I didn’t go on the Quarterly Workshop training for Body Combat release 55. It’s harder to learn a release and to “connect” with it if you haven’t experienced the Masterclass first. At first I found some of the music a little strange but after much practicing in my living room I began to appreciate it more. And once I launched to my participants I realised that 55 was going to be very popular.

So let’s look at the tracks.

Upper Body Warm Up (Back in Time): This is a great start. There’s no Kata, no stretch, just straight into the first combination of upper cuts as the music builds up to a really catchy hummable melody. I find myself whistling this tune during the day, it has become engrained on my mind. Plenty of shuffling gets us warm very quickly. A very satisfying start.

Lower Body Warm Up (Call Me Maybe): More uplifting dance music as we shift our focus to our legs. I like the knee and then treble knee combination which we repeat three times punctuated my a great focus on front, side and roundhouse kicks. It’s also good to see the set up move for both the side and the roundhouse kick which serves as a good reminder for the class on the difference between these moves.

Combat 1 (Bad Girls): When I first heard the music for this track I thought it sounded like the inner workings of an insane machine. It’s Dubstep and actually suits the rhythm of the capoeira moves perfectly. Before I taught this for the first time I worried about the speed of the ginga lunges. I thought that if I lost the beat I would mess up the choreography. When I taught it however, I found the simple 1, 2, 3, 4 counts and moves simple. That worry out-of-the-way and I was able to focus on getting the class deeper into the ginga and master the evasive side kick. Some of the class are even adding the jump to the ESK. This might be the first track 2 in Body Combat history not to feature the roundhouse kick.

Power 1 (Don’t Feel Like Love): A full on combination of jabs, upper cuts and hooks built a layer at a time to a great piece of music. On the DVD they suggest we go off the beat of the music for part of the combination and I like the authenticity this brings to the fighting feel.

Combat 2 (Firestarter): This is a passable cover of a Prodigy song and the track has a completely different feel than we are used to. No jump kicks but plenty of shoot lunges and roundhouse knees. Although the mixed martial arts style stands out you do have to go very hard to feel challenged by this one. This track feels a little light weight.

Power 2 (We Speak No Americano): I hated the music when I first heard it. But everyone recognises it from “The Inbetweeners” movie and it is actually great fun to teach. And I love the wide leg run at the end – the so-called “Santa Monica staircase”. It has the class breathless and gasping by the end.

Combat 3 (Where Have You Been): I certainly like the big combination in this track. A double knife strike, a double block and then back kick, front kick, back kick, front kick. No matter how hard I try I don’t seem to be able to teach the class not to add another back kick in to the sequence. Everyone just seems to add it in. So know I just let them get on with it. Musically I find this track a little dull. It’s a dirge. And for that reason this might be the first track I will mix out.

Muay Thai (Let It Rock): Off the scale relentless and challenging this track makes you breathe out of every opening. There are millions of knee strikes here and you can really build up the intensity up to the point when we add in the jumping knees. I love the look of disbelief on people’s faces when you demo the jumping knee. And just what are the words during the high-pitched vocal ever time we return to the street brawl downward punch? It sounds like,  “Ice Lolly! Ice Lolly!”

Power 3 (For a Lifetime): A very catchy sing along song to finish off the cardio section of the class. There are lots of words to latch on to motivate the class, “I believe in you and everything you do”. However it doesn’t feel as relentless as some of the previous track 8s. It’s good that it finishes on a combo and not endless jabs though.

Conditioning (You’re Gonna Love This): Short and surprisingly tough I like the variety of moves in this track. Shoulder taps give us core conditioning and the power clamber keeps the heart rate up.

Cool down (Battle Scars): A fine end to Body Combat release 55. It’s always good to see a downward facing dog in the cool down.

So Body Combat release 55 is another solid class which certainly creates a cardio high. Track 2 smashes your legs early on and the Muay Thai is absolutely mental. Only the music from track 6 let’s the release down in my opinion.

Your turn: Are you a Body Combat instructor? What do you think of my review of Body Combat release 55? Do you agree? Please share your thoughts. If you are a participant let me know what you think as well. Click below where it says “Leave a reply” and share!