Posted: August 30th, 1999

The below article was
REVISED on April 8th, 2003
Our Opinion In Regards to those calling their "Cardio Karate Classes", "Kickboxing Classes!




The END is NEAR for
FAKE Kickboxing Schools!
KARATE Instructor's BEWARE! Are you teaching CARDIO KARATE or REAL KICKBOXING?


Most likely, what you see being called or advertised as "KICKBOXING is not kickboxing AT ALL!
Kickboxing, like TaeKwonDo, Judo or Kenpo, is an ART and STYLE all it's own. It is not a term like AEROBICS that "Want to be" kickboxing instructors can use freely and misrepresent the sport with. However, sad to say, this is happening all over the world. Aerobic instructors CLAIMING to be teaching KICKBOXING are an INSULT to our sport! Even "KARATE" schools who have never been trained in KICKBOXING are starting and operating classes they are calling KICKBOXING when in fact, they are simply Karate AEROBICS!

The number of these classes continue to grow rapidly. The number of "KARATE" instructors that "CLAIM" or "THINK" they know how to do and teach kickboxing just because they know how to kick and punch has become an insult to our sport. WORSE YET are all these AEROBIC instructors who use to attack back strong to karate schools when they used the term AEROBICS in their class schedule, mainly because they were not certified to teach Aerobics. However, look at all the "AEROBIC" instructors who have NEVER been certified to teach kickboxing, and of those who have, WHO were they certified by? "ANOTHER AEROBIC INSTRUCTOR who has NO CLUE of the sport or techniques of true kickboxing!


Here's a cry out to those of you who have never been taught true kickboxing and have really
NO CLUE how to teach a right cross let alone a front kick without realizing the potential of injury to your students!


Hey Karate and Aerobic People.... No offense intended to your "KARATE ART" or your "AEROBICS", but if you have NEVER trained in Kickboxing and or NEVER been in the ring fighting as a Kickboxer, "You ARE NOT a Kickboxing Instructor!!" So STOP putting out all those "Cardio Kickboxing" signs and ads saying you offer KICKBOXING at your clubs! It's an INSULT to those of us who DO KNOW What Kickboxing Is!

In our local area alone (Greater Sacramento, California, USA) There are only "3" TRUE Kickboxing Schools.

However, nearly every TaeKwonDo, Kenpo, etc. school around and a TON of fitness gyms "CLAIM" to teach a KICKBOXING CLASS. What a JOKE and an INSULT!!! It's clear the name KICKBOXING SELLS! Which is why all these clubs are using the name KICKBOXING instead of AEROBICS now. These clubs are ONLY using the term KICKBOXING it to bring in some extra money, but many of them if not all have no real clue as to what KICKBOXING really is. Our point here is, go ahead and have a Cardio KARATE class or Karate AEROBICS, but DON'T call it "KICKBOXING"!

We have great respect for Billy Blanks. Why? Because he has NEVER called his Tae Bo (A Cardio karate workout program, now being sold Worldwide) "KICKBOXING". We here at the IKF Truly Respect Mr. Blanks for that because he has never been a kickboxer, yet he probably knows a lot more about it than most of these karate guys or aerobic instructors who are claiming they offer Kickboxing as a class. At least Billy has proved himself in the ring as a point fighter. Call it Cardio Karate or anything you want, but NOT KICKBOXING!

In addition, the IKF has been working with SEVERAL big magazines and newspapers on an article that will EXPOSE all these FAKE kickboxing schools. Every week we get complaints about these karate/Tae Kwon Do schools claiming they teach kickboxing. These complaints come in from around the world by e-mail, fax and phone. People are asking us to try and regulate the name "KICKBOXING" as a certified course somehow which would be impossible. Why? Because WHO would really be "THE INSTRUCTOR" who regulates the curriculum? Especially with so many good "REAL" kickboxing instructors out there that teach so many different ways. It's a shame when all these people sign-up for a KICKBOXING class and all they learn is a hop and a skip aerobic program and then they leave thinking they are a KICKBOXER. Most of these classes haven't a clue how to execute a proper "KICKBOXING - BOXING" punch let alone execute good and safe kicks that follow through with good techniques.

It's bad enough with all the Black Belt Factory Schools (McDojo's) that have sprung up over the past 10 years and now you guys want to claim your experts in "OUR" sport? NO WAY Paper Black Belt! Again, we in the TRUE Kickboxing field are TRULY Offended. We urge ALL of you REAL Kickboxing Schools to contact your local press and make it public that the word KICKBOXING, TRULY Means something more than just boxing and kicking.




Karate IS NOT Kickboxing!
Just because you can Kick and Punch DOESN'T MAKE you a KICKBOXER!!

The bottom line here, in our personal opinion, is that if you have NEVER done it in the ring, HOW can you teach it...? But thats just us... We take it PERSONAL because we are very passionate about this sport!!! As a past fighter's, many of us in the IKF stand up for others and we hate to see a cheap imitation trying to steal YOUR GLORY!

We've seen our sport destroyed over and over again by many different faces of people... We would hope all REAL Kickboxers are willing to stand up to these fake kickboxing programs and kick them off the yellow pages of their local phone book! If we don't stand up for our style NOW, WHEN Will we?? As the saying goes,


If not us, WHO? If not NOW, When?


Heck, next thing we'll see is a World TITLE BELT For best Aerobic Kickboxer.... Put your foot down in your town and MAKE A STAND Everyone! If we don't now, we have only ourselves to blame for the "BUTCHERING" of titles were proud of such as KICKBOXING or the next thing... MuayThai Aerobics....!!! We hope you see our warning... It really is coming...



The Term

CARDIO KICKBOXING
Is NOT FREE TO USE!


Did you know that the Term, "CARDIO KICKBOXING" is a licensed copyright term owned by Mr. Frank Thiboutot
(Right - 207-781-2560 or e-mail at cardiokick@worldnet.att.net)
of Sport Karate Inc.?!
Did you know you can be sued for the use of this name without written consent of Mr. Thiboutot?
YES YOU CAN!
To Read more about Frank's Cardio Kickboxing Program, please see his page at

www.wowpages.com/cardiokick/video.html
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