Discover a movement method that brings together the elegance of ballet, the body control of gymnastics, and the precision of French martial arts.
A stronger body. More confident movement. A deeper connection to how your muscles work.
These are the intentions behind gTonnicks, pronounced “g-toniks”—a fitness method that combines bodyweight movement, purposeful muscle engagement, stretching, and balance.
Developed by personal trainer and martial artist Garba “MisterG” Onadja, Mère De Vie’s Head Coach, gTonnicks invites you to approach exercise with attention and purpose. Every movement becomes an opportunity to practice strength, alignment, and control.
The Story Behind gTonnicks
The foundations of gTonnicks began in West Africa, developed further in France, and took root in Los Angeles, where MisterG introduced the method nearly three decades ago.
Drawing on his experience in fitness and martial arts, he brought together three disciplines with complementary qualities: ballet, gymnastics, and La Savate, the French martial art known for its precise kicks and strikes.
The result is a coherent method built around a simple idea: how you perform a movement matters.
Three Disciplines, One Movement Method
Ballet: Alignment and Elegance
Ballet inspires the method’s attention to posture, length, and graceful movement.
In gTonnicks, this means noticing how you stand, where you place your arms, and how your body maintains its alignment throughout an exercise. Elegance becomes something you practice through awareness and control.
Gymnastics: Stability and Body Control
Gymnastics contributes the principles of strength, coordination, and body mastery.
gTonnicks applies these through movements that ask you to stabilize your body while another part moves. A standing leg lift, for example, becomes a practice in balance, core engagement, and controlled motion.
La Savate: Precision and Purpose
La Savate brings an emphasis on accuracy and disciplined movement.
That influence appears in the direction of a movement, the placement of a limb, and the intention behind each repetition. You are encouraged to move deliberately and maintain control from beginning to end.
What Is IPCM? The Foundation of gTonnicks
At the heart of the method is IPCM: Intentional & Purposeful Contraction of the Muscles.
In everyday language, this means consciously engaging the muscles involved in an exercise.
Instead of simply raising an arm or lifting a leg, you pay attention to what creates and controls that movement. You notice the working muscles, maintain your alignment, and stay engaged as you return to the starting position.
A movement may look simple while requiring considerable attention.
IPCM gives each repetition a clear purpose: feel the muscles working, maintain control, and move with intention.
What Does the gBalance Bar Do?
The gBalance Bar is a signature tool used in many gTonnicks practices.
It provides a reference for alignment, positioning, and balance awareness. How you hold and move the bar can help you notice changes in your posture, an uneven arm position, or a loss of control.
Its role is to guide the quality of your movement. Although it is an integral part of the method, some gTonnicks movements can also be practiced without it.
Is gTonnicks a Barre Workout?
The ballet influence and use of a bar may feel familiar to people who enjoy barre. Others may recognize elements that remind them of Pilates or yoga.
gTonnicks has its own structure and training principles, however. The handheld gBalance Bar, the application of IPCM, and the combined influences of gymnastics, ballet, and La Savate give the practice its distinct character.
You do not need experience in those disciplines to begin learning the method.
Strength, Tone, and Mindful Movement
gTonnicks is designed to develop strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, balance, and body control, with an emphasis on a strong, sleek physique.
The focus is on purposeful engagement and movement quality. Your individual results will depend on your starting point, consistency, exercise intensity, and other lifestyle factors.
The practice also asks you to be present. Paying attention to your posture, breathing, and muscle engagement turns exercise into a focused experience—one repetition at a time.
Strength gives the movement substance. Precision gives it direction. Elegance gives it expression.
Discover gTonnicks at Mère De Vie
At Mère De Vie, we bring this philosophy into guided practices that invite you to build a more attentive relationship with your body.
Begin with the fundamentals, learn how intentional muscle engagement feels, and explore movement with MisterG’s guidance.
Strong. Sleek. Fit. Practice with elegance.