Decide for Fitness via Whether you’re looking to increase strength, confidence, coordination, or you’re just after a kickass cardio workout, kickboxing will keep you coming back for more. The flexibility of the term (and its students) has contributed to the sport’s tremendous popularity: You’ll find kickboxing classes focusing on everything from cardio conditioning and elements of dance to self-defense, martial arts, and one-on-one competition. But deciding which kind of class to attend is just the first step in preparing to raise those fists for the first time. The Need-to-Know “Kickboxing” is something of a catchall term. In South East Asia alone, the word can refer to Cambodia’s Pradal Serey, Lethwei from Burma, the Filipino Yaw Yan, or the tremendously popular Muay Thai, all of which allow the use of elbows and knees during fights. In the U.S., however, kickboxing is more a blend of boxing and karate that strictly prohibits strikes with anything but the hands a...