The last few years in L.A. I became quite the gym rat, not to be confused with lab rat. Lab rats have experiments done on them day & night until they either die over overcome cancer, gym rats do experiments to themselves to see how much pain and suffering they can actually endure.
NYC doesn't have a shortage of gyms, but it certainly does have a shortage of reasonably priced gyms. Sorry equinox, $170/month is something you drive. $400 initiation? No thanks, I think i'll eat for a month instead (rice & water that is).
I did the next most logical thing instead - I joined a martial arts class.
Sure New York City can be a little rough & tumble. Though, I am not so worried about getting mugged, stabbed randomly, or caught walking down the wrong alley in the middle of the night. It's the store clerks that have me concerned. I think the Starbucks barista is one more (sarcastic) 'thank you so very kindly' from jumping the counter and kicking my ass. So what if my drink is 18 syllables? It's there fault for allowing customization in the first place.
I didn't join it for the protection, but for an excuse to do something other than the gym. Martial arts happens to be great cardio, stretching, coordination, and vocal training all in one neat package. I joined a place 2 blocks from home, so I can limp back home and ponder my decision after every class. It's a mixed martial arts school that trains many different forms, one of which is called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
My first night (evaluation night) consisted of me and 3 other students, and the octagon. The Jiu Jitsu teacher, whom I refer to as the octagon, is named as such because he looks like he just stepped out of my TV during some Pay Per View UFC fight. 5'8", sharp New York accent, missing teath, a neck as thick as a tree stump, and a slight twitch when he talks. If you don't know what brazilian Jiu Jitsu is, look here.
We learned 3 basic moves after an extensive warm up period that included 'all-you-can-do' pushups for 1 minute. The moves are simple enough, provided your opponent is made out of rubber and in a coma, otherwise, things can get complicated. My opponent was neither, and I had a difficult time wrestling him into submission positions, even though on a few occasions, he submitted himself just to give me confidence. The first half of the 1 hour class was intersected by a brief Q&A with the teacher... I asked about stretching techniques, others asked about double arm reversals out of a half guard (WTF is that?!). Then started the second half...
"OK guys, ROLL!"
What the teacher really meant, at least, when I sent him a questioning glance, was "wrestle". The second half of his stare was "yeah, you too numbnuts".
So I paired up with the remaining student and proceded to try and do something I knew nothing about, with no idea of how to obtain my goal, but I sure was getting tired and tossed around in the process. Weights didn't seem like such a bad idea all of a sudden.
It's amazing how much of a workout you can get just trying to keep from getting pinned, but by the end of the lesson I was a ball of sweat. My arms hurt, my legs hurt, my neck hurt, even my jaw hurt. So I signed up for a six month membership - anything this difficult and painful must be good for you, right?
I did learn some things my first night, but none more important than: when doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it's always wise to keep your toenails clipped....
I think I'll try the more traditional class next. Haiya!
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