With these Tips for your first kickboxing match, you’ll start off ahead. You will probably be a little nervous. Don’t panic, with our tips you’ll stand strong in your shoes.
Your very first match can be an overwhelming experience. It’s a feeling you won’t experience anywhere else. With our tips, you can prepare well for your very first kickboxing match.
The 11 best tips for your first kickboxing match:
1. Train hard
This goes without saying, but many people don’t take this step seriously enough. You may be the biggest talent in the gym, but if you don’t enter the ring well prepared, you won’t win the match.
In youth and novice matches, the best fighter doesn’t always win. The fighter with the best condition, who can give full effort from start to finish, often takes the victory.
Also, being well trained means you can take hits better. So training a lot, running regularly, and getting plenty of rest is super important!
2. Spar a lot
Sparring is the ultimate form of match preparation because you can’t fool yourself when sparring. In sparring, you learn how to really block punches, how to dodge, and how to counter effectively.
My golden tip for sparring is: don’t spar with people who want to prove themselves. These people tend to spar too hard with you.
Instead, spar with experienced guys and/or girls who want to help you grow. These people know how to spar with you. Let them catch you on your weaker points, but don’t spar too hard with each other because you’ll quickly get injured. Of course, you don’t want to enter the ring with injuries.
3. Make sure you’re on weight
This is one of the most important tips for your first kickboxing match! Your trainer might want you to fight at, for example, 70 kg, while you normally weigh around 73 kg. This means you need to make sure you don’t gain too much weight.
Try to fight at your own body weight, or at most 5 kilos below. The more you want to lose, the more strength you lose. Make sure you’re reasonably on weight a week in advance. The more kilos you are overweight, the more you have to make up on the night of the weigh-in.
Many fighters fight well below their natural weight because they then have an advantage in height and strength. This isn’t too bad, but if you fight too far below your weight, it can become dangerous.
4. Good equipment
It’s important that you have the right kickboxing gear. Of course, it starts with a large sports bag where you can put all your kickboxing gear and care products.
From sports tape to Thai Oil, from cooling spray to an extra mouthguard, you need to have everything with you. You can’t expect the trainer to have everything; you are responsible for your own kickboxing gear.
5. Sleep well
Make sure you’re rested and ready the next day. This means going to bed early. Try to sleep about an hour longer than usual. You need to give your body time to recover!
If you give your body that time, your performance on match day will be better. So if you normally go to bed at 11:00 PM, go to bed at 10:00 PM the night before the match.
6. Eat well
Try to get enough carbohydrates before the match. Carbohydrates give you enough energy. Pasta is the most common meal in the locker room.
Pasta is also easy to bring along. Fill a plastic container with pasta and bring cutlery. Eat your pasta in the locker room well before your match so you can digest it properly and won’t enter the ring with a full stomach. If you get hit in the body, the food could come back up.
7. Relax
Try to rest as much as possible before your match. Make sure you arrive early at the venue. This way you can take everything at your own pace.
Go to your locker room and find a good spot. Sit or lie down comfortably on a bench, put in your earplugs, and enjoy listening to music. Eat calmly, drink something, and get dressed at your own pace. A mistake I see many people make is watching the schedule on the door too much. So just stay very relaxed, everything will be fine!
8. Stay calm
When you’re in the ring, it’s essential to stay calm. Pay attention to your breathing, both before and during the match! The way you breathe is an important factor in your match. Before the match, when you’re in the locker room and feel the tension rising, try to breathe calmly.
Breathe in through your nose and then breathe out through your mouth. This will help you calm down. Also during the match, pay attention to your breathing. Try to exhale as little air as possible while punching. This will help you avoid getting tired quickly.
Do what many boxers do: make that strange hissing sound while punching. What you’re actually doing is creating a kind of filter that ensures you only exhale as much air as you need for that specific punch or kick. This way you keep oxygen in your lungs. This is one of the most important tips for your first kickboxing match!
9. Don’t focus too much on power
Now that the match has started, you’ll probably notice that every punch/kick you throw feels different than during training. This is very normal and is caused by the adrenaline rushing through your body.
Adrenaline makes you feel less in the ring. Not only do your punches feel weaker, but you also feel your opponent’s punches less than usual during sparring. But don’t be mistaken, your opponent feels the same.
The most important thing is to focus on your guard and keep fighting technically. The more you try to give power, the more energy you waste, making you tired faster.
10. Listen to your trainer
This is one of the most important tips for your first kickboxing match! The match has started, the bell has rung, and you and your opponent are fighting. Try to stay calm and listen to the instructions your trainer gives you during the match.
Just try not to look at your trainer during the match. Many beginners make this mistake. If you constantly hear your name behind you, you’ll automatically turn around. Try not to do this. Practice this during sparring!
Make sure your trainer or someone else gives you instructions and you don’t look back. The reason you shouldn’t look at your trainer during the match is that you won’t see what’s happening in front of you.
If your opponent notices you constantly looking back at your trainer, they will use that to hit you when you turn around. This can be very dangerous because most knockouts in kickboxing come from fast punches/kicks you don’t see coming.
11. Recover
You get very little recovery time in a kickboxing match, so you need to make good use of the rest periods you get. Try to get to your corner as quickly as possible when the bell rings.
Keep your head up and your chest forward. Let your arms rest on the ropes; this gives your arms rest and helps you breathe better in and out. Listen to what your trainer tells you and especially think about your breathing.
Make sure to take a sip of water. Don’t drink too much water, as this can make you feel like the water will come back up if you get hit in the stomach later in the match.
I hope these tips for your first kickboxing match will help you in your very first fight. I wish you lots of fun; try to enjoy it a bit, you’ll never forget your very first match. It gives you an incredible feeling.
The tension will naturally fade as the match goes on. And the most beautiful thing about a kickboxing match is the satisfying feeling you get when you’ve fought 3 full rounds and get to stand there. And if you win, your day really can’t get any better. Good luck and go for it!
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