KICKIN’In KC
Research over the last decade has shown us that regular exercise can improve everything in your life except the way your car runs. It seems a never-ending story of “New Study Shows, Exercise Improves____!” And you can fill in the blank with practically anything from disease prevention (check out the ‘Get The Facts’ section) to enhanced mental health by offering positive feelings about body image. (Physical Activity & Sport in the Lives of Girls, PCPFS, 1997) Exercisers even reported missing fewer days of work. (American Journal of Health Promotion, 1996: 10:171-174) No wonder my job started offering discounted health club memberships.
It appears that most of us are getting the message loud and clear. As of 1999, the five fastest growing women’s college sports since 1981 were:
· Water polo (up 3,600%)
· Soccer (up 1,058%)
· Equestrian (up 486%)
· Golf (up 222%)
· Rowing (up 184%).
(U.S. General Accounting Office, as cited in U.S. News & World Report, March 26, 2001)
It’s not only sports that are getting a boost in female participation either. The number of females who worked with free weights increased 134%, from 8.3 million in 1990 to 19.4 million in 1999. (Sporting Goods Manufacture Association, 2000)
Women have arrived. Upon our arrival we noted the many benefits of exercise, sports, and physical activity but nothing is perfect and my fellow diva’s soon discovered that boredom, monotony, and burn out are sometimes accompanied with our new found active lifestyle. What is a girl to do?
Enter Kaerobox. This aerobic kickboxing class seems to have the staying power that Step Aerobics could have only dreamed about. (I mean really, you step up and then you step down. Aside from strapping the thing on my back taking it for a walk, there isn’t much left to do).
What Sets it Apart
I recently visited Tony Thornton during a Kaerobox class at the Sermon Community Center in Independence where classes are held Monday and Wednesday nights from 8-9pm. Upon my arrival I immediately felt the energy in the room. The music and Tony worked hand in hand to keep up the pace and add a little laughter into the workout.
So how do the students feel about Kaerobox? Tricia Bunner says, “Kaerobox is addictive. It drives me nuts when there is a holiday or we take a break. Tony is great and makes me feel good about myself.” No wonder Tony has students who have stuck with the class for 3 to 4 years. Of course this shouldn’t be surprising when you have a teacher that was trained by the top U.S. instructors.

Where did it come from?
Many are under the impression that modern day kickboxing originated in the Far East, when in fact, the real origins of the sport come from full contact karate. Created in the mid-seventies, various American karate tournament practitioners became frustrated with the limitations of a primitive, competitive scoring system, and wanted to create a sport where kicks and punches could apply to knockouts. (Women’s Sports Foundation, 2003) The Shorin Ryu Karate Club was first opened in 1989. Thornton would grow this 4-member group into a successful organization with over 50 members. His long-term goals for SRKC Martial Arts are to open his own fitness center where he can train instructors and offer alternative workouts to those who are bored with what’s out there. Tony is most proud of the lives he’s helped to change and the way he sees his students taking care of themselves. SRKC offers kids programs as well with many of the young participants coming from single parent homes. “Tony is a role model,” says Christi Thompson Wiley a 4-year student. Thornton and SRKC have giving opportunities available right now. If you would like to sponsor a class for a child contact the SRKC.

Students Thoughts
Boredom is word that Kaerobox students don’t know. Karen Clemons says the best part of Kaerobox is “Working on the bags and not doing the exact same routine helps keep me interested and involved.”
“Empowering and fun, no rhythm involved and it led to biking the MS 150 three times,” says Connie Shearer a three-year student. Everyone I interviewed agreed that the level of motivation is consistently maintained and they all credit Tony with that achievement. It’s interesting to point out that when asked Tony stated that he feeds off of the energy of the students and that’s what motivates him. Sounds like a win-win situation for the instructor and the students.
The students began the classes with varying goals from losing weight, toning up, and trying something new. All of them report that they have reached those goals. In fact Tony is most proud of the goals he has helped them achieve. “He has shown us the proper way to reach our goals,” says a student.

Classes
I have to say, I’ve been to aerobics classes before and often I didn’t feel comfortable. This could be because I’m naturally clumsy or we could credit it to the fact that I clap on 1 and 3 and have no rhythm. One thing I noted about all the students was that everyone seems comfortable even if they couldn’t perform every exercise move. Personal limitations are accepted and respected. You don’t need any equipment or supplies to attend any of the classes. Everything you need is provided. Tony holds classes at the Gregg Community Center, Monday and Wednesday Evenings from 6:00-7:00pm. Classes are also held at the Sermon Community Center Monday and Wednesday from 7:45-8:45pm.

Wellness Weekend
So now I’ve got you all worked up about Kaerobox and you need to know how to get started. There is a Wellness Weekend coming soon, this weekend is targeted to first timers so don’t be intimidated by a whole weekend of something you’ve never done before. They’ll walk you through it. This is also a great chance for people who have reached a plateau in their normal workouts. Tony sees a lot of this in his classes and the students agree that Kaerobox will get you over the hump. With workouts that can be adjusted to the new, the young, the old, and the pros, this weekend is for everyone. This annual event will take place at the Tan-Tar-A Resort Golf Club & Spa, August 9-10, 2003. The fun begins Saturday with seminars throughout the day and an evening of friends, food, and fun. Sunday will also offer seminars and relaxing group activities that take advantage of the Spa, lake or golf course.


How else can you become involved?
If you or your business or organization would like to get involved there are a number of ways it can be done.

·Host a class for your employees or members.

·Buy a Gift Certificate for someone so they can experience Kaerobox.

·Sponsor a child with a Scholarship so they can benefit from Kaerobox.

·Attend an open class of Kaerobox, Karate or Self Defense.

·For more information contact Tony at (816) 668-7752 or visit the SRKC Martial Arts website at www.srkcma.com

Get The Facts
·Studies have shown one to three hours of exercise a week may reduce the risk of breast cancer 20-30% and four or more hours a week can reduce the risk almost 60%. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1994)

·A 15-year follow-up of close to 4,000 female athletes and non-athletes revealed that the less active women had significantly more breast cancer than the more active women. (British journal of Cancer, 2000, 882 (3): 725-730)

·Modest weight loss coupled with moderate physical activity can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health, 2003)

·Elderly women recovering from heart attacks derive many benefits from exercise training, including decreased obesity, better quality of life and lower anxiety. (Lavie & Milani, American Journal of Cardiology, vol. 79, pp. 664-666, 1997)

·Even moderate amounts of physical activity are associated with lower death rates from Heart Disease (NIH Publication No. 93-2265 Revised July 1993)

Sylvia Grass is a Native American, feminist who is currently working on her BA in Political Science at UMKC.