As soon as you walk into a gym, you are welcomed with heavy exercising machines, dumbbells, and weights everywhere, and that literally coerces you to start using the equipment almost instantly. Now imagine entering a fitness center where punching bags are swaying in the air and women of all ages are busy punching and learning different self-defense techniques. Doesn’t that sound interesting?

The fact is that kickboxing is one of the best workouts as it combines strength training and cardio all in one. However, in our part of the world, kickboxing is mainly associated with men. While there are a number of dojos for them, you will hardly come across a kickboxing studio for women. So, it is quite uplifting to see an all-female dojo where kickboxing and self-defense are taught so that young girls and women can learn to defend themselves and feel empowered at the same time. This is exactly what fitness trainer Alizeh Zainab Razvi had in mind when she established her studio, called Kickfit with Alizeh, more than a year ago.

In a bid to learn more about kickboxing and self-defense training, we got in touch with Alizeh, who stresses on the importance of women learning self-defense and feeling confident no matter what the situation may be.

In a candid conversation with Instep, the fitness expert shares that she started kickboxing in 2016. “I did that for about three to four months and then I went to London, England to train and get certified from the Xen-Do Martial Arts School. I trained for about 6 months where I took care of their management and taught students as well,” she says.

Alizeh then returned to Karachi, joined a gym and started practicing different styles like Judo and Jujitsu. “I started doing competitions also and finally realized that I need to have my own kickboxing and self-defense place. So, it’s been a little over a year since I’ve got my own space,” she shares.

Though she launched her studio a little before the Covid pandemic actually hit, according to her, it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. “In fact, women from all walks of life were coming in, and obviously, I had to be careful about following SOPs and stuff. But overall, the response has been great and I am happy that I am able to create a sense of community and sisterhood of empowered females through Kickfit,” she adds.

On what led her to open her own kickboxing dojo, Alizeh reveals, “As I mentioned earlier, I joined kickboxing classes a few years ago and honestly after the first day of training, I felt so good, confident and empowered. I had this feeling that I could beat up anybody and it was satisfying both emotionally and mentally. So, after I got certified from London, I decided that it was time for me to give back to the community. I started Kickfit with the aim to make women feel like they can do something for themselves. The goal was to teach them ways to defend themselves as well as boost their self-esteem.”

“We can’t ignore the fact that we exist in a state of anxiety. We hear harrowing tales of women being sexually harassed and assaulted around the country, leaving us feeling destabilized. Through my dojo, I’m trying to make the women who come to me feel better about themselves and develop confidence. The idea is to eradicate the mentality that we are the weaker sex and the targets. What inspired me to open my own space was actually how I felt about myself after I did kickboxing. I just wanted everybody else to feel like that.”

She further went on to say, “We can’t ignore the fact that we are living in an existing state of anxiety. Moreover, every now and then, we hear harrowing tales of women being sexually harassed and assaulted around the country, leaving us feeling a little destabilized. And through my fitness studio, I’m trying to make the women who come to me feel better about themselves and develop the confidence to do things independently. The idea is to eradicate this mentality that we are the weaker sex and the targets. What inspired me to open my own space was actually how I felt about myself after I did kickboxing. I just wanted everybody else to feel like that.”

Apart from kickboxing, Alizeh teaches self-defense techniques combined with Judo. She feels that self-defense is a necessity and it’s her priority to prepare girls to fend for themselves. Her self-defense classes are all about tackling everyday situations like a guy grabbing your hand or pulling your hair, or your scarf or touching your body parts, etc. “I make sure to teach joint locks in my self-defense classes and Judo comes in with the throws where you are able to throw people. I teach techniques that can be used in everyday situations, like what to do if somebody tries to grab you by the neck or has a knife or a weapon.

My goal is to help them get out of such situations efficiently and quickly without hurting themselves or aggravating the aggressor,” she elaborates.

With kickboxing and self-defense, you try to focus a lot on your mental capacity and of course there is the physical aspect as well. “I believe Kickfit’s slogan – a stronger, fitter, more confident you – says it all and that’s what I want to instill in these girls. I want them to feel strong, fit and confident not just in their physical ability but also in their mental capacity. I want them to feel empowered and I see the girls change both mentally and physically,” she reveals.

When asked how beneficial is kickboxing in reducing stress and anxiety, Alizeh responds, “Well, kickboxing is a full-body workout where you get to learn reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and balance, etc. Consider it as an all-in-one package. You not only feel great physically but you can let out all your stress and anxiety through this exercise. It is a great way to release all those negative emotions and vent out. Kickboxing is fast, kind of fun and the best part is that you are learning how to kick and punch people. Who wouldn’t want to punch something and let their anger out? I think there’s no better feeling than that,” laughs Alizeh.

She stresses that even if you punch for just 10 minutes, you’ll feel light. “That is because you are allowing yourself to let out all your frustration. In short, kickboxing is therapeutic,” she adds. “The one thing that makes Kickfit standout is that it’s not just kickboxing, but it’s a bunch of other things like Judo, self-defense. It’s a mix of everything and in that sense, I think I am pretty much the only one who offers everything under one roof.”

On a parting note, Alizeh asserts on the fact that women from all walks of life must learn how to defend themselves. “It is essential to learn any kind of self-defense or combat sports – basically anything that interests you. Sadly, in our society, a lot of girls think they’re not worth defending, so it is even more important for your sense of self-worth. The great thing about kickboxing and self-defense is that it seeps into every other aspect of your life and will make you feel good about yourself. It does not just help in uplifting you, but is also good for your mental health, your heart, and your body,” she concludes.