A good basic kick to start with is the "rear leg roundhouse kick." Your front foot -- always the left -- pivots out, like you're putting out a cigarette. Swing the right leg and hip around so that if there were nothing there to connect with, you'd spin around in a complete circle. Your rear leg will hit the target (either a heavy bag or your opponent) and come right back to the original position.

Now that we've covered some basic moves, let's talk about safety issues. According to Fusaro, the main issue to be aware of is joint snapping. Overuse of joints produces a great amount of wear and tear. Pay particular attention to the joints in your knees, which are called hinge joints. Similar to a screen door, which will eventually come off its hinges if opened and closed enough times, your knee joint can essentially snap if treated too roughly. Control your extensions rather than "snapping" them.

If you're not very flexible, don't try to kick too high. Flexibility is king in a sport like kickboxing, and stretching is one of the most important things you can do. As I've stated before, stretching is always best done on warm muscles. DO NOT begin with stretching; do a ten-minute warm-up first. Finish your workout with yet another stretch session. Nothing will protect your muscles more.

Here's a favorite hamstring stretch that Jimmy and I both like:

Lay on your back and wrap a rope or towel around one of your ankles. Then bring your leg up towards the ceiling, using the rope or towel to assist you, and attempt to straighten the knee until you feel a nice stretch in the hamstrings.