Boxing in Richardson

What to expect in a KŌVA boxing class

Boxing is the simplest martial art to describe and one of the hardest to do well: two hands, footwork, and a head that is not where the other person expects it to be. At KŌVA it is taught as a skill, not as a fitness gimmick. You learn to stand, to move without crossing your feet, to throw a jab that lands and comes back, to slip, roll and block, and to put it all together on the pads.

Jihad coaches all three weekly classes: Monday and Wednesday 6 to 7 PM and Thursday 7 to 8 PM. Each one is all levels, which in practice means the coach sets the drill and scales it. The beginner works the jab and cross while the experienced boxer next to them adds a hook and a pivot to the same combination.

Boxing for fitness or for skill

You do not have to choose. Boxing burns through a lot of energy because it uses the whole body (legs, hips, core and shoulders) and because rounds are hard by design. Members who come purely to get in shape get in shape. But the class never stops being boxing: the technique gets sharper every month whether or not you came for that, and most people find they start to care.

If you already box and want a program in Richardson, you will find the pace and the coaching you are used to. If you are here to build striking for MMA, boxing gives you the hands and the head movement that Muay Thai and MMA sit on top of.

A typical class

Classes are 60 minutes.

1. Warm-up. Skipping, shadowboxing and shoulder and hip mobility, about ten minutes.
2. Technique. The coach teaches one or two things in detail (footwork, a specific punch, a defensive movement) and you drill it in the air with corrections.
3. Pad and bag rounds. Focus mitts with a partner or the coach, then the heavy bag, in timed rounds with short rests.
4. Partner drills. Controlled work at low intensity: one person throws a set combination, the other practices the defense. This is technique, not sparring.
5. Conditioning. Core work and a finisher that leaves you knowing you trained.

Nobody spars in a first class, and none of the three weekly boxing classes is a sparring class. Everything you do on day one is on pads, on bags or in cooperative drills.

Gear

Come in athletic clothes with a water bottle. KŌVA has loaner gloves for your first classes. Once you join, get your own gloves and hand wraps; wraps protect the small bones in your hands, and after a few weeks you will not want to train without them.

Women’s boxing, and boxing for families

Women’s Boxing runs Thursday 5 to 6 PM in a women-only room, coached by Nina. Kids BJJ for ages 5 to 12 runs Monday and Wednesday 5 to 6 PM, ending right as the 6 PM boxing class begins, so a child’s class and a parent’s class fit into the same evening.

Pricing

The Boxing membership is month to month with unlimited boxing classes. All Access adds Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and MMA. Your first class is free, so you can try a session before you commit to either.