The Punch House, Cincinnati

Each boxing class at held The Punch House—voted "Best Of the City" for its classes by Cincinnati Magazine—is taught by trained professionals such as nationally ranked heavyweight boxer Danny Calhoun, who was voted "Best Trainer of the City" by The Women's Fitness Association. And clients do more than just learn boxing moves: students torch up to 1,000 calories in each one-hour Boxing 101 class or over 500 calories during 30-minute Power Boxing classes. We host Weidemanns Beer Boxing Championships. We host Beer and Food festivals every year to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund and provide life long assistance to all of the branches of the United States armed forces.

The facility's combat tutelage has drawn such professional athletes as Indianapolis Colts linebacker Tyjuan Hagler and UFC champion Rich Franklin to The Punch House's arenas. Inside the high-ceilinged gym, red walls frame the expanse of blue and black floor mats, bruised from the many ground-pound lessons during mixed-martial-arts classes. Heavy, full-length bags sway, only slightly malformed from the devastating combos students are taught to deliver.