Issue 035
March 2008
A stones throw away from the border with Mexico, San Diego is a huge coastal city known for its beaches, board culture, boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The sprawling city has wonderful year-round weather, many miles of beaches and is much quieter and more sedate than nearby Los Angeles.
Fights
San Diego regularly hosts small to medium sized events, the biggest and most reputable of all being Total Combat. In operation since 2003, Total Combat quickly became one of the most popular Southern California MMA events and fans have been known to drive from as far away as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Arizona to see the fights. Total Combat became the first California Athletic Commission sanctioned MMA event in Southern California and with over 25 events under their belt they continue to put on great events. Check out their website at www.totalcombat.tv.
Training
Throwdown Elite Training Centre
(3666 Midway Drive, San Diego, CA 92110. Tel: (619) 223-5581. Web: www.throwdownsandiego.com)
One of the best MMA training facilities in California, the newly opened Throwdown centre in San Diego offer fitness training, boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, yoga, crossfit, weight training and more. This massive hi-tech facility also has it’s own protein / juice / coffee bar, free internet and an extensive fight gear store.
Heading up the team of fifteen trainers is UFC and Pride veteran Dean Lister, who teaches MMA and grappling and has his fight team based here. With classes from 6am through to 9pm at night, be sure to swing by this gym if you’re in the San Diego area.
LAVA Sports and Fitness
(Multiple locations. Web: www.theboxingclub.net)
LAVA Sport & Fitness (featuring The Boxing Club) is a very well equipped fitness centre that combines the best in stand up fighting, ground fighting and overall body conditioning and offers premium MMA training in San Diego.
The Boxing Club currently has Health and Fitness Clubs in five locations in San Diego with plans to open an additional seven locations over the next two years. The training centres include multiple boxing rings, training octagons, large dedicated open mat space, state of the art strength and cardio equipment and even pilates studios, yoga studios, and more.
Saulo Ribeiro’s University of Jiu Jitsu
(3350 Sports Arena Blvd. #H2, San Diego, CA 92110. Tel: (619) 222-5555. Web: www.unijj.com)
Owned and operated by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champions Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, the University of Jiu-Jitsu is described as a progressive learning environment that promotes traditional martial arts and their accompanying values. Opened in 2007 by the Ribeiro brothers, they prefer to ignore today's focus on the commercial aspects of martial arts and present a more rounded education, with BJJ instruction, Ginastica Natural, judo, and self-defence all on offer.
American Boxing
(2710 Garnet Ave. Suite 205, San Diego, CA 92109. Tel: (858) 581-2694. Web: www.americanboxing.net)
Only two and a half miles from San Diego’s famous Pacific Beach, American Boxing is a gym that specialises in small group classes of 15 people or less. With certified personal trainers and coaches in boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), the gym also has active fighters including Chute Boxe-trained Israel Gomez and more.
Where to stay
W San Diego
(421 West B Street, San Diego, California 92101. Tel: (619) 398-3100. Web: www.starwoodhotels.com)
This luxury hotel merges modern sophistication with traditional service values. A pleasant stroll from the Bay, W San Diego is located downtown and close to the Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, the convention centre and Little Italy. A short drive will take you to surf-worthy beaches and the famous San Diego zoo.
Ocean Beach Hotel
(5080 Newport Avenue, San Diego California, 92107. Tel: (619) 223-7191. Web:
Located right on the beach, this mid-range beachfront hotel includes a Mediterranean-style courtyard. Guests receive complimentary wireless internet access. All rooms at the Ocean Beach Hotel have microwaves and refrigerators, and the close proximity to to the beach mean plenty of opportunity for volleyball, fishing, swimming, and watersports.
Balboa Park Inn
(3402 Park Blvd. San Diego, CA 92103. Tel: (619) 298-0823. Web: www.balboaparkinn.com)
A pleasant guesthouse comprising four 2-story buildings opposite Balboa Park in the Hillcrest area, The Balboa Park Inn is located in the heart of San Diego. A complex of four Spanish colonial buildings housing twenty-six suites, each has a distinctively different theme and décor (rooms’ themes vary from homestead to jungle!). Friendly and clean, the hotel is showing it’s age but has plenty of charm to make up for it’s lack of refinement.
Where to eat
Seafood specialities are par-for-the-course in San Diego, but with numerous restaurants in Little Italy and other districts, you won’t struggle to find somewhere good to eat out.
Star of the Sea
(1360 North Harbor Drive, San Diego Bay. Tel: (619) 232-7408. Web: www.starofthesea.com)
Literally on the waterfront in San Diego bay, Star of the Sea is a local landmark that has few problems attracting visitors. This elegant, artfully decorated dining room and bar has a nice ambience and an impressive seasonal menu with seafood as the speciality, ranging from fresh oysters and Dover sole to Alaskan halibut and Copper River salmon.
Café Chloe
(721 Ninth Avenue, San Diego. Tel: (619) 232 3242. Web: www.cafechloe.com)
A charming European-style café, wine bar and bistro, the Café Chloe in Downtown's up-and-coming East Village is a friendly place with award-winning French-inspired dishes. From steak frites to chicken and wild mushroom, the prices are reasonable and the food superb.
Corvette Diner
(3946 Fifth Avenue, San Diego. Tel: (619) 542 1476. Web: www.cohnrestaurants.com)
A popular 1950’s style diner, the Corvette Diner is a fun place to visit. With waitresses in poodle skirts and bouffant hairdos, there is always a lively atmosphere here. There is a huge menu and the food comes in massive portions. There are a few vegetarian dishes, but the focus is on traditional American diner fare like burgers, chicken sandwiches and so on.
Nightlife
San Diego’s districts each have an individual feel and flavour, even when sdituated right next to each other. For those seeking nightlife, the surburban districts are best left alone, with areas such as Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and Little Italy the real hotspots.
Pacific Beach Bar and Grill
(860 Garnet Avenue, Pacific Beach. Tel: (858) 272-4745)
Referred to locally as PB Bar and Grill, it's the biggest and frequently voted the best bar in Pacific Beach. Only a block away from the beach, it is divided into three sections, namely an inside section with a jukebox and two pool tables, a canopy-covered outside section that’s just as big as the inside and a third section with a dance floor where the DJ spins hip hop and dance music.
Liar's Club
(3844 Mission Blvd, Mission Beach. Tel: (858) 488-2340. Web: www.liarsclubsd.com)
In 2006, the Liar's Club was featured in the Beer Advocate's top 50 places to have a beer in America.
Waterfront
(2044 Kettner Blvd, Little Italy. Tel: (619) 232-9656. Web: www.waterfrontbarandgrill.com)
One of San Diego's oldest drinking establishments and best dive bars, the Waterfront has been going since the 1930’s. With the tagline ‘Old bar, real people’ this bar has some of the best character in all of San Diego.
Sights
San Diego is a tourist attraction in it’s own right, with Sea World, San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park all making it to the top of visitor’s lists. For sights and sounds of a different nature, try a day trip over the border to Tijuana, famed for it’s dubious pleasures. A trolley service will take you over the border with ease, but expect long lines on the way back, as it is the busiest border crossing point in the world.
Shopping
San Diego is dotted with major shopping centres and upscale boutiques that catering to nearly every style of dress and expression. Every district has it’s own commercial centre, so it is worth investigating further when you arrive as to which area is easiest to explore.
How to get around
San Diego is one of the United State’s biggest cities, and the metropolitan area is extremely large and sprawling. Car travel is the most efficient way of getting around, but be warned in the beach communities parking can often be in short supply.
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operated which mainly serves tourists and people living in the southern and eastern parts of the city. Tickets have to be purchased from the vending machines at the station before you board the train.
How to get there
San Diego International Airport is located less than 10 minutes from downtown San Diego. The only international flights arriving there go from Mexico and Canada; visitors from other countries would probably travel through Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Beware that even discounted coach airfares between San Diego and Los Angeles (about 120 miles/190 km north of San Diego) can be quite expensive. Ground transportation between LAX and San Diego is extremely limited, with taxi or van service very costly. If arriving at LAX, always know the method and cost of how you're getting to San Diego in advance. Hire cars are usually the best option.
When to go
The weather in San Diego is pleasant year-round, with temperatures peaking July to September.
San Diego Tips
San Diego is smoke free indoors in all public buildings, and smoking on beaches and in public parks is also prohibited.
Known as one of California’s safest cities, personal crime is low, but care should still be taken when out and about and in unfamiliar areas. Gang violence is far less presenmt than in nearby Los Angeles.
If you’re on the beach be wary of strong rip tides. Currents have been to known to sweep out persons walking (not swimming) in waist-deep water.
Be careful when parking your car at the beach, as daylight thefts are common. Most beach rental shops offer safe boxes for valuables.
