Things To Do in New Jersey

USFCA Master and fencing Olympian Steve Kaplan was inducted into the New York University Athletics Hall of Fame for his feats as the captain of the 1971 national-championship team and his six-year stint as NYU's head coach, during which time he produced five national champions. Since founding Cobra Fencing in 2002, Kaplan and his team of dedicated duelists have taught kids, adults, and vengeance-seeking buccaneers the way of the sword. Whether fencing for fitness, pleasure, or competition, students proceed at their own pace through the intimate classes, starting with footwork essentials before learning the finer points—pun intended—of the sport's three unique blades.

The KISS Expo draws in fans from near and far together under one roof for a day of celebrating their favorite rock band. For eight hours, attendees can gain an inside view of the band's work during panels featuring guitar designer Jim Cara, album artist Ken Kelly, and author Lydia Criss. Fans even have a chance to receive an autograph and take a photo with lead guitarist Tommy Thayer, giving them an exciting photo to show in place of their driver's license at traffic stops. Beyond panels and autograph sessions, fans can also add to their KISS memorabilia at stations set up by dozens of onsite merchants throughout the convention space.

Tucked alongside the Assunpink Creek, Trenton's Mill Hill neighborhood houses brick-faced 19th century homes and their lush gardens within a cozy 10-block area. For more than 200 years, residents of the historic neighborhood have taken pride in cultivating their scenic community. Each year, local homeowners open up their yards so that visitors can peek into their diminutive urban gardens. The scenic tour drew the attention of CBS Philadelphia, which wrote that “between and behind these historic homes, you'll discover some of the Delaware Valley's most cleverly designed compact gardens.”

Clifton Yoga Center focuses on the Kripalu yoga tradition—a form of Hatha yoga that asks its practitioners to rely on inner focus, meditation, standard yoga poses, and breathing exercises. Classes are taught by a certified Kripalu yoga instructor with 18 years of experience in the discipline.

CKO Kickboxing's Joseph Andreula opened up his first gym in Hoboken, New Jersey, back in 1997. In that humble location, the fitness guru helped his clients shed their spare pounds and ratchet up their self-esteem with intense kickboxing workouts. Once word got out that Joseph's program of punching and kicking weighted bags got you more ripped than stay-at-home programs of punching and kicking ghosts, the gym caught on. CKO Kickboxing locations began to pop up throughout the country, where the newly expanded company's commitment to delivering heart-pumping workouts even earned a mention on NBC's Today. At the Bayonne location, a forest of professional, 100- to 125-pound bags serves as the backdrop to kickboxing classes throughout the week. Their coed team of 11 seasoned coaches leads signature CKO workout sessions, along with a kickboxing bridal boot camp and nutritional program. The staff even offers complimentary babysitting sessions for children.

Winner of more than 100 mixed-martial-arts competitions, Tiger Schulmann shares his pride and love for fighting and self-defense with both adults and children in gyms across five states. From first-time grapplers to expert muay thai fighters, students of all fitness and experience levels are welcome to dive into a class at Schulmann’s. At more than 47 locations, adults can take classes in kickboxing, MMA, and jujitsu—the last of which instills students with the skill and confidence to take down opponents of any size, strength, or telekinetic ability. Kids, meanwhile, can learn martial arts for fun, or gain useful experience in bully prevention; the kids’ classes help victims immediately identify and safely diffuse situations when pitted against an aggressor.