This is a city that thrives on intellectual combat. Verbal gymnastics. Outthinking and out-strategizing your political rival.

But occasionally, you'd rather just deliver a stiff uppercut to his chin.

Which brings us to the new Boxing Program at Balance Gym, now providing you a daily dose of controlled violence at its Thomas Circle location.

Now, let's get one thing straight: if you work for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and you hope to throwdown with an AFL-CIO staffer after work next week in downtown's only boxing ring, you'll have to be patient. The coaches are serious (a female Norwegian Olympic boxer trains with the program, and the head trainer coaches the Georgetown University Club Boxing team), so you'll have to prove your mettle first with some heart-pounding workouts. We're talking shadowboxing, punching mitts and heavy bags.

Then they'll place you with a trainer to work on technique until you're ready to bring the thunder in the ring with a sparring partner.

The refurbished gym also has a new yoga studio and a personal training area where you can flip truck tires, toss sandbags and punish yourself in other Rocky-esque ways (note: no chicken chasing). And while it's more about the sweat than the scene here, they also have a new pole-dancing studio upstairs.

Call it après-boxing.