W/U: 6 min, Kickbox Aerobics: 22 min, Drills: 16 min, Toning: 10 min, Stretch: 6 min. = 60 min.

Janis is wearing red pants and 70’s style blue bra halter, she’s tall, svelte, knockout-beautiful.
I previewed the video and liked it immensely, though I felt a little intimidated. This could have been a kicks-only video, because the jab, cross, hook, uppercut are only presented a few times; seemingly just to give you a break from kicking. I should say Janis’ background exercisers included 3 or 4 guys; two of them were clearly advanced kickboxers, with agility and precision matching the girls.

I only did it for the first time last night, so I can’t remember it well enough to say what happens when, but I’d like to mention some of the moves that I really liked. The warm-up comprises bob and weave combinations with jabs and speed bag. There’s a fun segment where she’s stepping sideways with body angled away and jabbing to the front.

Janis and her team wore 1-lb. hand weights for the entire workout, excepting the warm-up and drill section. I only wore ½ lb. weights because that’s all I have, and I didn’t feel it during the workout or the next day – I should go out and buy the 1-lb. gloves. There’s some jumping jacks interspersed throughout, but at an easygoing, fun speed. You have time to plyo the impact if you want.

The preparation before executing the different types of kicks was well thought out. My hips and knees were always turned the right way. She did the front push kick, the roundhouse, front stance hip-rotation with the roundhouse, the crescent kick, the back kick, the hook kick. She taught the back-kick, then combined it with the front push kick. The hook kick was the only kick that I needed to do at half time to figure it out. These are fun.

The drill section has a drill for the 4 types of punches paired with front, roundhouse and hook kicks. There are double roundhouses in here. Janis’ team works in pairs, with one partner holding out a target paddle for the working partner to hit/kick. I really wish I had a heavy bag or something to beat on for this part. I think the strike zone target would really intensify the workout.

That’s something I have to mention. In spite of all the kicking I did, the workout was intermediate level intensity. I think this is because the speed of the punches and kicks is medium-fast, never super fast; plus, the drills are short and the many transitions happen at a relaxed pace (“how ya doin’? how was that?” ).

One other thing I should mention. Janis and her team show good kickboxing form. But there’s not a lot of verbal tips to help you get it down. If you can learn by watching them, great. But I know I was modifying or intensifying their moves as I needed, based on techniques I learned in previous kickboxing tapes.

I started out two years ago with Katalin Zamiar’s G.I. Jabb tapes, then moved on to the more demanding Powerstrike tapes. I think at my present level of fitness, I need to stick with the Powerstrike tapes to get a good workout. But I would like to do this tape again just to see Janis, and also to spend time doing all the cool kicks.

Instructor Comments:

Desie