Japanese model Yuri Suganuma, a.k.a. ‘Yurippa,’ is beginning a new serialized project in which she goes to personally experience different areas of Japanese culture. In this first entry, Yurippa headed to FIGHT CLUB 428 in Shibuya to learn kickboxing, a form of martial art known to be very effective when it comes to dieting and getting rid of stress.

FIGHT CLUB 428 sits in the heart of Dogenzaka, a 7-minute walk from Shibuya Station. Serving up a convenient fitness menu and equipped with a bar, 428’s kick-back and welcoming atmosphere is its charm point.

It’s actually not that well known, but kickboxing is a sport that originated in Japan. Traditionally, it’s a martial art and combat sport that is fought without weapons and uses the game rules of Muay Thai.

The gym itself is clean, and women can also enjoy using the facility without worry. Female members of the gym are generally around the age of 25, and everyone there is extremely friendly, so it’s also a great place to make friends. You can also rent gym clothing if you want, meaning you can drop in empty-handed even if you’re on a trip.

Yurippa took a 1-day course (￥3,000) where she was taught by kickboxing teacher Ohno Umihiko. Just wow, being taught by a former kickboxer… not to mention how handsome he is!

Before starting training, you just stretch your body. Your muscles are quite stuff during the winter season making it easier to hurt yourself, so do it slowly and carefully.

One stretching is over, Yurippa moved onto the training basics – how to skip-rope. She was taught the proper way to jump like you see in movies and dramas: by using your ankles. But she was still a bit stiff somewhere, maybe because she wasn’t used to the jump roping yet, or maybe because she was still nervous from the gym atmosphere.

Moving on, Yurippa finally transitioned to the next phase: how to punch. The teacher wrapped bandage around her fists so she couldn’t injure them.

Once her bandages were on, her fighting spirit came through suddenly and she put on her war face. She settled on her fighting pose and was brimming with motivation!

She focused on jabs for the punching basics, learning to punch straight and how to hook.

The teacher praised Yurippa for having an aptitude for punching which raised her ferociousness even more. She went all out when practicing a finishing punch combination!

Her smug face and pose makes her look like she’s saying “How do I look? Am I cool?”

Don’t forget to rehydrate during training intervals. By the way, you can buy this bottle at the gym.

Next is punching the focus mitts while wearing gloves. Before punching the mitts, it’s customary to set your gloves on them first.

Kickboxing its more effective for dieting than it looks because it uses your whole body. You also have to twist around a lot, so you can really tone up your waist line.

The mid-kicks were a particularly good stress-reliever for Yurippa. If you aim at the mitts and kick with everything you have it makes a really great sound, so can be very exhilarating.

The teacher is very skilled in his way of teaching. Girl-Fighter-Yurippa has been born magnificently! Originally, Yurippa did slow activities such as yoga and was bad at them. She said that the movements in kickboxing are cool and it’s something she wanted to challenge herself to at least once. “Having finally experienced it, it was even more fun than I expected. I want to try continuing it!”

The gym also has a popular bar. The owner Ohno loves alcohol. He wanted more people to know about the gym so he built a bar than anyone can visit easily. The bar also comes with a special bonus: when the gym is full, people can order drinks for just ￥300! FIGHT CLUB 428 – the place where you can kickbox and enjoy a drink on the side. If you’re in Shibuya, then be sure to stop by.