Photo courtesy of 8 Limbs Academy.

UPDATE (3/11/2015): 8 Limbs Academy opened on March 3, 2015. Here’s a short update from Coach Kate:

“We are scheduling FREE intros but are booked all through March, and we are starting to fill April. We are offering early morning ALL female kickboxing at 6 a.m. and evening classes starting at 6 p.m. The children’s classes start at 4:15 p.m., and there is an after school program for them starting at 3:00 p.m. Here is a link to our schedule: www.8limbsacademy.com/8-limbs-current-schedule.”

Here’s some exciting news for local martial arts and fitness fans. Partners and coaches Charlie Cottone and Kate Allen are opening a Muay Thai Kickboxing school, 8 Limbs Academy, on Baltimore Avenue in March. For those who are not very familiar with kickboxing, Muay Thai or Thai boxing is a national sport of Thailand. It is a physical and mental discipline also known as “the art of eight limbs,” because eight points of contact are used in the combat: fists, elbows, knees, and shins.

Eight Limbs Academy is expected to open in the first week of March, and coaches Charlie and Kate have already started preregistering folks, kids and adults alike, for their programs, which include All Female Kickboxing, Adult Muay Thai, and Kids Muay Thai programs. They will also offer an after-school program for kids who can come and spend time in the gym after school, including doing their homework, before their Muay Thai lesson. In addition to that, the owners hope to work closely and be involved with the West Philadelphia community. Continue Reading

Click to enlarge.

The annual Philadelphia Marathon returns this weekend, with thousands of runners participating in the event and many guests visiting the city. Good luck to anyone who is running!

The event brings a lot of excitement to the streets, but also means road closures, delays and detours. During the three-day event, which also includes the Rothman Institute 8K and Kids Fun Run on Saturday, motorists are advised to use alternate routes and avoid areas along the race course. There will be increased security in the Benjamin Franklin Parkway area, with parking and traffic regulations strictly enforced.

Major areas impacted during the Marathon weekend include:

• The Benjamin Franklin Parkway – Friday, Nov 21 through Sunday, Nov 23
• Citywide along the 26.2-mile route of the Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday, Nov 23 (see map)
• The I-676 off-ramps at 22nd Street (westbound) and 23rd Street (eastbound) will be closed on Sunday, Nov 23 after 4 a.m. for event security preparation.

Motorists and pedestrians can expect significant delays when trying to cross roads or streets that are adjacent to the course. Police will allow traffic through intersections along the course, when possible, depending on the flow of the race participants. All streets are scheduled to be reopened by 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov 23.  Continue Reading

September is here, which means kids go back to school, but also some local kids’ recreational and after-school programs resume. Here’s a reminder of two great youth soccer programs in the area for those families who are looking for sports or recreational activities for their children this Fall.

Clark Park Youth Soccer League (updated)

Photo courtesy of Clark Park Youth Soccer League.

Update (9/11/2014): Registration for the Fall season of Clark Park Youth Soccer is now open. Click here to register online. The program is also seeking volunteer coaches. If you know a little bit about the game and like running and having fun with kids, email: clarkparksoccer@yahoo.com

9/2/2014: The Clark Park Youth Soccer League (CPYSL) is a program of Friends of Clark Park (FOCP) designed for kids ages 5-11. The Fall season of the program starts on Saturday, Sept. 27 and goes on until Nov. 22. Soccer instruction and games (90-minute sessions) are offered every Saturday in the Clark Park bowl at 45th and Chester. Mornings (10:30 a.m. – Noon): ages 5-6.5 and ages 6.5-7. Afternoons (Noon-1:30 p.m.): ages 8-9 and ages 10-11. This is a low-cost program. The fees include a $20 seasonal (fall or spring) fee for the first child and $10 for each additional child and a $20/year FOCP family membership fee if you have one child enrolling in the program ($25 for families with two or more kids in the program).

Please note that CPYSL is a volunteer-run program and relies on the help from parents and other adults. Adults are invited to assist with coaching or to help with the administrative work.

Visit this page for more information and to download registration forms.

Soccer Shots at Cedar Park

Soccer Shots is a positive introduction to soccer for toddlers and preschool aged children (ages 2-4). The program has opened registration for the fall season in West Philadelphia. The fall season starts on Saturday, Sept. 6 and ends on November 8. Soccer Shots focuses on the skills and lessons of the game by offering non-competitive classes. Each child learns the fundamentals of the game through skill instruction, fun games, and creative play. Classes are offered on Saturdays, from 9 – 11 a.m. (30-40 minutes of soccer instruction) at Cedar Park (50th and Baltimore). Spots are still available for some sessions. The fee is $120 per child and you can register online (click here to register).

Soccer Shots also has programs in eight other areas of the city and you can search for all of their programs on their website at www.soccershots.org/philadelphia.

If you have any questions, please contact Soccer Shots at: philly [at] soccershots.org or 267-630-1557.

HotBox Yoga’s new location at 3527 Lancaster Ave. (Photo from Hotboxyoga.com)

Manayunk-based Hotbox Yoga is set to open their new studio at 3527 Lancaster Ave this Fall and the owners are “beyond excited,” according to information on their Facebook page. Hotbox Yoga will take over the space in the two-story building previously occupied by Power Yoga Works. Power Yoga Works closed operations at this location on Sept. 1, according to Philadelphia Magazine.

The opening date for the new studio is not known yet but the owner, Brad Young, told Philly Mag he’s aiming for early October. Currently, the space is being renovated and upgraded, according to Young.

Just a reminder that West Philly is home to a couple of other yoga studios. Studio 34 is operating at 4522 Baltimore Avenue and Bikram Yoga University City opened two years ago at 42nd and Chestnut. In case you missed it, Dhyana Yoga moved from 40th and Chestnut to Rittenhouse Square earlier this year.

If you’re in Clark Park later this week keep an eye out for new benches inscribed with Charles Dickens quotes set to be installed between Wednesday morning (July 23) and Friday (July 25). A total of six new benches will be placed around the park.

Speaking of seating, new orange chairs are also on the way. The Friends of Clark Park voted during its annual members meeting last week to order 20 new chairs to replace damaged or missing chairs. The chairs cost $50 a piece and many have worn out since the experiment to place the movable chairs and tables in the park began in 2011. Despite initial doubts, the chairs and tables have been a huge success.

Members also voiced concerns about the growing amount of trash in the park, particularly overflowing garbage and recycling bins. Right now a seasonal city employee bags the trash on week days and the University of the Sciences picks up the recycling once a week. Also, event organizers and food trucks sometimes bring bins. Increasingly heavy use of the park in the summer – everything from large events to birthday parties and food trucks –  has resulted in more trash.

This seems like a good time to mention events coming at the park this month:

• The Awesome Fest continues this Thursday with Jingle Bell Rocks!, a wacky documentary on underground and alternative Christmas music.
• Shakespeare in Clark Park kicks off next Wednesday (July 30) at 7 p.m. in the bowl.

It’s hot out there. As more city pools are starting to open, more residents get a chance to cool off. Reader Alex Lewis snapped this photo right before the Kingsessing Pool (49th & Kingsessing) opened for the season last Friday. “As you can see, I wasn’t the only one eager to cool off on a hot summer day. I live just a few blocks from the pool and it’s a joy to have it finally be available, especially as the temperature only seems to rising every day,” Alex writes.

Check this post to find a neighborhood pool or spray ground in your area.