Punching Past Limits: a Teens Experience at Elite Teens Kickboxing

At Elite Teens Kickboxing, it’s not just about punches and kicks, it’s about people. Read about one of our teens experience, as part of her DofE Silver Award highlights, showing exactly what makes our classes special: a supportive environment, welcoming teammates, and classes that build both physical strength and self-belief.

Kickboxing

For my DofE Silver award, as well as Volunteering, I also have to complete goals in both a Skill and a Physical section. For my physical section, I was trying to decide what to do when some friends mentioned that they do kickboxing. Having enjoyed a term of self defence and mixed martial arts in school, I thought this sounded fun and worth a try.

Kickboxing is a full contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. We also learn defences alongside these moves. Kickboxing builds strength and stamina, teaches you to defend yourself, and increases your flexibility and balance. It gets your muscles, lungs and heart working but is accessible even to beginners. It’s also sociable and can be confidence boosting.

Elite Kickboxing Academy is a kickboxing club run by Emma Woodman from Great Somerford. She says “I have been a business owner of Elite Kickboxing for over 5 years now, and I find kickboxing is a fabulous way to get fit and learn something new. In our classes you get the whole package, a class where you learn new skills, and can develop through the grading process if you like, you get a full body (and mind) work out and you also have a safe space to punch and kick the stresses of the day away. Genuinely you might walk into class with a worry about something, but once you put the gloves on your focus shifts to the class and its fabulous.”

I joined Elite Teens Kickboxing, which happens in Tetbury on a Monday. I’ve found the classes really fun and everyone has been very welcoming, even though I’m new to kickboxing. I like the fact we combine fitness and conditioning in with the kickboxing skills, as this makes the fitness a lot more fun and you don’t really notice it because it’s mixed in with the other parts of the class. I think I’ve improved a lot since I joined, which is definitely thanks to the kindness and patience of both the instructors and the other teenagers in the club.  Sam, one of the other teenagers from my class, says “I joined kickboxing in January 2025 to complete the physical section of my Bronze DofE. My goal at the start was just to get my second belt, which was yellow, but since then I’ve kept going and now I’m about to grade for my fifth belt, Blue Stripe. I didn’t expect to enjoy it this much, but I really do. I’ve got stronger and more flexible since I started. My favourite part is hitting and kicking the pads — it’s just so fun and a really good way to let out energy. I’m glad I chose kickboxing for my DofE because it’s something I want to keep doing.”  I definitely agree!

When I asked my instructor why people should give it a try, she said “because it’s fitness even when you don’t realise you’re exercising. It’s super important for everyone to have some basic self-defence understanding…apart from the exercise and the fitness…the class itself creates community and friendship. You’d think martial arts would be a very individual sport but it’s actually super community based.” I think this sums it up really well.

Elite Kickboxing also run junior and ladies only classes. The junior classes are on a Monday in Tetbury and are designed to not only teach the fundamentals of kickboxing but also to instil essential life-skills, including teamwork, respect and self-confidence. There are ladies only classes on Monday evenings in Tetbury, Wednesday evenings in Malmesbury and Cirencester, as well as many other locations across Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, which are well attended.

The ladies in the class that happens after mine always seem excited to be there; Helen from

Malmesbury Ladies class says,  “Kickboxing might not be what people expect from me — and that’s partly why I love it. There’s something powerful about knowing you can throw a solid punch. Our class is full of strong, supportive women, working hard, clearing our heads, learning new skills and laughing together… a lot.”. Other ladies described the classes as fun, supportive, confidence boosting and a “perfect way to beat the winter blues and get me out of the house in the dark evenings”.

Kickboxing really is a great way to improve fitness and strength and make new friends in a supportive atmosphere while learning a valuable new skill.

Stories like these are at the heart of what makes Elite Kickboxing so special. It’s more than just training, it’s a place where people support each other, grow together, and celebrate progress at every level. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to try something new, there’s a place for you here.