POWER Workout • Zurkhaneh Ritual • Tehran • IRAN ‏زور خانه

Zurhkaneh (Pahlevani and zoorkhaneh) is a kind of traditional Iranian power work out. I was invited to a suburb of Tehran to see the club exercise. The drums are so powerful and push everyone to go a little bit more. Zurkhaneh combines martial arts, aerobic and some yoga moves too. In the club I visited there were males of all ages but the most beautiful part was how the club supported each other. They greeted each other, caught each other if they were spinning out of control, handed out dry towels. Clearly Zurkhaneh is a communal activity, building on the social structure of the neighborhood, rather than the individualistic workout found in Western gyms.