I am a 110lb, thin-framed girl but I know how to (and have successfully done so) make a guy with…read morethe heft of a Philippine Volcano team member fall. I've also kicked an ex-US Marine in the face (during practice). Now that I've got your attention, I'd like to tell you about this self-defense school that teaches a practical way of defending yourself in the streets. I am an entry-level practitioner because I've been on and off in my lessons, but apart from truly enjoyable and fun sessions, Krav Maga has taught me how to be alert wherever I go, how to choose the safest spot in restaurants so you can exit fast during an emergency, and how to use regular objects as weapons. It traces its roots to Israel and is used by the Israeli Defense Forces. It teaches proper technique so that smaller built people like women can have a level playing field and defend themselves against bigger attackers who are usually men. Most satisfying is you can expend your pent-up energies and relieve stress by being a "basag-ulero" in a controlled setting. Meaning it teaches you to manage violence - to run away from and deflect conflict, but be able to apply just the right maneuver when the situation calls for it.

Took an introductory class and walked away feeling like I learned a lot about krav maga. It wasn't…read moretoo much of a workout since as a beginner, we had to learn basic stances & positions first, though I'm sure once you progress it gets more intense. My instructor was very helpful and pointed out different & harder variations of movements that were appropriate for my skill & fitness level. I was the only woman in the class, but felt comfortable throughout the hour and a half long session. We started with a fun warm up, then learning & practicing the attacks/counterattacks, and ended with a conditioning portion before cooling down. The instructor gave a good amount of water breaks and seemed very knowledgable about krav maga. I'm definitely planning on taking more classes from Krav Maga Philippines!

I've been playing ball here for close to 25 years. Back then, it was during lunch breaks after…read moreeating my lunch during recess. Now, it's in the evenings after work. The court still remains mostly the same, and for nostalgic and sporting purposes, that's mostly a good thing. Finding a good court in the Metro to play on isn't that hard, but combining a safe area, a good court, a good location, and most of all, freqeutn availability isn't as common as you might think. Xavier's HS court is always open and always available to be reserved, unless of course it's alumni basketball season. The best part about it is randomly bumping into familiar faces and challenging for a pick up game; just make sure you've got the skills to back up your bark.

I wouldn't recommend this location as a spot to take a girl on a date…read more A few things i would recommend they change: Keep the safety briefings professional Dont touch an adult or child without permission. If their harness needs adjusting use your words "can i adjust your harness" or "ma'am, can you tighten the strap"

Came here during the afternoon to try our hands at rock climbing. Payed 600 pesos for the whole…read moreday eith equipment (harness and shoes). If u sign up with them u get an additional 20% off i believe. If its your first time they give you a 15 min introduction course on how to climb, the different rules as well as how to belay and how to use the auto belay. It was very informative, and helpful, afterwards your on ur own to climb. There were a lot of different climbing stations. Approximately 25 or so, with 5 auto belay areas, each one having about 2 or 3 routes, varying in difficulty, and depending on the color od the hand holds. Each one went up about 20-30 feet. Upstairs they also had a bouldering area as well with nice thick padding since there was no harnessing. We spent a good 2 hours here and it was fun. My forearms and fingers were screaming after. But the place is nicely maintained, clean and comfortable. They had central air running which made it nice. The employees were attentive and watching but not oppressive by any means. The equipment were sturdy. The hand holds werent sticky at all. Nor were they loose. They felt very firm. The cords all look well maintained. They weren't frayed or coming apart. This is a very well put together rock climbing place. Will be back again when im in the area.

We have already tried Escape Hunt Bangkok and it being the original, we assumed we already tried…read morethe best. But Escape Hunt Manila was way better! First off, we love the place. It was bigger and more comfortable, and it exuded a more elegant yet still cozy feel. And of course, the best assets of this Manila branch is its people. From the owner (Mark) to the game masters (we had Carlo and Sam), we were treated like royalty. We were a big family celebrating my niece's 15th birthday, and Escape Hunt provided a nice cake for the birthday girl. All 14 of us also played at the same time and the staff volunteered to look after our 3 little ones under age 7 since it was not yet a busy hour. And of course the games were so much fun! It required lots of teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving, fast decisions, and even some math (yes!) but it was all worth it. Good thing we were the only ones scheduled to play during our assigned time because I'm pretty sure we got pretty loud. :) Definitely a place to visit for locals and tourists alike. And since their 3 themed rooms change every 6 months, there is so much more to look forward to. Thanks Escape Hunt Manila for a wonderful family bonding experience! We'll be back!

My friends and I had a phase where we just bought whatever we found on Groupon and other sites and…read morejust did it. On this particular episode, we decided to take Krav Maga lessons. Because, why not right? None of us had ever been in a real fist fight before, but it looked like a good form of exercise, or at the very least an interesting experience. Turns out it was a little bit of both. The small exercise room at Asuncion Badminton Center was the perfect play to practice, since the mirrors allowed you to see all angles and the padded floors provided some cushioning from falls. The participants came from all sorts of backgrounds, and everyone seemed apprehensive to tangle with each other at first. Going with a friend definitely hurts, but make sure it's someone who won't bruise easily. It's even a great exercise for girls, since many of the defensive maneuvers involve leverage and speed. There's a lot fo common sense involved, and the teachers make sure you understand why certain things work and why others don't. But in case of emergency, no truer words have ever been spoken: "In case of panic, kick groin."

Me and my friends were looking for something to do that is a little unusual and Google introduced…read moreme to Power Smash's Facebook page. The gym itself was a little hard to find but once we were there, we had an amazing time. We actually showed up with no reservation so we were lucky it was a Monday because that's the day of the week you can just join other people and play a doubles game. Unfortunately, we lost the game but at least we had the excuse of not having played in years! The staff was very nice and they sell some drinks and crisps as well as a little treat after the game! Looking forward to going again! Anyone?

Huge 12 badminton court complex. Floor renovated mid 2016. Not a perfect reno but it will do. When…read moreit rains hard for 30 mins, there are drips from the ceiling. Locker rooms are small and smells. You'll have a slim chance of playing between 6pm to 8pm. It's full and difficult to get reservation. Good luck on that. But the good news is, no one is playing anytime of the day except the above mentioned time. Now get your ass up and play!

Surprisingly fun time with family. At first, it doesn't seemed to be much to do or to see. They…read moreoffer service for a tour guide, but no paper map of the zoo available. You will have to find your way around. Rated 4 stars due to entertaining factor: We happened to walk by the pond with massive freshwater fishes and a crew mentioned of feeding food availability for fee. Another we walked by the small trail only because my daughter saw 2 small eagles standing on perch on their own in open area. We came upon the area with crews readily to provide hands on activities with selfies opportunities with adult eagle and handful colorful parrots. Encounter of Feeding the giraffes. Another selfies opportunities. Very close encounter with mammals in their cages. Not many other zoos offer it. Missed opportunities are abound sadly: For sure we missed other animal viewings without proper map. We noticed "feeding food availability" sign, but none are near to buy or where to go (except for giraffe encounter). We walked in couple areas where we aren't sure if there are animals or empty spots. Proper advertisement location could use updated. Definitely having a map locating feeding areas & engaging with animals display. Staffs are friendly, no doubt. The place is clean and properly maintained.

I've been here maybe 4 times, three of which were with family, and once for a class field trip…read more It's a very hot place, so be sure to bring a fan with you, along with a cap and some water. We covered a lot of ground area, and if you're travelling in a group, you're going to experience a lot of stops between the different areas. I particularly enjoyed the giraffe and arapaima sections, where we got to feed the animals. The posted signages are usually informative enough, detailing the genus, species, conservation status (e.g. threatened, endangered, critically endangered) and distribution of the animals with fun facts about their behavior, physiology or numbers, so there's not much need for a guide. That being said, it was pretty cool how my professor asked an employee checking on the animals about hteir conditions, and he provided much more info than the signage, even asking us on our opinions on zoos and the condition of Philippine biodiversity. It was a thoughtful exchange that was probably the highlight of that particular visit.

We were probably the oldest people in line when my friend's and I decided to try out Lazer Maxx as…read morea way to pass the time one weekend. Grown up kids all excited to get suited up, it was the dorkiest I've felt in a long time. They said we only had 30 minutes inside and I felt a bit bad for paying so much money for just half and hour but when you're running in the dark with a laser gun strapped to your chest, it does get pretty tiring. So the end goal is to get as many hits to your opponent's target without getting hit yourself. Each vest is equipped with a sensor that you should aim at, when you're hit, your gun temporarily shuts down and you'd have to wait until it's turned on again. I was a girly girl growing up so you can imagine the struggle I had aiming at boys running at lighting speed. But it's all good fun and even if I finished last on several occasions, yes we've been here more than once, it's a great place to blow off steam and burn off a few calories.

There are only a few things that can top the joy of shooting a friend for recreation. And there is…read moreno risk of you having to go to jail. This place gives you the opportunity to release stress, have fun and exercise at the same time. I got to experience Lazer Maxx with some officemates for a team building activity and it's been a very memorable experience. You will be divided into two teams and you each have a gun or what they call phasors. You will also wear a vest with sensors on it that your opponents will try to hit with their lazer and different points are given based on the location of the target that you hit. Sorry but no headshots here. They assign you a cool code name like Achilles or Perseus so you can keep track of your own score. Once everyone is ready then they release you in their arena. And then all hell breaks loose. I mean, you are in this dark arena with guys shooting lazers at you and you're trying to shoot back and you're trying to take cover while a comrade is asking for cover. The game is so frantic that the fifteen minute game play seemed like an hour for me. I exited the arena sweating and panting like I just ran a marathon. So yes, bring an extra shirt if you can. There are some things that I find interesting in this experience. For one, this is a game of wits. There are holes in hiding places that you can exploit to gain advantage over your opponent. It's fun to just go crazy and shoot at everything that moves but you'll just end up getting shot more by the other team. Strategies are needed. Plan the position of your team and make sure that someone covers your back at all times. On a side note, the game brings out hidden personalities and you get to see peolple for who they really are.The cute, prim and proper girl in the office is suddenly shooting wildly like a homicidal maniac who just drank a gallon of Red Bull. You also get a glimpse of who has a hidden angst against the boss, the one who has his target on your manager at the onset of the game. Or the one who keeps on "accidentally" hitting you even though you're on the same team. This is one of the most fun experience I've had. Your calves will be aching afterwards along with other muscles you didn't even know existed but it will definitely be worth it.