Courtesy / Kuma
The lift floor in the new 4,780-square-foot spot was designed to create a safe environment that’s “super positive.”
Updated: October 9, 2023
‘Body-neutral’ gym aims to empower women and build confidence
Courtesy / Kuma
Stacy Kim, right, coaches a class that mixes kickboxing techniques with other fitness exercises to offer a high-intensity workout without being intimidating.
An all-female kickboxing and fitness studio aims to empower women of all body types to feel empowered and confident when they go for a workout.
Now the Saco business has expanded to a second location in Westbrook to bring the concept to more customers.
“It’s a body-neutral gym,” said Stacy Kim, founder of Kuma. “In most cases, gyms like to talk about weight loss and dieting. There are mirrors all over the place. We don’t do that.”
Kim started the business in 2019 in 2,100 square feet of leased space at 3 Eastview Parkway in Saco.
She recently expanded to a 4,780-square-foot space at 39 Mechanic St. in Westbrook, leased from HHH1 LLC.
Sasha Bogdanovics Phillips of the Boulos Co. and Tom Moulton and Katie Allen Breggia of the Dunham Group brokered the lease.
Originally from Kentucky, Kim moved to Maine in 2001 to attend the Maine College of Art & Design in Portland, where she trained as a graphic designer and subsequently owned a graphic design business.
She’s been a martial artist for about 20 years. Before Kuma, Kim owned a martial arts school for children in Saco, where she also started a kickboxing class for women.
Courtesy / Kuma
Kim started the business in Saco to take the benefits of marital arts “and strip out the intimidation and make it fun and approachable for anyone to do.”
She developed a kickbox training program designed to take the benefits of martial arts “and strip out the intimidation and make it fun and approachable for anyone to do,” she said.
Kickboxing involves punching and kicking a heavy bag and traditionally has self-defense and sparring components.
Kim mixes kickboxing techniques with other fitness exercises to offer a high-intensity workout as a fitness class. She emphasizes that her regular classes don’t do intimidating things like sparring.
“Everyone has their own space so they can get into their own zone,” she says.
She continues, “Periodically, people switch movements, allowing them to move at their own pace so we’re not counting reps. We’re doing simple kickboxing movements — such as jabs and upper cuts, front kicks and roundhouses — and other exercises like squats and jumping jacks.”
The start of Kuma in Saco came about when she noticed a space that was being used by another fitness business at 3 Eastview Parkway. She thought the space could be great for a women’s-only kickboxing studio and gym.
One day she drove by the location and noticed a lease sign had been put up.
“I was still running my kids karate school,” she said. Although she wasn’t looking to start another business, “I thought this must be the universe.”
For about a year she ran the two businesses simultaneously, then sold the martial arts school in order to focus on the women’s-only gym.
Courtesy / Kuma
These before-and-after photos show fit-up for a portion of the all-female kickboxing and fitness studio.
The idea was to switch away from traditional gym focuses such as weight loss and body image.
“My belief is that those things have become a harm for women’s mentality and also create a disconnect between the joy of movement and fitness,” she said. “It’s almost like fitness is the punishment for eating too much.”
Movement, she said, can be about stress relief, mental wellness, empowerment and confidence.
“When I’m doing it, I feel better overall and relaxed and stronger, which is what we focus on with our members,” she said. “It’s about how movement makes you feel.”
That leads to other mission points — to create a safe environment that’s not intimidating and that’s “super positive,” she said.
“We promote an environment where everyone is welcoming and friendly,” Kim said. “A lot of our members are people who might never have been to a gym before or are tired of the regular types of gyms out there. So we put a lot of stock into making sure it’s a comfortable experience for everyone.”
Courtesy / The Dunham Group
The owner of an all-female kickboxing and fitness studio in Saco opened a second location in a 4,780-square-foot leased space at 39 Mechanic St. in Westbrook.
Kim’s search parameters for a second location included more space to expand her classes. She found that at the Westbrook spot, although some reconfiguration took place. That included installing a wall to create a small lobby. There are also classrooms and dressing rooms. New paint and flooring went in.
“We want to make sure it has this comfortable and homey feel,” Kim said.
Investment in the fit-up was about $70,000. Both locations were financed by Bangor Savings Bank.
The Saco location accommodates about 140 members. Capacity in Westbrook is expected to be about 250. The Westbrook location opened Aug. 1 with just over 70 members.
Courtesy / Kuma
Kuma recently opened a second location in Westbrook.
“My goal is to get to 200 by the end of the year,” Kim said.
In Saco, in addition to herself, Kim has 16 part-time coaches who teach one or two classes per week but otherwise have other full-time jobs. She also has one administrative employee.
“Most of our coaches have been members,” she noted. “They do a certain number of classes and have done a training program, then can run kickboxing classes.”
In Westbrook, she has a roster of about five full- and part-time coaches. More hiring is expected.
What does “kuma" mean? It’s “bear” in Japanese.
“I like the idea of bears as protectors and strength,” Kim said. “I feel that relates a lot to women.”
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