Class: Kickboxing

Location: Brentwood

Work-out: Kickboxing

Difficulty: 4

Next day soreness: 4

Duration: 60

Sweat Level: Sweaty

Parking: Street parking, free validated lot until 5pm on weekdays, $4 on weekends and nights

Amenities:  filtered water fountain, free glove and wrap rental

Requirements for class: sneakers, towel

This is one of the more under-rated boxing classes around LA. Keith Cooke himself taught the class and as my friend Cassie puts it, he’s a ninja! The class is very welcoming to beginners, but at the same time, most of the clientele seem to know what they’re doing. The studio is no frills, but offers free glove and wrap rentals that don’t smell like other people’s sweat, which is a HUUUUUGE PLUS. It’s basically one big mirrored room with standing punching bags and everyone gets his/her own to do circuits (though I shared one with Cassie). The moves are a combination of standard boxing drills with some fancy kicks and turns, which I personally appreciated. You’re active the entire time, and at the end, you lay down the bags to do a core circuit.

Overall, the workout was great. It pushed you to your limits and incorporated moves that you normally don’t see at other boxing studios. The studio also offers other martial arts classes and it has a vibe of seriousness, without being intimidating. If you want a great workout without frills, this is it!