There’s nothing quite like putting on a pair of boxing gloves and releasing tension on a punching bag. Boxing is an excellent workout and an underrated way to blow off some steam. Founded by a lifetime Montclair resident, Dwayne “DJ” Holman, Spidey’s House is a one-of-a-kind boxing gym new to our area. A nod to his uncle-turned-boxing-coach, Spidey’s is a place for all to learn, grow, and work on physical fitness. Read on to learn more about Spidey’s House, located at 33 Greenwood Avenue in Montclair.
DJ opened Spidey’s House in 2021 right in Montclair, his hometown and current place of residence. While growing up in Montclair, there was never a fighter’s gym available to him as he fell in love with and trained in the sport. As the ISKA (International Sport Karate Association) North American World Champion, he wanted that to change.
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“Growing up here in Montclair, we’ve never had a fighter’s gym or even a gym to hit a punching bag so I always had to travel to different gyms in order to fight so, now being a professional, I wanted to give the kids in my city the opportunity that I didn’t have,” DJ said.
Coming from an athletic family where football, boxing, and wrestling were a part of their daily lives, it was a frustrating reality to grow up with no fighting gym in Montclair. He said, “Now, as an adult, I wanted to start something here in my hometown. I got the name Spidey’s House because… my uncle… was a die-hard Spider-Man fan… he turned me into one as well. He passed away in 2017 so the name and gym logo [are] a tribute to him.”
After working alongside Mike Smith, owner of AHF Performance Training in Montclair, to find the right space, DJ’s dreams became a reality when they opened Spidey’s House, filling a void in the area.
DJ describes the gym as “not your commercial kickboxing gym.” Attendees will get in shape while also having fun and learning self-defense. Spidey’s also teaches strength and condition classes.
As noted on its website, “the goal at Spidey’s House is to help people become 1% better each day. Whether you want to learn self-defense, learn the fundamentals, become a professional fighter, or just want to try something new — we want to do it with you.”
The classes are intense but upbeat. It’s a great cardio workout but, because of the movement and energy of the class, it goes by quickly and is addictive.
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Class sizes are small and one-on-one training sessions are also available. The smaller class sizes allow DJ “to pay attention to each client, to make sure I can help them with every detail and aspect of learning the art.” The classes have good music and an even more enjoyable atmosphere to make working out fun.
The most popular Spidey’s classes are the Monday and Friday night 6PM cardio boxing/kickboxing classes. The gym also offers self-defense classes, teaching clients how to throw proper punches and kicks to protect yourself in an attack. Spidey’s also teaches how to slip and evade attacks — rounding out a full self-protection plan.
Kristina is a real estate agent at Compass in Montclair living right next door in Cedar Grove. In her free time, she is involved in the rescue dog community, volunteering as the Adoption/Foster Coordinator for Wise Animal Rescue. Kristina also spends time exploring businesses in Essex County and is dedicated to helping newbies to the area find their new homes, new favorite spots, and new rescue pups!
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