Fancy footwork leads to improved fitness at a number of Park Slope studios specializing in martial arts and related disciplines. From high-kicking tae kwon do to dance-influenced Capoeira, the neighborhood offers classes on disciplines from the Far East, South America, and Israel.
529 Fifth Avenue (at 14th Street)
Not all karate is alike. At Amerikick, adult karate instruction incorporates the kicks of tae kwon do, the joint locks and throws of judo and jiu-jitsu, and the weapons training of Filipino martial arts as well as the quick strikes and stance changes of Kenpo karate. Karate classes for children ages 3-6 eschew weapons training in favor of elements of gymnastics. Those classes, as well as training for older kids, also make self-discipline and self-confidence a priority. Adults can also learn Muay Thai, alternatively known as Thai boxing and the Art of Eight Limbs; knees and elbows are employed as well as shins and forearms. Kickboxing classes exclusively for women are offered as well.
316 Seventh Street, Second Floor (at Fifth Avenue)
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art developed by the earliest of that country’s African slaves. Decreed a Brazilian “intangible cultural heritage” by UNESCO, it incorporates elements of dance, acrobatics, and even music in addition to kicks, feints, and other rapid movements. In addition to 90-minute introductory, beginner, and mixed-level adult classes, Capoeira Brooklyn offers 45-minute classes for four- and five-year-olds, hour-long classes for kids ages six to eight, and 75-minute classes for those ages 9-13. In addition to the movements, kids will learn to play the instruments used in capoeira: the berimbau, a single-string percussion instrument; the pandeiro, or tambourine; and the atabaque, a standing hand drum.
Capoeira. Image: Tony parana/Wikimedia
362 Seventh Avenue (between 10th and 11th Streets)
Kids as young as three can get kicking at Champions, which specializes in tae kwon do for youngsters. But the studio also offers family classes, where kids, parents, and even grandparents can study and practice the Korean martial art together. Adults who want to work out without the kids can join a kickboxing class instead.
85 Fourth Avenue (between St. Marks Place and Warren Street)
In addition to teaching mixed martial arts, Class One offers sessions in the individual martial arts that make up MMA, including boxing, grappling-focused Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling, and Sanshou, also known as Sandu or Chinese kickboxing, which incorporates punches as well as kicks. If all this sounds a bit too, well, martial, fear not: Class One is well aware that many, if not most, of its clients are more interested in getting fit or losing weight than in kicking butt. It also offers Muay Thai classes for kids.
540 Fifth Avenue (between 14th and 15th Streets)
The focus is firmly on weight loss, toning, and overall fitness at iLoveKickboxing. Each session incorporates stretches, bag work, partner drills, and good ol’ calisthenics, all set to lively music, for a workout that includes both cardio and resistance training. Classes consist of roughly 15 to 30 people of mixed levels.
69A Seventh Avenue (between Lincoln and Berkeley Places)
Developed for the Israeli armed and security forces, Krav Maga incorporates boxing, wrestling, judo, karate, aikido, and traditional street fighting. This is less of a sport and more of a true means of self-defense, though by its nature Krav Maga is certain to boost strength and agility as well as self-control, awareness, and confidence.
Krav Maga. Image: leopoldo de castro/Flickr
Park Slope Academy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
518 Fifth Avenue (between 13th and 14th Streets)
According to the Park Slope Academy, the goal of Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a self-defense technique is getting to safety without punching and kicking. Instead the focus is on grappling, joint locks, chokeholds, and ground fighting. Those for whom self-defense is less of a concern than getting fit will be happy to know that the classes provide a cardio-intensive workout with bodyweight lifting for muscle toning. The studio offers basic and advanced classes for adults along with Little Grapplers courses for kids 5 to 11 years old and the Junior Grapplers program for 12- to 16-year-olds.
Eight Windsor Place (between Seventh and Eighth Avenues)
If kickboxing, karate, and the like seem too fast-paced, tai chi and qigong might be more your speed. The former is a centuries-old Chinese martial art that is today most commonly taught and practiced as a low-stress fitness regimen, with an emphasis on slow, even movements. The latter, also from China, focuses on posture, movement, breathing, and meditation; it is often incorporated into martial arts training and is recommended for those with limited mobility. Qi Tao offers instruction in both practices, as well as in Hung Ga, a style of kung fu from southern China. Students in these classes warm up with calisthenics, breathing exercises, and stance work before moving onto grappling, locking, throwing, and even use of weapons such as staffs and butterfly knives. In addition to classes for adults, Qi Tao offers kung fun for children.
529 Fifth Avenue (between 13th and 14th Streets)
This studio is for early birds: The earliest classes, kickboxing, start at six in the morning; the latest classes, TNT Bootcamp and more kickboxing, begin at eight. In between are Muay Thai and boxing classes. To stave off boredom, the classes introduce a degree of variety into each session. A kickboxing warm-up, instance, might use weights one day and high-intensity interval training the next. Rise’s Muay Thai classes emphasize fitness over self-defense, with each hour-long class broken up into conditioning, bag work, and partner drills. The TNT Bootcamp promises a full-body workout of both cardio training and toning, using everything from resistance bands to aerial yoga swings.
502 Fifth Avenue (between 12th and 13th Streets)
This studio specializes in tae kwon do classes for children—even those as young as 30 months old—though its adult classes have a loyal following as well. Along with teaching the high kicks, fast kicks, and spinning kicks that the martial art is known for, United Taekwondo Center is dedicated to instilling confidence, discipline, and respect into its students as well. It is not uncommon for a student who began as a young child to continue classes well into the teen years.