Most people who call a gym about Kickboxing are not worried about the training. They are worried about walking in. Fair enough — a room full of people who already know what they are doing is intimidating, and nobody wants to be the person holding the pads wrong.
Kickboxing keeps the punching and kicking and drops the clinch and elbows, which makes it the easiest entry point if you want a hard workout first. At ARC MMA we start every new member the same way: a free one-on-one session, a walk around the space, and a coach who explains what happens next. No audition, no fitness test.
What your first month actually looks like
You will not be thrown into sparring. The first few weeks are about the mechanics: how to stand, how to move, how to breathe, and how to hold your hands so you do not break something. Coaches pair you with someone experienced for drills, and nobody expects you to remember anything from the previous class.
- Week one: fundamentals, footwork and pad basics.
- Week two: the first techniques, repeated slowly.
- Week three: light drills with a partner and a short conditioning block.
- Week four: your first full class, plus a short progress note from your coach.
What to bring
You do not need to buy gear to try a class. Wear something you can move in, bring water and a towel, and ask at the desk if you need wraps or gloves for the session. If you decide to stay, the coach will tell you the three things worth buying first — not the whole catalogue.
Fall training notes
Fall is the busiest season for new members — schools restart, work routines settle and people finally book the class they have been thinking about all summer.
- Book your classes for the week on Sunday night, not on the day.
- Warm up for two extra minutes if you have been sitting at a desk all day.
- Keep one rest day after your hardest session — recovery is part of the programme.
Common mistakes we see every week
- Throwing arm punches. Power starts at the floor. If your rear heel stays down and your hip does not turn, you are pushing, not punching.
- Standing square. A bladed stance gives you reach and something to hide behind.
- Bouncing with no purpose. Move with a reason: in, out, or to an angle.
- Skipping the jab. The jab sets everything up. It is also the punch you can throw all night.
A drill you can try between classes
Jab-and-move ladder. You do not need a partner or a bag for most of this, and it takes about fifteen minutes:
- Three minutes: jab, step out at an angle.
- Three minutes: jab, cross, pivot.
- Three minutes: jab, cross, lead hook, reset.
- One minute rest between rounds. Keep your hands up when you are tired — that is the actual training.
Training at ARC MMA in Toronto
We run Kickboxing classes at 382 Yonge St in downtown Toronto, two minutes from College Station. Classes are capped at 20 people, coached from start to finish, and open to complete beginners. If you want to see whether it fits, book a free 1-on-1 trial — you will get a coach, a pair of loaner gloves and no sales pitch.
You can see the full timetable on the classes and pricing page, meet the coaches on the trainers page, and check upcoming seminars on the events page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be fit before I start?
No. You get fit by training. Coaches scale the work to what you can do today and build from there.
How often should a beginner train?
Two classes a week is plenty for the first month. Once the movements feel familiar, three is comfortable.
Will I be the oldest or least experienced person there?
Almost certainly not. Our beginner classes are full of people starting from zero, and the age range is wide.
Written by the coaching team at ARC MMA. Questions about this guide? Send us a message or call (416) 450-8020.
Related reading
- What Gear You Actually Need for Kickboxing — October 2026 — What gear you actually need for kickboxing and what can wait — a no-pressure buying guide from the coaches at .
- Is Kickboxing Safe? Questions Worth Asking Before You Start — October 2026 — Is kickboxing safe for a complete beginner? A straight answer from ARC MMA coaches in Toronto, plus the questi.
- Kickboxing Mistakes Beginners Make (and How to Fix Them) — October 2026 — The mistakes almost every kickboxing beginner makes in the first few months, and the simple fixes our coaches .
Where to go next
Have a look at classes and pricing or book a free trial if you want to try a session. For a wider view of the discipline, the Olympic kickboxing programme is worth following: the Olympic kickboxing programme.