Kicking off the New Year with Steve Babcock's Cardio Kickboxing

Let's face it – this is the time of year when most of us are sure there must be a problem with our dryer, as our pants seem to be shrinking and are much tighter than they were pre-Thanksgiving. 

Sorry folks, it's not your laundry efforts but more likely the gingerbread men, sugar cookies and double mocha fudge we all woofed down the past couple of months.

But there is great news! There's no need to swear off your favorite lattes as we head into a brand new year, instead, why not kick up your exercise routine a notch, or two?  The doldrums of winter can be a less than enticing time to get excited about a new physical fitness routine, but there is an option that can really punch up your workout all while having fun (yes, I said fun) and that's cardio kickboxing.

Sensei Stephen Babcock, the owner of located at 148 Boon Street, has been offering his popular and energizing cardio kickboxing classes for 12 years now.  If you're not familiar with this total body workout, and have images of being inside a boxing ring wearing gloves and facing an opponent that resembles Sylvester Stallone, (well, how bad could that be?) relax. 

Cardio kickboxing is a cardiovascular workout that is a mixture of boxing, martial arts and aerobics. Traditional movements in cardio kickboxing include kicks, punches and other moves that relate to martial arts as well as toning exercises done with weights and floor work that focuses on the abdominal and other isolated muscle groups.  

Cardio kickboxing involves no physical contact and was designed to help people achieve a fit, healthy body while having a great time in the process. This form of exercise burns about 350 to 450 calories an hour and is usually performed to high-energy music – that’s where a lot of the fun comes in! 

Best of all, you don't have to be a gym rat to try it.  It's a workout that most anyone can do, and one that you can grow into.

Sensei Babcock brings with him 35 years of martial arts experience, and 30 of those years have been spent teaching and training hundreds of adults and children, from beginner skill levels to advanced black belt. His career in martial arts started as a young teenager, and he shares that at the time, it seemed a great, personal choice. 

"I was a 14-year old freshman at North Kingstown High School and it was very intimidating to be one of the lower classmen at such a large school,” he said. “That was a time when things were a bit out of control at NKHS and kids like me got picked on.  I became interested in karate as a means to protect myself.”

That personal decision was life changing for Babcock, because it ultimately became his chosen career path, one he has excelled at and enjoys more with each passing year, largely due in part to teaching. A Sixth Dan Black Belt, Babcock teaches the traditions of Kempo Karate including weapon training using bos, kama, and swords.

While the world of martial arts demands discipline, respect, and integrity, Babcock also integrates passion for physical fitness and the sheer enjoyment of working out into all of his classes, karate and cardio kickboxing, because he wants to foster a sense of personal best in each of his students. 

"I want my students to have a positive experience when they work out in my dojo regardless of their level of fitness," he said.  "Whether it's cardio kickboxing or one of my karate classes, the time someone spends exercising or practicing their martial arts should be treated as quality time for that person—something he or she is doing to better himself.  That's a really important component to any work out."

His students agree, myself being one of them. A good friend of mine invited me to try a cardio kickboxing class about 14 months ago. When she first asked me to join her, I laughed, but when I realized she was serious, my first question was "Am I going to be the only middle-aged mother there, and what the heck am I supposed to wear?" 

She assured me that I would be in good company with a comfortable mix of women (and every now and again a man!) who wouldn't intimidate me by wearing jewel-encrusted thongs. All that was needed was a pair of comfy exercise pants, a T-shirt, sneakers, a water bottle and the ability to have some fun.

That I could do. I was welcomed by Babcock with a warm greeting and was given several minutes of personal instruction as to what I could expect during my first class. I figured I had nothing to lose (well, except for a few pounds) so I stepped onto the floor.

More than a year later, I'm happy to report I've never enjoyed or benefited from a workout more than these classes.  Oh, and I've managed to drop more than 10 pounds, several inches, and learned how to laugh and kick all at the same time. I’ve made some wonderful friendships.

For Tina Chofay, it's a family affair.  Her two children – Devon, an eighth grade student at and Taylor, a fourth grader at Monsignor Clarke – are both members of the Black Belt Club, and she enjoys the cardio kick boxing classes. 

"I've been taking kickboxing classes for over a year now and I really look forward to that time as my own personal space where I get to do something healthy for myself," Chofay said. "Sensei Steve knows how to push me to my own physical limits but always does it with a lot of encouragement and really makes the workouts a blast.”

She added with enthusiasm, “Coming to class is a social experience because the other women here help to make it a lot of fun as well, and as a bonus, I can see a measurable difference in the way my clothes fit.”

Babcock invites newcomers to try a complimentary class at no charge. 

"Even if someone is concerned about some physical restrictions, they can talk to me about that before class and I can adapt the routine to their individual comfort level," he said. "I get to know my students really well and know what they are trying to gain from a workout so I can focus on specifics that will get them the results they are looking for." 

He added, "My cardio classes aren't about a lot of pressure. [They are] about having a well-rounded workout that we actually take pleasure in doing.  I enjoy these classes just as much as students because I see what they are getting from them."

Stephanie Griffin, a Special Education teacher in North Kingstown and mom of two teenagers who attend Narragansett schools, is quick to share that taking cardio kickboxing is one of the best investments she's ever made in herself. 

"I feel lost when I don't get to classes during the week,” she said, grinning.  “I really depend on them to keep my energy levels up all week long.  Sensei Steve is like having my own personal trainer, and the music he plays for each class is just awesome!”

When students enter Babcock's Studio for the first time, they will be welcomed and treated with respect. Though Sensei Babcock has been training, competing and winning numerous titles in the field of martial arts for 35 years now, it is teaching that really brings him the most joy and satisfaction. 

Many who have visited the dojo have probably noticed one of his favorite stories proudly hanging near the entrance of the studio wall — "Puppies for Sale."  When asked why he loves to teach, he refers to this heartfelt and powerful story about a store owner who was trying to sell a litter of puppies, one who was lame and lacking a hip socket. 

A little boy with less than $3 was eager to purchase one of the $50 puppies, and when he saw the puppy that was limping, he knew that was the dog for him.  The store owner tried to talk the boy out of his choice, saying that the lame puppy would never be able to run, jump and play like the other healthy puppies, but the boy adamantly held his ground and said he would take the disabled puppy and pay him the rest of the money each month until he paid in full. 

As he did so, he lifted up his pant leg and showed the owner that he wore a leg brace to help support his own crippled leg, and that he would take care of that puppy the best he could because he himself understood what it was like to have a disability. 

"This story shares my philosophy of teaching—we all have individual talents and abilities, but sometimes we just need some guidance from another person who can help bring those strengths out when we can't necessarily do it by ourselves,” Babcock said. “It's just as personally rewarding for me as it is for my students when they accomplish their goals. "

So don't fret if you can't snap your jeans without a struggle, or are going into the New Year feeling a bit sluggish and uninspired about your physical self. Instead, stop on by at Babcock's Karate and give yourself the gift of a healthy, new and improved you by trying cardio kickboxing. 

Warning though—it is addicting and if you enjoy it as much as I do, next year at this time you're going to have to find a New Year's resolution other than health. Say, something like keeping the house a bit more tidy!

Babcock's Karate is offering a New Year's special to all new cardio kickboxing students — three months for $100 with unlimited access to the schedule of four classes per week. 

Classes are held on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7:45 p.m., and on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. Each class is about 45 minutes long. Visit here for detailed information about the karate studio.