<p>Hi, im going to be attending UCSB next year and fitness is a big part of my life. i like to work out and participate in basically any sports, even though im terrible at basically all ball sports. unless you consider ping pong a sport. basically my question is which is the best dorm to live in terms of health and wellness and is the big public gym nice and spacious? or is it most of the time spent waiting for the sweaty fat guy to get off the bench press?</p>
<p>I've also been doing MMA (mixed martial arts) for a few years and have a little cage experience. i love the sport and have been competeing and wanted to pursue it in SB. Does anyone know is there's a MMA club on campus or anything related to martial arts of fighting?</p>
<p>haha, dude I’m in the same boat as you!
I’m a girl and I got into Muay Thai about 5 months ago…I love it and its a main part of my fitness routine (I go to an MMA gym 3 times a week with 2 hour sessions.) I have been looking around for a gym around SB too…so far I found several. You should google it.
Hit me up if you find any good places? :)</p>
<p>I’m pretty interested in taking up some muay thai as well. So post back here if you guys find anything.</p>
<p>The gym is decent. There are I believe two weight lifting facilities in the big public gym. My only qualm is that there seems to be only like one or two power racks for squats and stuff.</p>
<p>UCSB offers non-credit “leisure review” classes where you can take various martial arts. I myself took Tae Kwon Do my last quarter there. Great exercise and the rates are very cheap compared to private places… Here are the Spring 09 offerings:</p>
<p>glad to see im not the only one who loves fighting
thanks a lot for the recommendations, aikido isnt really for me, but ill definitely check out the muay thai classes. I’ve never heard of the instructor though, anyone know michael rayas? and by that i dont mean googling his name haha, meaning whether he holds any titles or such.
I looked into it and the best gym in SB is called Paragon BJJ
[Paragon</a> Jiu Jitsu & Kickboxing](<a href=“http://www.paragonbjj.net/]Paragon”>http://www.paragonbjj.net/)
only down side is its pretty expensive, but i checked it out when i went to spring insight and I’ve been researching since then, the rest of the places dont look nearly as serious.
if anyone wants to spar in SB just message me for my number</p>
<p>seems like they changed all the URLs that’s why u can’t open any leisure review links.
here’s their new webplace that i found on facebook yesterday after desperately trying to open the old links through google lol, in case you guys are interested: [url=<a href=“http://www.recreation.ucsb.edu/leisurereview/default.aspx]University”>http://www.recreation.ucsb.edu/leisurereview/default.aspx]University</a> of California, Santa Barbara - LEISURE REVIEW CLASSES<a href=“apparently%20the%20link%20that%20rc251%20posted%20is%20on%20there%20too”>/url</a>.</p>
<p>i’m currently taking Aikido this quarter, it’s just getting more fun and i think i’ll continue to take it and probably become a club member once i’m good enough to take the first belt level test (or whatever you call it) +the instructor is awesome</p>
<p>do you feel like you could use the aikido techniques in real life or in a cage/ring?
ive done it a few times but it never amounted to anything because in the end of the day what we did in class was anything but effective. i could deinfetly try out for a jackie chan movie afterwards though.</p>
<p>I don’t know I’ve only learned so far how to step aside, fall, roll, and stuff, but i don’t think i can really make use of those in real life. I guess it takes some time before you can actually use it as self defense in a real situation. But I kinda like how they teach us how to relax our minds and stuff though (the type of Aikido that that they teach here is called “Ki Aikido”). I never thought it would be so different from karate (which i did a few times) where you learn how to punch or kick effectively and can make use of it right away lol.</p>
<p>So does anyone know which fitness center/gym is better between Santa Rosa’s and FT’s?
-Do they both provide good weightlifting machines?
-Also what kinds of exercising equipment/activities are in the main rec center?</p>
+the instructor is awesome</p>
I’ve only learned so far how to step aside, fall, roll, and stuff, but i don’t think i can really make use of those in real life. I guess it takes some time before you can actually use it as self defense in a real situation. But I kinda like how they teach us how to relax our minds and stuff though (the type of Aikido that that they teach here is called “Ki Aikido”). I never thought it would be so different from karate (which i did a few times) where you learn how to punch or kick effectively and can make use of it right away lol.</p>