kickboxing.php (tigercranebrighton@googlemail.com for San Shou info.)
Hiya, I've just recently moved to Brighton. I'm an instructor for the London Muay Thai Academy. I've over twenty years of martial arts training (15 Muay Thai). I've just started teaching in Hove on Tuesday Evenings 7.30 - 9.00. It's just in a rented room at the Cornerstone Community Centre on Church Road BN3 2FL so is not a proper gym facility but hey I've got to start somewhere. The classes are £8 / £5 concessions. Maybe see you there...Sean superthaiboxing.com
