When I met Mike Nitto, he was sporting two black eyes and a broken nose. Mike, the microfiber division manager for Golden Star Inc., a manufacturer based in Kansas City, Mo., is a kickboxer in his free time, and injuries are just part of the action.

“If you’re just looking for a workout or a stress releaser it’s a great sport to be involved in,” says Mike, who is based in New Jersey.

Kickboxing is a style of boxing that allows fighters to strike with their elbows, knees and fists. Bouts take place in a ring (similar to a regular boxing ring). However, kickboxing can also be a non-contact sport, in which the participants hit pads instead of people, says Mike.

“Probably 95 percent or more of the kickboxers I know do not actually compete,” says Mike. “They’re there both for a good workout, and for the social aspect of the sport.”

About four-and-a-half years ago, Mike got into the sport because he needed to lose weight.

“I was walking into a sandwich shop near my house and saw a sign for a new martial arts school,” he says. “At the time, I weighed about 240 pounds, and decided that I had to do something about my weight. The next night I went into the school, and started learning kickboxing.”

Mike’s kickboxing training varies. Sometimes he just works out, learning techniques and focusing on cardio exercises; other times he spars. Since he started in the sport, Mike has lost almost 60 pounds.

Though exercise was his goal, Mike soon discovered the competitive aspect of the sport.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d get into a boxing ring,” he says. “When I was almost a year into kickboxing, my instructor asked me if I was interested in a fight. I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ The next day I changed my mind. Soon after that, I was in a ring, competing.”

Mike boxes competitively a couple of times a year in New Jersey and New York. An amateur match consists of three two-minute rounds, and the sport is sanctioned by the states’ athletic commissions.

“I’ve learned that stepping into the ring and having somebody almost rip your head off puts into perspective all of the other kinds of stress you might have in your life,” says Mike.

However, according to Mike, competing in a kickboxing ring is for younger participants.

“The ideal age is probably around 22. At my age, which is 34, I won’t continue to get in the ring for much longer,” he says. “The sport is very different if you’re sparring in a controlled atmosphere, like the gym, compared to competing in a ring where, if you get a broken nose, you just keep on fighting.”

Even though he’ll stop getting in the ring, Mike won’t give up the sport entirely. He’ll still train and work out.

Kickboxing may come with some painful consequences, but for Mike, the fun is well worth any bumps and bruises.

“When you actually get into the ring and before the bell rings, there’s an amazing rush of adrenaline, more than in any other sport I’ve played,” he says.

You can see Mike kickbox on the Mixed Martial Arts Sports Network in the "Combat At The Capitale 24" video (Mike’s match is at the 80-minute mark).   




POSTED ON: 4/4/2012