Kickboxing taking hold New Brighton, Mounds View area

Wednesday, December 17th
Brian Meyers, sports writer

The New Brighton/Mounds View area has become a hotbed for kickboxing, thanks in part to a New Brighton kickboxing gym. The owner of that gym is heavy into the amateur kickboxing scene and is slated to compete for a world championship next month.

Chris Cichon is the owner of Cellar Kickboxing and Martial Arts in New Brighton and the current International Kickboxing Federation Light Middleweight United States Champion. He will take on the United Kingdom’s Alex Sirman on Jan. 9 at Roberts Sports Bar in Mounds View for the IKF World Title.

This will be the third kickboxing card held in Mounds View in the last six months. The previous two were held at the Mermaid nightclub and the Jan. 9 show was originally scheduled for there but was moved to Roberts to accommodate a larger crowd. IKF President Steve Fossum will be in attendance.

The title that Cichon and Sirman will battle for is currently vacant and became so when the previous champion retired. Cichon in ranked No. 1 in the world in his weight class by the IKF based on his winning of the 2008 IKF World Classic Tournament.

In addition to the venue change, Cichon’s opponent is also different from the one originally announced. Matt Gilbert, also of the United Kingdom, was scheduled to be Cichon’s challenger but he lost a unanimous decision to Sirman on Nov. 30 in England. Sirman is expected to be second or third when the IKF releases its newest set of rankings.

Cichon won the United States title in May in a match in Eau Claire, Wisc. He has also held the IKF Central United State Regional title. Every time a competitor wins a bigger championship, he is forced to relinquish the lower championship, which is why Cichon no longer holds the regional title. If he wins the World Title, his United States championship will then become vacant.

When Cichon isn’t training for an upcoming bout, and sometimes when he is, he runs Cellar Kickboxing. Located next to the Dairy Queen on Old Highway 8 in New Brighton, Cellar offers adult classes in kickboxing, fitness kickboxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts and preschool and youth karate instruction.

Cichon first got involved in martial arts at age six when he began taking karate classes in his hometown of Madison, Wisc. He eventually earned a black belt in karate, as did his mother, father and two brothers, and then got interested in kickboxing.

Cichon played football and baseball growing up but never abandoned karate, a sport that he usually practiced year-round. He eventually left Wisconsin to enroll at the University of Minnesota and study entrepreneurial management and marketing. He took some time off from kickboxing but got back into it when he discovered Cellar about midway through his college years.

Originally housed in the basement of a business near the university, Cellar was owned by a husband and wife at the time. After Cichon graduated, the owners decided they wanted out of the business and sold it to Cichon. That was two and a half years ago and since then Cichon relocated to New Brighton to have more space.

Even with his business degree, he became an owner rather quickly.

“It happened way faster than I expected,” said Cichon.

Cellar has about 70 regular members and 15-20 more who are occasional users. It is a full-time endeavor for Cichon, who estimates that he spends 50-60 hours per week between teaching classes and taking care of business-related matters involving Cellar.

Adults can use Cellar’s services to become competitive kickboxers and mixed martial artists or to just get in better shape. Youth students are taught confidence and discipline through traditional karate training and preschoolers build focus, listening and coordination skills through the “Little Ninjas” program.

“A lot of adults come for recreation and fitness,” said Cichon. “They can get an awesome workout. Each class is different.”

Kickboxing combines the kicking of karate with the punching of boxing. Points are scored when a punch or kick makes contact above the waist of the opponent. Matches are divided into five two-minute rounds and can be won by knockout or judges’ decision. Competitors wear 12-ounce boxing gloves and foot pads.

Each competitor must attempt at least six kicks per round or be docked a point. There is no minimum amount of punches that must be thrown.

While kickboxing is more a niche sport in the United States, it has become very popular in Europe, where a number of national governments have funded the sport. Cichon is currently working on a multiple-day trip to a competition in Poland early next year. Hotspots for kickboxing in the United States include the Midwest, east coast, California and the Georgia/Florida area. The IKF World Classic Tournament is held each year in Orlando.

“I’m currently an amateur because there’s not a whole lot of money in professional kickboxing,” Cichon said.

Once a kickboxer turns pro, there is no going back to the amateur ranks.

In addition to the world title bout, eight or nine other professional and amateur kickboxing and Muay Thai fights are scheduled for the undercard. Tickets for the can be obtained at Cellar Kickboxing or through Warriors Fight Promotions, which is putting on the event.

For more information on Cellar Kickboxing, call Chris Cichon at (612) 355-2259 or visit www.thecellargym.com.