Students spar in Georgetown for the health of it

While some people spend their Saturday running errands or racking up on weekend sales, Keith Huffman, a law school student at Catholic University, spends his at the gym. With sweat trickling down his face, Huffman completes his third round of punching and kicking combinations.Huffman, along with eight others, are not exercising in your ordinary gym, rather one with a unique approach to fitness called L.A. Boxing which opened up its new location early this year. The gym, located at 116 24th St NW, is nestled in the Georgetown community making it not only an attraction for working adults, but students as well.

"We have a lot of students, especially GW students. In fact, I'm thinking of opening up a 4 o'clock class since our 6: 30 class is so packed with mainly students," Mike Sawyer, General Manager of L.A. Boxing Georgetown, said.

As far as the 6:30 class is concerned, the word crowded is an understatement. Still a fairly new location, the gym is still waiting for 10 of its punching bags to arrive. Until then, it's not out of the ordinary to see a couple of people doubled up on bags.

"It's not really a big problem. We normally will have the women double up since they tend not to hit as hard," Sawyer said.

So just what happened to the days of jumping on the treadmill? According to L.A. Boxing's Web site, the gym offers a unique fitness focus dedicated to boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts. In addition to energetic classes, people who sign up can expect to be trained by highly qualified instructors who in Georgetown's case, were once professional fighters.

"You're in here with guys who have fought on HBO and in Taiwan, Thailand, and Bangkok," Sawyer said. "With that said, I'd put my staff up against any staff anywhere as far as authenticity goes with boxing and martial arts. We are the real thing."

The LA Boxing Workout, a trademarked routine, includes five, three-minute rounds, which are separated by one-minute active breaks. After throwing on some wraps and gloves, the class begins with punching and kicking combinations that not only help build cardio endurance, but tones muscles too.

When Terra Johnson, a Howard University student, began her first class, her face was filled with excitement. By the end of the class, her expressions said something quite different.

"I had no idea that active breaks literally meant still exercising! My mind was headed for my water bottle, but my instructor told my body to do 10 push ups. It's a great concept, but it may be too tough," Johnson said.

Rory Burns, a commercial real estate agent, had a slightly different spin. "I use to belong to Fitness First, but I had to quit because it was more like flowery aerobics. I wanted to sweat. This is a great workout and it stays challenging, but it can be done," Burns said.

Whether looking for a tough challenge or to learn some new techniques, there is definitely no motivation needed. The classes are done in groups, which not only boost participation, but confidence as well.

The gym is open to members Monday through Thursday evenings from 6 to 9, on Friday evenings from 6 to 8, on Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Although the gym is still in the opening phases, there are some new ideas and incentives in the works. In addition to the possibility of offering youth classes in the future, Sawyer also plans on developing a membership incentive plan offering discounts for local college students, like those at Georgetown, George Washington, Catholic, and Howard Universities.

With no two classes done exactly the same, it's not hard to see why boredom is hard to come by. "The classes are constantly changing. Every class takes on its own life, which is probably why people get so addicted," Sawyer said. "We're tough, but you're here to push yourself.