STICKFUSION | ***½
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTYThough Susie Lewis showcases specific movements for the three portions of the 60-minute StickFusion, you are encouraged to proceed at your own pace. Some of us on a recent morning kept up quite well. (I wouldn't tangle with some of these women, let alone the men, after witnessing how well they wielded the stick or how high some of them can kick.)The trick in mastering StickFusion is to not ''think so much,'' Lewis suggests. The stick, a padded baton really, should feel like an extension of one's arm and the movements are fluid.If you have kickboxed, StickFusion's punching and kicking feels familiar. For one skill, making a slashing X-shaped figure, imagine cutting through jungle growth with a machete. Another move sports a piston-like rhythm. Squats are employed frequently, including sweeping moves in which you crouch and eye ''an opponent'' to cut their legs out from under them. StickFusion's tough. A flier touts ''800 plus'' calories burned. I can't vouch for that number but it certainly felt like we'd shed those calories plus a lot of sweat. You stand the entire time, stressing upper and lower body, as well as the core, so that your punches, jabs and thrusts cut with cool efficiency.FUN FACTORFast-paced style plus uptempo ('80s) music and an engaged instructor make this one a challenge. Fun? Sure, who wouldn't want to move like Matt Damon in those ''Bourne'' flicks?TO DO ITPrecision Personal Training, 8861 SW 132nd St., Miami (in the warehouse district near The Falls shopping center); 305-270-7333.When: 9 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday.Cost: $15.RATING SCALE: Zero (Worthless) to Four Stars (Outstanding)If you saw The Bourne Ultimatum recently, or the other two action films in the Bourne series starring Matt Damon, you probably marveled at the amazing fight sequences coordinated by Jonathan Eusabio.
These martial arts principles from the Philippines form one-third of the relatively new StickFusion class, cocreated by instructor Susie Lewis at Precision Training.
''The most important thing is a feeling of empowerment,'' Lewis said to a newcomer to her morning class. Here, we learn fighting skills, similar to cardio kickboxing, with an emphasis on ''strong mind and strong body.'' StickFusion, after a brief warmup, is broken into three parts, the first two of which utilize a stick, weighing from eight to 16 ounces:
• Attack mode, influenced by the Filipino art of Kali.
• Agility, adopting Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do.
• Cooldown with empty-hand blocking and paring fighting skills inspired by Indonesia's Silat.
Matt Damon, watch out.
