Classes in Long Island City

For sensei Julio Rivera, fighting and fitness have always gone hand in hand. After winning a national bodybuilding title at 19, Rivera started to explore martial arts under the guidance of world champion Jack Krystek, eventually earning his black belts in both judo and jiu jitsu. He continues to share that passion for focused fitness at Omni Martial Arts, where he helps his students build muscle and mental focus while maintaining high moral standards. Judo teams master throws, leverage, and body positioning, while MMA classes integrate ground grappling with striking skills to build well-rounded fighters. And whether participants are adults or children, sensei Julio and his fellow instructors ensure they all leave the mat with the poise and strength of a genteel puma.

The scream of skidding tires and the screech of a horn precede the copper taste of adrenaline in your mouth as pigeons and sparrows lift from the sidewalks. Did the sound scare them, or the sight of an onrushing auto? Domenico Pinto doubtless pondered this same question when he established the Ferrari Driving School in 1968. Originally founded to help dyed-in-the-wool and immigrant New Yorkers drive more safely, the school has now expanded to usher more than 6,000 students a year through motorcycle-, truck-, and commercial-driving instruction. No matter the vehicle, Pinto and his family specialize in helping drivers obtain personal licenses and commercial certifications, and learn defensive techniques that help them avoid fender benders or accidentally starting a demolition derby.

The DMV-certified instructors at Learn-Rite Driving School inject their lessons with interactive curriculum for aspiring and seasoned drivers alike, allowing the former to sidestep driver’s ed. The teachers help students to refresh their understanding of the rules of the road, learn how to drive defensively, or ace upcoming driver's tests. At each instructor's disposal are vehicles with in-car video cameras that record lessons for students to study. Similarly, the classrooms boast modern educational amenities, including a driving-scenario mural, a 6-foot-wide smart board, and updated videos that spotlight the dangers of texting and napping on airbags.

Originally invented as a yoga-like program for dancers, the Gyrotonic Expansion System is an elasticizing exercise modality that uses multidirectional and spherical movement to condition joints and increase overall flexibility. Trainees grab the cables on custom equipment such as the pulley tower combination unit, a machine that can be pulled, pushed, and yanked in more directions than a high-school romance. The undulating motions of Gyrotonic workouts provide many inherent perks, including stress relief and posture correction, as well as injury relief and recovery.

The creators of Paint Nite started their on-location art parties as a way to bring people together over a mutual love of art and cocktails. Events take place at bars in New York, Los Angeles, and more than 20 other cities, and have been touted by New York Magazine as the Best Friend Date and profiled by The Daily Beast. During each two-hour session, participants create a 16?x20? reproduction of the night's chosen artwork while sipping a beer, mixed drink, or glass of wine purchased from the bar. Paint Nite supplies all other materials, including paint and brushes, canvases, easels, and aprons. They even supply a local artist who guides participants through each step of the painting process, such as choosing a color palette.

It's no secret that residents of New York live busy lives. After spending the day engaged in this hectic lifestyle, it's easy to miss out the pleasure of a home-cooked meal. Enter CookSingleNYC?a culinary outfit designed to teach busy New Yorkers how to cook meals for themselves. Helmed by experienced instructors, each class of no more than six students is taught how to run their single-person kitchen using a variety of techniques. While the course primes students to cook at least two dinner-style meals?consisting of a meat and several side dishes?the technique-driven curriculum grants them the ability to cook just about anything. After eating their finished delectable creations, students are sent home with a booklet that contains tips, tricks, and other recipes to try at home.