Things to Do in Madison Heights

For more than 15 years, seasoned yoga instructor and teacher trainer Katherine Austin has been educating others on how to incorporate yoga and its many benefits into their daily lives. She’s joined by a team of skilled instructors, who imbue their knowledge of Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Kundalini methods onto students of any age and ability. Daily classes range from gentle yoga for beginners and senior citizens to more advanced sessions that challenge students to go deeper into their postures. Prenatal classes also aim to lower stress and increase flexibility for moms-to-be, and the classes have been showcased on Fox 2 News. Along with teaching students the benefits of yoga, Karma Yoga's staff helps their community thrive by donating a percentage of each class rate to Detroit's Urban Farming.

Inside Pilates Denver’s "movement studio"—a name adopted from its always-in-motion instructors—students draw both knowledge and inspiration from tenured masters, whether working to shed fat or unwind after a long day. Six days a week, students strengthen their cores during private, semi-private, and group-equipment classes in the Pilates studio. In the movement studio, instructors teach pupils traditional Pilates mat exercises to strengthen, tone, and elongate muscles. Meanwhile, other groups make use of a ballet barre while moving to high-octane music, or flow through sun salutations during Vinyasa and Hatha yoga classes.

Impact Fight League 57: War of Aggression pits American and Canadian fighters against one another in border-crossing bouts of merciless full-contact combat, showcasing a unique blend of fighting techniques. Stompers, punchers, and Vulcan nerve-pinchers from the Midwest and Canada converge at Joe Louis Arena, unleashing caged rage and bloodlust in battles that aren’t for the squeamish.

As the fight approaches, check the Donofrio Entertainment website for soon-to-be-announced information about the fighters, matchups, and advice on how to build a tree house with roundhouse kicks.

Most people are familiar with the idea of a silent attacker, but at Aikido Canada, eighth-level Dan Kevin Blok Kyoshi and his certified Dan instructors teach the quiet art of aikido self-defense. Instead of kicking, punching, and breaking boards, aikido classes demonstrate lock holds, pins, and takedowns to help children and adults alike nonviolently defend themselves. These moves help the student control an attacker without harming them or having to restrain them with Chinese finger traps. All of their classes allow students build their character with self-development and self-improvement, not the destruction of others. Kevin’s lengthy resumé includes such highlights as authoring four books, earning the Canada 125 medal for service to his country, and founding the Chudokai Aikido Federation International.

Home to the state's largest freestanding bouldering island, New Jersey Rock Gym houses 12,000 square feet of vertical terrain to climb as well as 41 top roping stations. Armed with either day passes or membership, guests scamper up the gym's synthetic summits, hoping to ask questions of the learned ceiling light sequestered at the top of the mountain. While gear is included with some membership options, guests can opt to bring their own materials or rent the individual shoes ($5), harnesses ($4), or chalk bags ($2) they need from the pro shop. New Jersey Rock Gym offers a collection of educational course work in the vertical arts, teaching belay technique to beginners or advanced skills to adults. Children can also take advantage of youth climbing programs, mini camps, and birthday parties before retiring to private refreshment chambers to absorb bottles of electrolyte-infused refreshment. The nearby pro shop outfits climbers with name-brand gear for purchase, while a WiFi lounge transmits terabytes of data into nearby electronic devices or unsecured cyborg brains.