32 | BOROMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2013 BODY & SOUL Getting a kic k Story Hayley Bridgewater When I heard the word that a CKO franchise was coming to Queens, I knew one way or another I would find myself walking through those doors. It is the very first location for the borough, and an exciting addition to Astoria. I have long been a huge fan of kickboxing/boxing, both as a spectator and as a participant. Whether it is to burn off excess energy or release stress, it might sound crazy, but this girl likes to hit things. CKO Kickboxing was originally developed in Hoboken, NJ and opened as Take It To The Max in November, 1997 by Joseph Andreula. It was the first of its kind, blending kickboxing with exercises and drills that you would regularly see in a boot camp environment. CKO quickly became popular in Hoboken, and in a few years, additional locations were popping up in NJ and NY. By 2005—when yours truly resided four blocks from its original location!—CKO had opened the doors to its second Hoboken gym. Today, CKO boasts more than 40 locations in its fitness arsenal. THE SPACE IN ASTORIA Formerly the site of a furniture warehouse, CKO Astoria is located on the second floor of 40-06 Astoria Boulevard, at the intersection of Steinway and Astoria Boulevard. The 6,000 square foot space has been gutted, refinished, and outfitted with 56 heavy bags, each 7 ft. tall and 120 lbs . The wall of large windows and lofted ceiling illuminate the space with natural light, and the spongy floor is fantastic for running and plyometric drills. Gloves and sports drinks can be purchased at the front desk, and there are two restrooms as well as a bank of lockers for all non-class related items. When I was visiting, they were outfitting a personal training area, which will be a great addition for those interested in enhancing their skills with some oneon one instruction. My personal favorite touches? A killer sound system and graffiti mural reminiscent of Five Pointz. THE GUYS Born and raised in Queens, Leo Maragas and Anthony Parrino are high-schoolfriends turned-CKO-Astoria-owners. Though both gentlemen have professional careers, their long time friendship, mixed martial arts background, and interest in bringing fitness to the masses led them to seek out this business opportunity. Their passion and dedication was evident from the first email to our eventual on-site meeting and subsequent class. These guys are the real deal. Super charismatic and engaging, they both spoke of how important their clients are to them. “We love coming to work. We love our members. The energy is great,” says Leo. Anthony adds, “We want everyone to be comfortable, to have fun while they are doing something good for themselves. We want them to feel like family.” If the enthusiasm of the members bouncing out of fitness
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