Martial Fusion: Kickboxing Cardio Dance

Guillermo Gomez
Year Released: 2012

Categories: Boxing/Kickboxing/Martial Arts , Floor Aerobics/Hi-Lo/Dance



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This workout has three sections, Cardio Fusion (punching, dancing), Bootcamp (punching & kicking), and Cooldown Stretch. I've done this workout two times, and while I liked it better the second time, I'm still not wild about it. First, the menu indicates a "Play All" option, but after one section ends, you come right back to the main menu. That's annoying and interrupts the flow of the workout, if you're planning to do all sections. The first section (about 34 minutes) consists of punching combinations alternated with dancey combinations. Punching includes jabs, crosses, upper cuts, and chambered knees (knee lifts.) You do the punches facing both the front of the room and the side of the room. Dancing includes V-steps,mambos, L-steps (although different from the way I'm used to doing them), and grapevines. You alternate between the punching and the dancing, and you add on each time. The TIFT'ing might drive some people crazy. I'd prefer to learn a new combination rather than "take it from the top." The second section (about 17 minutes) consisted of jab-cross combinations and roundhouse kicks. I enjoyed the kicks, but he also added push-ups. I'm not a big fan of switching back and forth between standing and floor work, so I substituted front kicks. The last section (about 12 minutes) was fairly slow and boring to me, but I'm not too keen on "tai-chi" style stretching. I just used the time and music to do my own stretches.

All in all, this was an okay workout; there are better fusion workouts out there, though.

Instructor Comments:
Guillermo was pleasant, but I didn't like how he kept repeating "Martial Fusion!" It felt too much like a commercial.

Debbie J

06/13/2012

Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this workout.

I had tried a couple of workouts by Guillermo Gomez when he first started making workout DVDs. I liked them okay, but not as much as others I had at the time. When I saw this DVD listed at Collage, it interested me, so I decided to try it. I tend to like workouts that fuse different types of exercise into an intermediate workout and this DVD seemed to fit the bill.

The main workout, Kickboxing Cardio Dance, is just under 35 minutes and combines kickboxing moves with dancey exercise moves. The dancey portions included moves like mambos and grapevines and V-steps. There are actually less kickboxing type moves and they are generally shuffles and punches. There aren't any kicks. Guillermo is backed up by two background exercisers. The set seems a little small and closed-in, but I had no problem seeing the exercisers. In general, the workout is low impact, although there are a few hops/sashays. I would rate this workout as low/moderate intermediate.

On this DVD, there is also:

> A short tutorial that covers the kickboxing moves that are used in the other segments. It's around 7 minutes.

> Bootcamp - This segment is just under 20 minutes and includes kickboxing drills. Gomez is backed up by one other exerciser.

> Cool down - It's about 10 minutes.

You can choose the segments off the menu, but I didn't see a way to program the segments in advance.

Overall, I liked this workout. I thought it was a pleasant and rather fun workout. It isn't super intense and would be good for a day on which I want a moderate workout. It's different from other workouts and that is what appeals to me the most.

Instructor Comments:
I thought he is very engaging and encouraging in this workout. I enjoyed working out with him.

Laura S.

06/08/2012