STUNT SCHOOL IN LONDON

Getting thrown through windows, falling off roofs, being engulfed in flames. Male archetypes don't get more alpha than the stunt man, omnipotent and totally fearless. If you're looking to assume some of that bravura during these tough times (or if you're out of work and that skill set sounds helpful), better to test your mettle in the controlled environment of a stunt school. Most have primer courses that will get you out of town for one or two weeks so you won't have to explain the Fight Club–worthy black eyes and bruises. For a little Guy Ritchie atmosphere, London Stunt School in Wembley offers up courses à la carte. The $600 high explosives class, taught by a coordinator on Saving Private Ryan, will introduce you to the world of fireballs (and escaping from them). For a little less octane, there's always the stair-falling course ($320), where klutziness becomes a thing of beauty. The Professional Stunt Training Centre in Vancouver is pretty smashing, too: One of its specialties is stunt driving. In the two-day course, you'll tackle reverse 180's and how to slide into parking spaces; in the advanced course, the art of the full-on car chase. The ultimate, though, may be setting yourself aflame in the fire training course. (Tip: You'll need to soak your underwear in fire retardant gel.) Master that, and you'll never worry about getting burned in the market again.

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