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Where to do it: Gleason's Gym, 77 Front St between Main and Washington Sts, Dumbo, Brooklyn (718-797-2872, gleasonsgym.net). Mon--Fri 5am--10pm; Sat, Sun 8am--6pm. Monthly membership $85. Boxing for Fitness with Guy Verderosa starts Mon 3: Mon--Fri 6:20--7:20am; Sat, Sun 6:20--7:20am, 7:45--8:45am, 4:45--5:45pm. $20 per session.
RECOMMENDED: Fitness guide to NYC
What goes down: In November, news leaked that underground, Fight Club--inspired boxing matches were being organized on the Lower East Side. Visions of Edward Norton look-alikes (except skinnier, with more plaid and aesthetically planned bruises) were dancing in our heads. But perhaps a venue the cops won't bust is a better option: Gleason's, the oldest boxing gym in the country, holds "white collar" matches monthly. Owner Bruce Silverglade says his club attracts nearly 100 beginners a month, and about one third of the gym's clientele are women. "Boxing is a very addictive type of training," he says. If you don't want to embarrass yourself, hook up with one of the gym's trainers, who work with fighters one on one. It takes about seven months to get most people fight-ready, says coach Guy Verderosa, who is starting the gym's first group-training class in January. "This ain't boxaerobics." Tell that to Jonathan Ames.