From Self-Defense to Competition: Finding the Most Exciting Kickboxing Classes in Woodland Hills

Practiced for everything from self-defense and general fitness to hardcore competition, kickboxing refers to a group of stand-up combat sports and a form of boxing based on, as its namesake suggests, kicking and punching. With combat taking place in a boxing ring, normally with participants donning boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts and bare feet to favor the use of kicks, the activity has become popular amongst the “evolved” gym crowd – and L.A. has some of the most seasoned of gym folk in the entire world.

As such, kickboxing facilities are exploding throughout the city, and in response we have put together a list of our top picks for kickboxing classes in Woodland Hills. 

So get ready to burn some calories while you’re kicking some serious butt in the ring – quite literally.

G-Way Fitness, located at 23241 Ventura Boulevard Unit 119, affords you the opportunity to train with former Kickboxing World Champion Grisha Todorov who trained at the elite Sports Academy in Bulgaria, where top European competitors are turned into Olympic athletes. Today, Grisha is an expert in transforming the human body, with the G-Way solution incorporating all of these practices to help you get the kind of results you’ve always dreamed about – think of it as a new kind of personal training solution that provides customized workouts built especially to target your unique problem areas and help you achieve incredible results month after month. Classes include Boxing, Cardio Boxing, Boxing and Conditioning, Cardio Kickboxing, Bootcamp, Interval Station Training, Yoga and Cardio Sculpting.   

Milton Arguello Mixed Martian Arts Academy, located at 22878-80 Ventura Boulevard, is a premier MMA facility catering to everyone from untrained novices to seasoned veterans, with classes available to fit your needs in a family-friendly environment. Whether it’s boxing, kickboxing/Muay Thai or MMA for all ages, Milton Arguello MMA Academy – the brainchild of Milton “The Diamond” Arguello, famous in American kickboxing circles – develops and prepares fighters for their respective competitions or goals, offering classes including Striking (a combination of boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai instruction), MMA and Kid’s MMA.

ZR Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Martial Arts Academy, located at 22100 Ventura Boulevard, is a unique gym facility offering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training, self-defense and fitness for all ages and levels of experience, utilizing and following all the latest safety guidelines. Established in 2012, ZR is a worldwide and well-recognized martial arts academy teaching principles of teamwork, hierarchy and mutual respect – three elements that seem to be sorely missing from today’s modern society – in addition to teaching kids discipline, focus, respect and confidence when it comes to dealing with bullying situations. High-quality Jiu-Jitsu classes are provided based on Carlos Gracie’s philosophies for, once again, all ages and levels of experience.

Wing Warriors Fitness, located at 21747 Erwin Street Suite B, is a Woodland Hills-based state-of-the-art private gym that opened its doors in October of 2019 as the brainchild of two professional trainers and World Champions – and who shared a passion to promote a healthy way of life by introducing their knowledge and unique training techniques with their clients. The Wing Warriors trainers build customized fitness and wellness packages based on your goals, with programs that include Weight Loss, Toning, Professional Athlete Training, Event Training, Kickboxing with Fitness Training and more. All ages and levels of fitness are welcome. 

9Round Kickboxing Fitness, with 73 locations throughout California and others throughout the country, is the brainchild of Shannon “The Cannon” Hudson, an IKF Light Middleweight Kickboxing World Champion, and his wife Heather, both of whom had a vision to create a place where busy people – like them – could go to get a killer workout without planning their whole lives around fitness classes. Shannon’s martial arts and kickboxing training and Heather’s passion for fitness became the foundation that the 9Round franchising empire would be built upon, and today the facilities make kickboxing fitness accessible to anyone, with a non-intimidating, flexible circuit training workout format that changes people’s lives. At its core, 9Round operates around a triple-threat approach that incorporates accountability, kickboxing and nutrition.  

Tarzana Boxing and Fitness, located at 19626 Ventura Boulevard in Tarzana, offers first-rate workouts and training in a safe, fun and healthy environment, combining a focused and complete fighter’s workout with an easygoing neighborhood backdrop that is accessible to everyone. With both group classes and private training available, Tarzana Boxing and Fitness programs include Cardio Workouts, Boxing and Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts and Personal Training; for more ambitious students, the facility offers a specialized Amateur Boxing Team Program for everyone over nine. The classes here provide you a unique opportunity to get in shape and improve your health, and you can even take advantage of a free trial fitness course.

As we leave winter behind and dream of squeezing into some of those clothes that didn’t fit last summer, perhaps there’s no better time than now to consider taking a kickboxing class.