Meet my FXB Instructors: DJ Thunder

DJ Thunder: a.k.a. Andie

When someone says “DJ”, most people think of a disc jockey—you know, the kind you’d find at the radio station, in a club, or at a wedding. A few of you that attend the Columbus FXB location might think of a certain instructor named DJ, but it’s not his turn yet (I can’t give him a nickname that includes his actual name . . . that’d be too obvious). A few of you cool kids might be thinking of this DJ:

In Andie’s case, I’m talking about the kind of DJ you’d find in a club. My research shows that the characteristics of a good DJ can be boiled down into two primary categories:

1) Music

A good DJ not only puts out a great musical mix, but they are also willing to take a few calculated risks. Like most of our instructors, Andie can pump out a good mix for the workouts. However, she’s the first instructor that I’ve had put on Buffett during kickboxing (at an amped up pace of course). While it was a bit distracting—I wasn’t sure if I should be kickin’ the bag or back with a margarita—it certainly energized the group. I mean, it’s kind of impossible to not smile at a Buffett song. She doesn’t stop at Buffett either. She can throw together the most random of songs, at least from a workout perspective. From Margaritaville to What does the Fox Say, somehow Andie makes it all work.

2) Crowds

A good DJ is able to energize a crowd. They perform with gusto and aren’t shy about engaging with their peeps. All of our instructors walk the mat during the kickboxing classes and are energetic—that’s one of the reasons why they’re instructors after all. But Andie takes the challenge to the next level. She engages in a way that sets her apart from most instructors. Her level of energy is not frantic or overpowering. It’s set at the perfect level for Level 10 motivation. She also engages by doing things such as running from one set of feet down in a six-inch leg lift to another, pushing them even lower.

That covers the DJ aspect of my nickname for Andie. What about the Thunder, you ask? Well, for those who do not have the privilege of attending an FXB location, ‘thunder’ is what we call the sound made by kicking the bag.

BOOM!

Andie has this unique ability to make people want to bring down the thunder. In an Andie led kickboxing class, the thunder can be heard loud and clear even near the end of the 45 minutes—the point at which many people are barely clearing the base of the bag in any non-Andie led class. This ability probably stems from the whole crowd engaging talent I mentioned above. It could also have something to do with her ability to inspire thunder through her own demonstration:

It’s like thunder and lightening. The way you kick the bag is frightening . . . Sorry, whenever I hear or say the word ‘thunder’ Knock on Wood gets stuck in my head! And I think this last pic of Andie is kind of appropriate for Amii Stewart’s video for the song!

Thanks, DJ Thunder, for keepin’ the crowd performing at a Level 10!

~ Carrie