Kickboxing Classes

What it is

Kickboxing is stand-up striking with the hands and the legs. It pairs the jab, cross, hook, and uppercut with round kicks, front kicks, and the footwork that lets you close distance, strike, and get back out safely. It is fast, athletic, and demanding, and it teaches you to stay composed while you are working hard, which is a skill that carries well beyond the gym.

Muay Thai, the national sport of Thailand, grows from the same roots. It keeps the punches and kicks and adds elbows, knees, and the clinch. Because the two arts overlap so heavily, Apex does not split them into competing classes.

How Apex teaches them together. At the Sterling academy, kickboxing and Muay Thai are taught in combined classes. Those classes live on the Muay Thai calendars, and the booking flow labels them Kickboxing & Muay Thai. Apex set it up this way on purpose, so nobody booking a free class has to guess between two overlapping options. Whether you search for kickboxing or Muay Thai, you land in the same room with the same coaches.

What a kickboxing-first student gets. Every class works the core a kickboxer wants: stance, combinations, kicks, defense, and pad rounds that tie them together. You will also see elbows, knees, and clinch work, because the Muay Thai half of the class uses them. Tell the coach before class that kickboxing is what you came for; coaches adapt drills to the student in front of them, and live rounds are always your choice. If you later want the full art of eight limbs, you are already training in the right class. Read more on the Muay Thai page.

Apex keeps one coaching standard across both academies, two schedules to choose from, and kicks and punches are taught at both. For hands-only training, see Boxing.

Who it is for

Kickboxing suits beginners who have never thrown a kick, fitness-minded adults who want a workout with a skill attached, and experienced strikers looking for regular pad and bag rounds. At the Sterling academy, the combined classes run for every age band:

• Kids 6–9: high-energy striking that teaches coordination, discipline, and respect through pad work, combinations, and controlled drills.
• Youth 10–13: pad rounds, combinations, and footwork with controlled contact and clear structure. Youth train during the Kids mat time, and the coach splits the room so a 10 year old is not paired with a 6 year old.
• Teens 14–17: real striking technique at age-appropriate intensity. Teens train during the adult class times with their own group on the mat.
• Adults 18+: power kicks, sharp combinations, and hard conditioning, open to every level from a first class to competition prep.

At the Ashburn academy, striking runs on Boxing and Muay Thai calendars. A kickboxing-first student there books Muay Thai for punches and kicks, or Boxing for the hands.

What a first class looks like

Choose Kickboxing & Muay Thai when you book, pick a time at the Sterling academy, and arrive about 10 minutes early so there is time for the waiver and a quick hello with the coach. Let them know about any injuries and whether you have trained before.

After a warm-up, the coach demonstrates a combination, you drill it with a partner, and then you take it to the pads, trading turns holding and striking. The final part of class is live work, which stays optional for beginners. If you would rather keep working the pads, say so.

Wear comfortable athletic clothes and bring a water bottle and a towel; no gear is required for a first class.

At Apex Jiu Jitsu & MMA Sterling

8 classes a week

• Kids Muay Thai · Mon, Wed 6:30 PM
• Youth Muay Thai · Mon, Wed 6:30 PM
• Adult Muay Thai · Tue, Thu 8:00 PM
• Teens Muay Thai · Tue, Thu 8:00 PM

Age bands: Adults 18+, Kids 6-9, Youth 10-13, Teens 14-17

See the Sterling schedule

Book a free class at Sterling

Questions about Kickboxing Classes

Is there a separate class called Kickboxing on the schedule?

No. At the Sterling academy, kickboxing is taught inside combined classes that sit on the Muay Thai calendars, so the class schedule lists them as Muay Thai. When you book a trial, the same classes appear as Kickboxing & Muay Thai. It is one class, one set of coaches, and one free trial, whichever name brought you here.

Is this a cardio kickboxing class?

The conditioning is real, but this is a martial arts class rather than a choreographed workout. You learn stance, combinations, and kicks, then put them on pads with a partner and on the heavy bag. If fitness is your main goal, tell the coach. Sparring is always optional and competition is never expected, so you can train for the workout and still learn to strike properly.

What is the difference between kickboxing and Muay Thai?

Kickboxing is built on punches, kicks, and footwork. Muay Thai uses all of that and adds elbows, knees, and the clinch, which is why it is called the art of eight limbs. At Apex the two share a class, so a kickboxing-first student learns the punch-and-kick core while seeing the rest of the Muay Thai toolbox in the same room.

How young can my child start kickboxing?

Six. Kids 6–9 is the youngest striking band, and Youth 10–13 shares that mat time with the coach splitting the room by age. Younger children start with grappling instead: Wolf Pups jiu-jitsu at the Sterling academy begins at age 3, and Beginner Wrestling at the Ashburn academy begins at age 4.

I live closer to Ashburn. Where should I start?

The Ashburn academy runs its striking on Boxing and Muay Thai calendars, and both have free trial classes. Muay Thai covers the punches and kicks a kickboxing student is looking for, with elbows, knees, and clinch work on top, and Boxing focuses on the hands. Book either one at Ashburn, or book Kickboxing & Muay Thai at Sterling if that schedule suits you better.