January 14, 1999
Kickbox your way to fitness
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
For anyone who resolved to get into shape this year, Miss Lynn can help you do it.
Miss Lynn is Taekwon-Do Master Marty Lynn, owner of the Karate Institute in Chums Corners. After training in martial arts for nearly 20 years and achieving a fourth degree black belt, Lynn began offering kickboxing classes at her institute last July. She has seen the sport take off in the area, as she now teaches six classes a week, averaging more than fifteen students a class before the holidays.
And many of her students' waistlines have never been the same.
"I have women who told me they have been able to button their pants for the first time in years," said Lynn, a city resident. "Kickboxing is a power-packed workout It is a self-paced workout, there is no partner work, no opponent and no confrontation. Kickboxing is coming into vogue."
Kickboxing was the answer for Leslie Liebler of Interlochen, who began taking the classes with Lynn when she first offered them in July.
"I turned 40 this year and I promised myself that I would get into shape," Liebler said. "With kickboxing I met my goal. I may not have lost all the pounds I wanted to, but I am in shape."
A freelance court reporter with young children, Liebler also appreciates the stress relief these workouts provide - as well as the fun. Lured to the Karate Institute after her children began taking Taekwon-Do, she has since begun studying Taekwon-Do and hopes one day to teach it.
"I highly recommend kickboxing," said Liebler, who also runs and lifts weights regularly. "It is great for people who are not motivated because unless you are motivated and having fun you won't do it."
Breaking the monotony of regular workouts led Lisa Dunsirn of Garfield Township to try kickboxing. She started in Taekwon-Do but switched to kickboxing after three months, drawn to the variety and fun of the classes.
"Kickboxing is probably the best workout I've ever done," said Dunsirn, who is a former runner and gymnast. "It is a great way to lean the muscles and get into shape."
Lynn began studying martial arts while attending Washtenaw Community College in the mid-1970s. Teaching since 1982, she has owned her own studio in New York for four years and opened the Karate Institute in Traverse City in 1996. She added kickboxing to her teaching repertoire because while she loves the traditional discipline and training of martial arts, she also realizes that it is not for most people.
"Traditional martial arts can be boring and monotonous for most Americans who want a good workout," Lynn said. "Kickboxing is so much fun and I put the tradition and philosophy of martial arts in, too."
Her workouts include floor work that mimics Taekwon-Do techniques, stretching and kicking from a ballet bar, dynamic or continuous stretching and toning for specific muscles. She sells punchcards and runs a continuous program where people drop in on their own schedule to one or more of the six classes a week.
For the mostly women in her classes, Lynn also teaches some self-defense techniques and works to build class members' confidence in their bodies. Each kickboxing workout winds up with deep breathing and affirmations.
"The women have told me they feel very confident after taking kickboxing," Lynn said. "Women from the very overweight to the already athletic will benefit."