Fine and Martial Arts Text and photos by Jack Crosbie
Street photography got a little meta this week, as Robert Perea stopped for a second while walking down state. Perea is in his second year at the Brooks Institute downtown and recently returned from the Big Apple’s New York Fashion Week. “It’s always been something I’ve been interested in — I just gave it a shot and took a leap of faith,” he said about his move from Arizona to S.B. to study at Brooks.
living SPORTS • FOOD & DRINK
FACEBOOK.COM/SANTABARBAR AOPENSTREETS
{ SCENE IN S.B. }
{ FITNESS }
Playing in
the Streets I
“Jiujitsu was what I found to support myself when I decided to stay [in the U.S.] ... I wasn’t really expecting to start a school and stay for a long time — then once I started teaching, I fell in love with it,” said Rodrigo Clark, owner and head instructor at the downtown Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Clark, originally from Brazil, comes from a strong BJJ family — his father was trained by the Gracie family themselves. He celebrated 10 years of teaching in the S.B. area last week.
{ QUIZ }
Fitness
Fancy
1}
What year did fitness guru Jack LaLanne open the nation’s first health club?
❏ 1936 ❏ 1956 ❏ 1976
2}
Who was the youngest person to win the Mr. Universe title?
3}
Aerobics was created in 1968 by two people who worked for which organization?
❏ Lou Ferrigno ❏ Arnold Schwarzenegger ❏ Charles Atlas
❏ U.S. Air Force ❏ NASA ❏ International Olympic Committee
{ETC. }
Getting Good
Health Care
It’s more essential than ever for folks to take charge of their medical care. But how? In his book, Surviving American Medicine, Dr. Cary Presant gives readers what they need to know to make informed choices. Here are a few tips: Bring a list of your concerns, symptoms, and questions; bring family or a friend to help listen and ask questions; write down the answers; record the doctor’s advice; if you need medicine, ask if there is a generic brand or free samples; ask what illnesses you are at risk of getting based on current health and family history. Dr. Presant will read from and sign copies of his book Saturday, October 26, 3-5 p.m., Tecolote Book Shop, 1470 E. Valley Rd., Montecito. Call 969-4977. Surviving American Medicine is available at area bookshops or amazon.com. — MD
n the 1980s, Jane Fonda famously made aerobics a national craze. To whip yourself into shape, all you needed were neon spandex, a headband, and a VCR. Today, exercise is more complicated; there are myriad fitness disciplines to choose from that target specific parts of the body and achieve distinct goals. It can get pricey doing a Goldilocks to find the perfect regimen, so how do you decide which one is best for you? Fortunately, a group of Santa Barbara folks have been working for the past three years to bring a unique exercise opportunity to town. It’s called Open Streets and consists of a whole day of sampler classes and workshops geared toward a healthy lifestyle. “It’s an initiative for public health and sustainable transportation,” explained Robin Elander, S.B. Open Streets coordinator. “The day is so people can get a feel for a sustainable future, a healthy active lifestyle, and to continue to build a better and stronger community.” Getting fit is just one focus of the event. It is also a call to reduce our carbon footprint by using alternative transport as much as possible, such as walking and biking, rather than relying on air-polluting vehicles. For that reason, Cabrillo Boulevard, where the exposition takes place, will be closed to motorized traffic for the day. People can still park in the Cabrillo parking lots, but twoand-a-half miles of the street will be car-free. There will be plenty to capture the attention of all ages. To get the blood flowing, there are beach boot camps, kickboxing, Brazilian capoeira, jiu-jitsu, zumba, salsa dancing, yoga, and stroller fitness. Fine-tune your motor skills at the mountain- and road-bike course, or learn bike maintenance;
12 million
HEALTHY LIFE: S.B. Open Streets is part of a global movement with the goal of encouraging people to get outside and be active.
or participate in health screenings, classes on how to eat well, and educational workshops. There will also be face painting, artwork on display, and other family-oriented events. It takes a village to pull off an event like this — hundreds of sponsors and volunteers are helping to bring Open Streets to fruition, but more of both are still needed. There will be a volunteer boot camp with Jenny Schatzle Saturday, October 19, at 9 a.m., followed by a volunteer orientation at 10 a.m., at Chase Palm Park. As for sponsorships, a bit more money is needed to make it to Open Streets’ goal of $5,000 by October 7. The purpose of S.B. Open Streets is summed up succinctly on the organization’s website: “By closing the street to traffic for a day and creating a space for families, individuals, and organizations to get out and move, try new fitness classes, walk, bike, or bus to the event and connect and eat in a community space, we are creating a better environment in which to build healthier individuals and a stronger community with less reliance on motorized vehicles.” Now go outside and play.
— Michelle Drown
4•1•1
is Saturday, Novem S.B. Open Streets uBo illo br Ca . on ber 2, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m e Funk Zone. For th of rt pa d an d levar at , call Robin Elander more information g. or ts. ee openstr 216-1223 or visit sb
by the numbers The number of pounds aerobics guru Richard Simmons estimated in 2010 he’s helped people lose over the past 35 years. source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Simmons. october 3, 2013
THE INDEPENDENt
41
answers: . 1936; . Arnold Schwarzenegger; . U.S. Air Force.