With these Tips for your first kickboxing match you will immediately be ahead. You will definitely be a little nervous. Don't panic, with our tips you will be in a strong position. 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.
Train hard
This goes without saying, but there are still many people who do not take this step seriously enough. You can be the biggest talent in the gym, but if you don't go into the ring well prepared, you won't win the match. In youth and novice matches, the best fighter does not always win. The fighter with the best condition and who can therefore give full throttle from the beginning to the end often walks away with the victory. Another factor is that if you are well trained, you can take hits better. So training a lot, running regularly and resting a lot is super important!
Lots of sparring
Sparring is the ultimate form of match preparation because you cannot fool yourself with sparring. In sparring you learn how to really block punches, how to dodge and how to counter properly. My golden tip for sparring is, don't spar with people who want to prove themselves. These people are going to spar with you too hard. Instead, you need to spar with experienced guys and/or girls who want to help you grow. These people know how to spar with you. Let them hit you at your weaker points, but don't spar too hard with each other because you will quickly get injured. Of course you don't want to go into the ring with injuries.
Make sure you are on weight
This is one of the most important tips for your first kickboxing match! Your trainer may want you to fight at, for example, 70 kg, while you normally weigh around 73 kg. This of course means that you have to make sure you don't gain too much weight. Try to fight at your own body weight, or a maximum of 5 kilos below that. The more you want to lose weight, the more strength you lose. Make sure you are at a reasonable weight a week in advance. The more kilos you are overweight, the more you have to make up for it on the evening of the weigh-in. Many fighters fight well below their natural weight because they have an advantage in their height and strength. This is not a big deal, but if you fight too far below your weight, it can become dangerous.
[products attribute='brand' terms='hayabusa' category="boxing gloves" per_page="4" columns="4" orderby="rand"]Good equipment
It is important that you have the right kickboxing equipment. Of course it starts with a large sports bag in which you can put all your kickboxing equipment and care items. From sports tape to Thai oil , from cooling spray to an extra mouthguard, you should have everything with you. You cannot expect the trainer to have everything with him, you are responsible for your own kickboxing equipment.
Sleep well
Make sure you are ready for the next day. This means that you should go to bed early. Make sure you sleep an hour longer than you normally sleep. You have to give your body time to recover! If you give your body that time, the better your results will be on race day. So if you normally go to sleep at 11:00 PM, go to sleep at 10:00 PM the night before the game.
Good food
Try to get enough carbohydrates before the competition. Carbohydrates give you sufficient energy. Pastas are the most common locker room meals. Pasta is also easy to take with you. Fill a plastic container with pasta and bring cutlery. Eat your pasta in the locker room well before your match, so you can digest the food well and you won't be in the ring with a full stomach. If you receive a punch or kick to your body, the food may rise.
Relax
You should try to get as much rest as possible before your match. Make sure you get to the location early. This allows you to do everything at your leisure. Go to your dressing room and find a good spot. Sit and/or lie down on a bench, put in your earplugs and listen to some music. Eat something quietly, drink something and change clothes at your leisure. A mistake I see a lot of people make is that they look too much at the grille on the door. So be very relaxed and everything will be fine!
Stay calm
When you are in that ring, it is essential that you remain calm. Pay attention to your breathing, both before the match and during! The way you breathe is an important factor in your race. Before the match, when you are sitting in the dressing room and you feel the tension rising, you should try to breathe calmly. Breathe in through your nose and then breathe out through your mouth. This will help you calm down. You also have to pay attention to your breathing during the match. Try to exhale as little air as possible while thrusting. This makes you tired faster. Do what a lot of boxers do and that is make that weird hissing sound while punching. What you're actually doing is creating a sort of filter that ensures that you only exhale as much air as you need for that specific punch or kick. This leaves you with oxygen in your lungs. This is one of the most important tips for your first kickboxing match!
Don't focus too much on strength
Now that the match has started, you will probably notice that every punch/kick you give feels different than during training. This is very normal and it is due to the adrenaline rushing through your body. The adrenaline makes you feel less in the ring. Not only do your punches feel weaker, you also feel your opponent's punches less than usual when sparring. But make no mistake, your opponent feels the same. The most important thing is that you focus on your coverage and that you continue to fight technically. As soon as you try to give more force, the more energy you waste, causing you to tire faster.
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 going to fight. Try to stay calm and listen to the instructions your coach gives you during the match. Just try not to look at your coach during the match. Many beginners make this mistake. If you constantly hear your name behind you, you will automatically turn around. Try not to do this. Practice this when sparring! Make sure your trainer or someone else gives you instructions and you are not allowed to look back. The reason you shouldn't look at your trainer during the match is because you won't see what's happening in front of you. If your opponent realizes that you are constantly looking back at your trainer, he/she will take advantage of this by hitting you when you look back. This can be very dangerous because most knockouts in kickboxing come from quick punches/kicks that you don't see coming.
To recover
You get very little recovery time in a kickboxing match, so you have to make sure you make good use of the rest periods you get. When the bell has rang, try to get to your corner as quickly as possible. Keep your head up and your chest out. Rest your arms on the ropes, this gives your arms rest and allows you to breathe in and out better. Listen to what your trainer says to you and pay particular attention to your breathing. Make sure you take a sip of water. Don't drink too much water, as this can cause you to feel the water rising if you get hit in the stomach later in the game.
I hope these tips for your first kickboxing match will help you with your very first match. I wish you a lot of fun, of course try to enjoy it a bit, you will never forget your very first match. It gives you an unprecedented feeling. The tension will naturally go away when the match is going on. And the best thing about a kickboxing match is the satisfied feeling you get when you have fought 3 full rounds and you are allowed to stand there. And if you win, your day really can't be ruined. Good luck and put it on!
