thedrifter
02-04-06, 06:22 AM
Punching up troops’ morale: GIs get taste of aerobic kickboxing courtesy of Holbrook man
By MARK FONTECCHIO
The Patriot Ledger
Shawn Graham, owner of Fighting Arts and Fitness, took a break from demonstrating Tae Bo to his class.
He marched up to one student who was sweating and panting and kicking, and he put his hand up higher, as the new threshold.
‘‘Keep moving,’’ he said into a headset microphone. ‘‘Step, step.’’
The 39-year-old Holbrook resident then jumped back to the front of the Randolph gym to lead the 15 students in a new combo sequence of cross punches and kicks.
It’s a bit of a change of scenery for Graham, who two weeks ago was doing the same type of classes, but in subzero temperatures in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan.
As part of a tour sponsored by real estate company Re/Max, Graham, Tae Bo founder Billy Blanks and others traveled to Manas Air Force Base and Bagram Air Base from Jan. 10 to Jan. 23 to teach U.S. soldiers some of the aerobic kickboxing that has made Blanks famous.
Graham came back a changed man.
‘‘It was awesome,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m glad we went because a lot of people forget about Afghanistan. I really learned how lucky we are.’’
Graham started his foray into Tae Bo when he was just out of high school and met Blanks, who started teaching him karate.
The Tae Bo creator had a gym in Rockland and then in Quincy, and the two started teaching aerobic kickboxing.
‘‘He was one of the first people I used as a guinea pig,’’ Blanks joked in a phone interview from his gym in California. ‘‘He’s a really good teacher. Shawn loves people.’’
Graham moved to California with Blanks, where Tae Bo really caught on. Celebrities such as Paula Abdul took to it and Blanks soon became famous.
Meanwhile, Graham had moved back to Massachusetts to work for his family business. But later he opened his own Tae Bo gym in Weymouth; for the last five years it has been on Route 28 in Randolph.
Blanks usually takes his daughter Shelly on trips overseas, but she is pregnant and Blanks had been wanting to take Graham along anyway.
Blanks has been overseas several times in the past decade, training troops in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia.
On this trip, the group flew into Kyrgyzstan, where they taught all branches of the military. Some of the classes were as early as 5 a.m. They then traveled to the Bagram base in Afghanistan.
‘‘We got a chance to go work out with the troops and motivate them and just talk to them,’’ Blanks said. ‘‘It is a great time spending with the troops, picking their morale up and lifting them up.’’
Graham said he was particularly impressed with the Marines.
‘‘The Marines are hard core,’’ he said. ‘‘They don’t quit for nothing.’’
Mark Fontecchio may be reached by e-mail at mfontecchio@ledger.com.
Ellie
By MARK FONTECCHIO
The Patriot Ledger
Shawn Graham, owner of Fighting Arts and Fitness, took a break from demonstrating Tae Bo to his class.
He marched up to one student who was sweating and panting and kicking, and he put his hand up higher, as the new threshold.
‘‘Keep moving,’’ he said into a headset microphone. ‘‘Step, step.’’
The 39-year-old Holbrook resident then jumped back to the front of the Randolph gym to lead the 15 students in a new combo sequence of cross punches and kicks.
It’s a bit of a change of scenery for Graham, who two weeks ago was doing the same type of classes, but in subzero temperatures in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan.
As part of a tour sponsored by real estate company Re/Max, Graham, Tae Bo founder Billy Blanks and others traveled to Manas Air Force Base and Bagram Air Base from Jan. 10 to Jan. 23 to teach U.S. soldiers some of the aerobic kickboxing that has made Blanks famous.
Graham came back a changed man.
‘‘It was awesome,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m glad we went because a lot of people forget about Afghanistan. I really learned how lucky we are.’’
Graham started his foray into Tae Bo when he was just out of high school and met Blanks, who started teaching him karate.
The Tae Bo creator had a gym in Rockland and then in Quincy, and the two started teaching aerobic kickboxing.
‘‘He was one of the first people I used as a guinea pig,’’ Blanks joked in a phone interview from his gym in California. ‘‘He’s a really good teacher. Shawn loves people.’’
Graham moved to California with Blanks, where Tae Bo really caught on. Celebrities such as Paula Abdul took to it and Blanks soon became famous.
Meanwhile, Graham had moved back to Massachusetts to work for his family business. But later he opened his own Tae Bo gym in Weymouth; for the last five years it has been on Route 28 in Randolph.
Blanks usually takes his daughter Shelly on trips overseas, but she is pregnant and Blanks had been wanting to take Graham along anyway.
Blanks has been overseas several times in the past decade, training troops in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia.
On this trip, the group flew into Kyrgyzstan, where they taught all branches of the military. Some of the classes were as early as 5 a.m. They then traveled to the Bagram base in Afghanistan.
‘‘We got a chance to go work out with the troops and motivate them and just talk to them,’’ Blanks said. ‘‘It is a great time spending with the troops, picking their morale up and lifting them up.’’
Graham said he was particularly impressed with the Marines.
‘‘The Marines are hard core,’’ he said. ‘‘They don’t quit for nothing.’’
Mark Fontecchio may be reached by e-mail at mfontecchio@ledger.com.
Ellie