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AQUA KICKBOXING. GET READY FOR THIS!
By Mark Grevelding

As they chant repeatedly, "JAB, CROSS, HOOK, BLOCK," the class members punch beneath the surface of the pool, sparring with imaginary opponents. These members at the JCC of Greater Rochester, N.Y., have stepped into the ring, albeit a wet one, and are jabbing and kicking their way to new fitness levels. Over the last two years, kickboxing classes have been delivering knock-out punches to aquatic programs across the country. A whole new segment of the population is heading for the pool, including men and younger people. But what about the old guard? Typically female, typically older, and typically at the lower end of the fitness spectrum. Will they embrace this new invasion of their turf?

In May of 2000, I was asked to take over an aqua aerobic class at the JCC in Rochester, and convert it into an aqua kickboxing class. Starr Trexler, Aquatics Director of the Rochester JCC, wanted more variety on the schedule and decided to transform an existing class into a kickboxing format. "In retrospect, I guess I should have prepared the class a little better for the transformation," admits Trexler with a sly grin. Ummm, YEAH! My first class was a bonafide disaster. The ladies nearly booed me out of the pool. While I kicked and jabbed and sweated profusely, they just stared at me like I had horns growing out of my head. As a land instructor, I was completely unprepared for the heat and the deadpan reaction of the participants. Halfway through the class, the women were climbing over each other to get out of the pool, and I realized my choreography notes were useless. Without a Plan B, I needed time to think. "Ok ladies, make like Esther Williams and swim down to the deep end. TAKE YOUR TIME ON THE WAY BACK," I yelled after them. For the remainder of the class, I nearly jogged the remaining participants to death, ending with profuse apologies and exiting the pool without making eye contact with anyone.

My first class had bombed and I needed to sift through the shrapnel to figure out what had happened. That's easy to figure out according to Angie Proctor, Executive Director of the Aquatic Exercise Association. "If you are introducing an existing class to kickboxing, you need to give it to them in small increments," says Proctor. "You might start by just performing kickbox moves to one song, and then eventually two songs," adds Proctor. Which is exactly what I did for the second class. Of course, I wasn't sure anyone would show up for the second class, but they did, and we maintained an uneasy truce by confining the new format to one song. Two months later, I had the class kicking and punching into the third song and they were starting to get into it. One sweet older lady even began sneering like Mike Tyson.

Another problem soon manifested itself. While I was kicking at one end of the pool, they were still at the other end. Proctor says some instructors make the mistake of using music that is too fast, particularly in water. "When the music is too fast you cannot maintain proper range of motion or complete the execution of the movements," states Proctor. She suggests using tapes with 128-132 BPM, and incorporating kicks and punches on the half count and then moving them to tempo speed. As for my own experience, since slowing down the music and demonstrating moves on the half count, I've seen a real improvement in form, and the kickboxing segment no longer resembles a frenzied audition for a Charlie Chaplin movie. Finally, Proctor cautions instructors to keep most of the punches underwater. "I'm seeing some instructors do most of their punching out of water, risking injury to their less fit participants, and not maximizing the drag and resistance of the pool," says Proctor. OOPS! GUILTY! Much to my relief, none of my participants ended up in slings or casts, nor did they suspect my cover-up when I announced one day, "Now that we know how to punch out of water, let's take it underwater, OKAY?" Now, I'm backing them into deeper water and cueing them under the surface in lunge position for most of the punch segments. While I continue to harp on form, I am admittedly relieved to be spared the site of some of their creative boxing. Despite my best efforts at teaching form, one lady always looked like she was conducting an orchestra during the punch combinations. Now when I look out over the pool, all I can see is her smiling face, and I can only imagine what symphony this lovely maestro is conducting under the water. Aside from the resistance achieved by kicking and punching into the water, Proctor says another major benefit for aqua students is a lessened injury factor, particularly for people like the Maestro Lady. She insists proper form must be demonstrated and followed, but that water makes for a safer environment to learn. She says AEA is now offering an Aquatic Kickboxing Certification to insure that instructors are adapting the format to water in a safe and effective way. In addition, AEA and Thomas the Promise enterprises have recently combined efforts by producing two Aqua Kickboxing videos, titled "J.A.B. WET," BASIC and ADVANCED", with more videos sure to come in the future.

No doubt, kickboxing is making big waves in pools around the country. Proctor says adapting this format to the water, is a great way for instructors to get new populations into the pool, including men and the younger crowd, who have historically passed on aqua classes, opting instead for more challenging land-based classes. As for the old dominion, those who have held sway over aqua classes since their inception, will they make the transition? Yes says Proctor, and I agree. Starr Trexler, Aquatic Director at the JCC in Rochester, also agrees. "Many of these women have been doing the same thing for a long time, and by providing them with a new format, we are helping them improve their fitness levels," says Trexler. Judging from my own experience, I wholeheartedly concur that the old guard will make the transition. I know it, because I have seen it. Initiate them slowly, keep the music slower, and submerge the punches, and not only will you take your class to new fitness levels, but you will also bring joy into their lives. Every week now, these ladies climb out of the pool and tell me how much fun they had. (Mercifully, no one ever makes mention of that first class!) One of the ladies told me she goes home and tells her grandkids she KICKED BUTT in class. Even the Maestro Lady timidly made her way up to me one evening and told me how much she enjoys class. I gave her a big smile, shook her hand, and told her how much I enjoyed having her in class. A new generation may be headed for the pool, but they had better be prepared to duke it out for a spot in class, because the old guard is sticking around, and ready to kick butt.

Mark Grevelding is a free-lance writer and full time fitness professional living in Rochester, New York. As a personal trainer and group exercise instructor, he is certified through AEA, AFAA, and FITOUR. He may be contacted via e-mail at markgrev@aol.com, or by phone: (716) 865-2609, or by mail; Mark Grevelding, 234 Milford St. #9, Rochester, NY. 14615.