AUDREY.
♪ AUDREY: ALL AGES.
>> RUN, RUN, RUN, GO.
AUDREY: ALL ABILITIES.
>> YOU ARE NOT DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER YOU ARE NOT , JUST WALKING ON THE TREADMILL OR RUNNING, EVERY THREE MINUTES IT IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT, WORKING ALL PARTS OF YOUR BODY.
AUDREY: SOUTHPAW BOXING AND FITNESS OF WINDHAM IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE GYM.
♪ >> OUR YOUNGEST MEMBER IS SIX YEARS OLD.
OUR OLDEST MEMBER IS 76.
WE HAVE MALES AND FEMALES.
WE HAVE FIGHTERS, NON FIGHTERS WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN TO LOSE WEIGHT, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO JUST WANT TO MOVE.
IT IS OPEN TO EVERYBODY.
AUDREY: MIKE AND KIM MCBRINE OPENED SOUTHPAW IN SPRING OF 2019.
THE IDEA FOR THE BUSINESS GREW FROM MIKE’S LOVE OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS.
>> WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I STARTED TAKING KARATE LIKE EVERY LITTLE KID DOES, THEY WANT THE UNIFORM AND THE BELTS.
AUDREY: MIKE WENT ON TO BECOME AN MMA INSTRUCTOR, THAT’S WHEN HE AND KIM DECIDED TO OPEN THEIR OWN FACILITY.
SOUTHPAW OFFERS A LOT MORE THAN BOXING.
THERE ARE TREADMILLS, ROWERS AND WEIGHTS.
>> EVERYTHING FROM CARDIO CLASSES, CIRCUIT TRAINING, ALL THE WAY UP TO REAL TRAINING, IF PEOPLE WANT TO COMPETE IN GOLDEN GLOVES OR MMA.
WE OFFER IT ALL.
♪ AUDREY: SOUTHPAW IS THE STANCE A BOXER TAKES WHEN HE IS LEFT HANDED, LEADING WITH RIGHT JABS, AND FOLLOWING UP WITH A LEFT CROSS RIGHT HOOK.
BUT MIKE IS QUICK TO POINT OUT THAT ANYONE CAN STEP INTO THEIR RING WITHOUT FEAR.
>> EVERYBODY THINKS YOU ARE GOING TO COME TO A CLASS AND YOU ARE GOING TO GET HIT, COULDN’T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
WE DON’T EVEN ALLOW CONTACT.
IT IS SIX MONTHS BEFORE YOU COULD EVER EVEN THINK OF CONTACT, IF YOU WANTED TO.
AUDREY: JUST ASK TAYLOR ENGLISH, A 13-YEAR-OLD POWERHOUSE IN THE RING.
TAYLOR WANTS TO COMPETE WHEN SHE GETS OLDER.
BUT FOR TAYLOR, SOUTHPAW HAS PROVIDED FAR MORE THAN JUST EXERCISE.
♪ >> IT IS A GREAT STRESS RELIEVER, BECAUSE I HAVE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.
YOU CAN TAKE OUT YOUR ANGER AND , BEING NERVOUS, YOU CAN TAKE IT OUT ON THAT RATHER THAN OTHER PEOPLE.
YOU CAN JUST HIT A BAG.
THEN YOU GET TO SEE YOUR FRIENDS FROM BOXING, WHICH IS REALLY NICE.
BECAUSE I DEFINITELY HAVE GOTTEN CLOSER TO PEOPLE HERE.
AUDREY: TAYLOR’S PARENTS WERE A BIT NERVOUS TO LET HER BOX, BUT MOM HEIDI HAS SEEN A BIG CHANGE IN HER DAUGHTER.
>> SHE HAS AUDITIONED FOR A ROLE AT A PLAY AT HER SCHOOL, WHICH THAT IS SOMETHING PROBABLY SIX MONTH AGO, TAYLOR WOULD NOT HAVE TRIED TO DO.
SHE IS JUST SO MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND HAS SO MUCH MORE SELF-ESTEEM NOW, THAT I THINK SHE REALLY LACKED PRIOR TO COMING TO SOUTHPAW.
♪ AUDREY: STRESS RELIEF IS THE REASON CESAR DELATORRE WAS THE SECOND PERSON TO SIGN UP WHEN SOUTHPAW OPENED.
>> I AM A GUY.
I DON’T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT MY EMOTIONS BUT I DO HAVE THEM.
SO COMING IN HERE, I CAN DEFINITELY WORK THROUGH SOME THINGS.
MY FATHER JUST PASSED AWAY IN EARLY DECEMBER FROM PANCREATIC CANCER.
I REALLY DIDN’T WANT TO TALK WHEN I CAME HERE.
SOME OF MY COUNTERPARTS WOULD HOLD PADS FOR ME OR I WOULD HIT THE HEAVY BAG OR HOP INTO A CLASS, AND IT HAS DEFINITELY HELPED.
AUDREY: 76-YEAR-OLD GAIL WHITNEY WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SIGN UP.
SOUTHPAW WASN’T EVEN OPEN YET.
THESE ADORABLE LITTLE ARE THE ONES REASONS WHY.
>> I HAVE GOTTEN STRONGER AND I AM ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE LITTLE KIDS.
I HAVE MY GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN OFTEN, AND I ENJOY PLAYING WITH THEM AND GETTING ON THE FLOOR WITH THEM.
WHICH I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH BEFORE.
>> THEY ARE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR CLIENTS AND GETTING THEIR CLIENTS TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO , AND IT IS NOT INTIMIDATING AT ALL.
IT’S A GREAT PLACE.
♪ AUDREY: I HAD NEVER TRIED BOXING, BUT THOUGHT I COULD MASTER THE JOB AND UPPERCUT.
I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE IT A TRY, AFTER ALL, I LOVE A GOOD BOXING MOVIE.
THAT MUST COUNT RIGHT?
FIRST THERE IS A TRICK TO CLIMBING INTO THE RING.
>> NOT BACKWARDS, FORWARDS.
30 THERE YOU GO.
AUDREY: BOXING 101, LEARNING THE JAB.
>> ONE, TWO, THREE TWO, PERFECT.
AUDREY: A COUPLE MORE MOVES AND I WAS READY FOR THE GLOVES.
AT ONE POINT I WASN’T SURE IF I WAS IN A BOXING CLASS OR A DANCING CLASS.
>> BALL OF YOUR FRONT FOOT, PIVOT AND STEP OVER.
THERE YOU GO.
1, 2, NOW ROLL.
AUDREY: BUT WITH MIKE’S EXPERT INSTRUCTIONS, I WAS JABBING AND BOBBING AND WEAVING LIKE THE BEGINNER I AM.
SO IF YOU WANT TO KICK, PUNCH, OR OX YOUR WAY TO BETTER HEALTH, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, CHECK OUT SOUTHPAW FITNESS IN WINDHAM.
>> THE TRAINERS ARE SO AWESOME AND ENCOURAGING, YOU KEEP COMING BACK AND GET BETTER EACH TIME.
>> IT IS OPEN TO EVERYBODY AND I THINK WE HAVE DEVELOPED A GOOD COMMUNITY.
OUR MEMBERS ARE FABULOUS AND VERY WELCOME TO OTHERS COMING IN.
I FIND IT IS A CHALLENGE TO GET PEOPLE IN THE DOOR, BUT ONCE THEY ARE IN THE DOOR, THEY ARE ADDICTED AND THEY LOVE IT.