By Olivia Montes
Elm Staff Writer
The summer season may be coming to a close, but the Johnson Fitness Center is making sure the indoor fun and exercise never end.
For the last two weeks of classes, the JFC has been providing students with the opportunity to leave their seats and get moving.
One such opportunity is provided by the Mixed Martial Arts Club, who meet three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
The MMA club is a professionally-led extracurricular group that provides “real-life” skills that every student should have, according to MMA Club President sophomore Julia Manaraze.
“[The Mixed Martial Arts Club] is held in the Yoga Room in the basement of the Cain Athletic Center,” Manaraze said, in a campus-wide email.
“We have two qualified coaches come out and teach us 1-2 times per week, both who have earned their black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu [and] have experience in real self-defense and sport-fighting scenarios and they come often to train us to get us into better shape and skill for tough situations,” she said.
On Mondays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the club is led by two professional coaches.
“Coach Phil [from Raw Combat Mid-Atlantic] specializes in street defense, [while] Coach Jay helps us to be better ground fighters,” Manaraze said.
“Both coaches help students become better equipped to deal with bad circumstances that would be overwhelming if one has never trained or had any fighting experience,” she said.
The classes offer students not only the proper movements and techniques used in unforeseen circumstances, but also help them gain the confidence to handle anything that might get in their way.
According to Manaraze, both coaches help participants think critically about how to handle themselves through body language and communication.
“As a woman, learning how to feel comfortable on the ground and how to not only fare well against the same sized opponents but also larger, stronger opponents as well is invaluable,” she said.
“[Whether] you want to feel prepared in sketchy circumstances, if you are interested in fighting or competing, or if you just want to get a good workout, we have something that appeals to everyone,” said Coordinator of Campus Recreation Nicholas Moon.
Aundra Anderson, who runs dance and fitness events in Dance Studio, also offers classes of a different sort at the Fitness Center.
“[We] offer…Monday Turbo Kick, Tuesday Insanity and PiYo, and Thursday Intervals,” she said.
Freshman Melissa DeFrancesco reflected on her experience after attending Anderson’s Turbo Kick class.
“It was an intense experience, and I would definitely do it again. It was a fun and unique way to exercise,” she said.
Other classes offered at the JFC include Mixed Levels Yoga, Slow-Flow Yoga, Yogalates, and Zumba in the Cain Yoga Studio.
Visit the JFC website to view the 2018 semester schedule and class descriptions.