Punch above your weight at Kick Studio

So near, so spar. Photograph: Kick Studio

Boxing is said to have a cathartic effect and remarkable stress-relieving qualities.

But after one class at Kick Studio you may find yourself wanting to get into a lot more fights. In a good way.

Kick Studio is half-hidden under the overground tracks at Arch 2 on Richmond Road.

The space is fitted with a professional-sized boxing ring as well as a fitness studio, an impressive selection of free weights and crucially, a massive chill-out area.

Kick Studio offers training in Thai boxing (Muay Thai), kick boxing, yoga and circuit training, and a signature fusion of boxing and yoga called Kickasana.

The rota has been developed by former World Kickboxing Association Champion former Sophie Pittaway. So naturally, this is no boxercise—a one hour session suitable for beginners took two days to recover from, and feels as much like a self-defense lesson as a calorie-burning project.

Technique is the focus here rather than speed, and when the gloves go on halfway through, sparring with a partner makes you forget to check the clock.

For something more intense, try the “mother of all workouts” —Kick 4×4, which covers all the major elements of professional boxing training—jumping rope, lifting weights, boxing and Thai boxing.  Dietary advice at the end of the session may deter some from rewarding their hard work with a Big Mac.

Muay Thai is popular among the gym set but hasn’t yet hit the mainstream gym class circuit. Modernised, stripped down versions of martial arts are commonplace, but Kick’s traditional Thai boxing classes are steeped in tradition, beginning with hand wraps and aromatic oil massage and ending with structured breathing practices.

Despite the violent premise of its core sport, the atmosphere is somehow calm. The rhythmic background sound of padded mittens slamming against each other amid pounding house music somehow adds to the serenity. So does the regular rumbling of trains overhead.

The whole-lifestyle energy of Kick seems to take its cue from Soho House, but without the pretence. Rustic-chic leather sofas line the mini-cinema, Penguin classics share shelf-space with protein powder, and jars are employed at every opportunity.

An ice cream stand out front charmingly suggests this isn’t a place for diet fanatics—though Allpress coffee and fresh juices at the cafe are probably better sellers. The website states a promising intention to “add booze.” With that, we’ll see the completion of a mini lifestyle brand.

More at Kick Studio.