Fitness Clubs
Kingsway Boxing
Kingsway Boxing sits in the west end of Toronto in an industrial area, looking like an auto-body shop from the outside. It wasn't until I spotted a four-foot sign with the gym's logo on a fence that I knew I was in the right place. My misplaced fear didn't last long.
When I step inside, I'm greeted by Jennifer Huggins and Virgil Barrow, the senior coaches of the gym. Throughout my session to come, every member that walks through the door gets greeted enthusiastically by name, and I get a huge sense of comradery here.
The gym houses an olympic size ring, along with a row of punching bags and a conditioning area, which includes free weights and bosu balls.
While filling out waiver forms, Jennifer tells me some history of the club and asks what my martial arts background is. When I mentioned recently trying boxing at Xtreme Couture, she was professional and respectful of her competition.
All new students get a free one-on-one lesson, which is what I'm here for. Usually, private lessons come at a premium, but here they're the standard for assessments. One of the biggest hurdles to newcomers in martial arts is the worry of looking foolish in class. This private lesson gives students the tools they need to not feel like a... well... tool, and I'm confident I could now take a class and not stand out too badly.
Jennifer is a national boxing coach and referee, has studied Jeet Kune Do and Muay Thai, and has even worked with SWAT teams. She knew exactly how my background in Taekwondo might affect the way I box, and caught some bad habits that I was starting before they became an issue. Mostly by smacking me with focus mitts ("Don't drop your hand!").
On top of being knowledgeable, when she threw a few demonstration punches, I was suddenly very glad to be hitting the pads and not sparring.
After trial lessons, Kingsway offers a starting package for $85 that includes 5 Open Sparring or Club classes, as many Abs and Running classes as you want, and full access to the gym during business hours (5pm to 9pm Monday to Thursday, as well as most mornings).
Membership options include:
- $65/month for 1 class/week
- $95/month for unlimited classes
- $125/month for unlimited classes as well as a 30 minute private lesson each week
Private lessons are also offered. For 30 minute sessions you can have:
- 3 sessions for $112
- 5 sessions for $175
- 10 sessions for $325
Or 60 minute sessions at:
- 3 for $180
- 10 for $500
I left Kingsway Boxing feeling, on top of sore, very satisfied with my experience. I learned a lot of new concepts in a very short time, making me wonder how much I could learn with a full membership.
Writing by Dan Cosgrove. Photos by Jesse Milns
Discussion
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Couture membership expires.
Also, classes are too crowded, and they are refusing to add more.
There are plenty of boxing gyms in Toronto. I suggest not attending this one.
I am a woman boxer, and there aren't that many female coaches in the field. Training with Jen changed my form completely, and helped me learn some nuances of movement that only another woman can teach. I am forever grateful to her for the training that she gave me.
Also, a brief episode from when I was training one-on-one with Jen:
For the past 10 years of training, I have had coaches that notice that I get extremely mad when I get hit (whether it was my own fault or not). Those coaches encouraged the anger, egging it on to "hype up" my fighting. Jen was the first coach to notice that my anger when getting hit wasn't directed outward, it was directed inward at myself (I was getting angry that I had "failed" and beating myself up internally). I remember her telling me that anger makes me (and anyone) sloppy in the ring, and that fighting angry is a waste of energy. She also pointed out that focusing my energy on being mad at myself instead of focusing on the skills and moves that needed to happen in the ring just discouraged me, instead of making boxing interesting and energizing. Instead of "using" the anger, every time it happened, Jen would redirect me into something else. As a result, not only did I learn to fight more crisply and cleanly (something I had never learned before because my previous coaches were happy with me flailing around), I learned things about myself that needed to change not only inside the boxing ring, but outside it, too.
In my professional life, I'm a specialized life coach, and boxing with Jen & Virgil brought new skills to my practice as well.
The only reason I don't workout with Kingsway now is that I moved to Colorado Springs—and I miss them so much! Despite the fact that the Olympic Training Center is in town here, there's just no one to compare to Jen, Virgil & Kingsway. I would move them here, if I could.
I'm also happy to talk with anyone who is thinking about joining their gym or trying it out.
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It is a perfect site to set fitness goals and meet them through:
-Planning games with your friends and other people in your area (and sync them with your everyday calendar)
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When you can workout with other people or have challenges in your calendar, you are more likely to stick to them and succeed!
Please check it out! The more people on there the better for finding people in your area with similar interests...and staying motivated!!
Lets all get fit and healthy together!
www.sociallockerroom.com
Twitter:@SLockerroom
With that being said, this is maybe the worst boxing gym in toronto. classes are too big, too disorganized, I didn't actually get the feeling like people cared about me here. The coaches are sub-par at best, all over the place, the fighters aren't very good (i'm talking about the ones with some talent), and you don't end up actually becoming a good fighter, just paying them money to think you are.
I found myself mostly doing conditioning, which is fucking ass backwards, I can do that at home. I should be doing technique, ingraining that until it's second nature. Don't waste your money, trust me.
If anything the only real boxing gyms are Sully's, Cabbagetown, and Atlas (with some others springing up)...you'll find good old fashioned boxing training at these places and there's a reason why they produce so many great fighters.
You are right, go to a "real" boxing gym.
I train at Stockyards Boxing Gym now, and in my opinion, it is the absolute best in Toronto. It is not very expensive, and the coaches care about their athletes.
I'll say that Jen the owner is a nice woman, and she means well but the whole place is a little fucked up. I have to agree with the two dudes above me.
Guys not really giving newcomers a chance, too many people being allowed to just enter the fight game without being properly trained first. It's really sad that places like this exist. I understand that they haven't been in the game long, which is why they shouldn't act like they know the game through and through. They should really be helping the beginners, putting more time into them than their "favourites." Most of the fighters who have been there for a while, aren't fighting like they've been there for a while. They just posture. And I believe that it's not their fault. They look good to the beginners, but once I saw a fighter (a really seasoned vet) step in and spar with the regulars and he dunced them effortlessly. When I saw that I knew that this place was shady. There fighters were being exposed. Then when the fighters asked the coaches what they had done wrong, the coaches gave the same answers over and over again. It was pathetic. The coaches are to blame, them and their lack of passion and their lax attitude toward their fighters and the beginners.
There are just too many people per class, and as much as I hate to say it (because Jen is very nice and sweet) it boils down to money. They gotta make it, but at the expense of the fighters is it really worth it?
Finding a great coach is the single most important thing in boxing next to your dedication. Believe me I was dedicated. I learned faster than most, but I always got hurt in sparring becuase there was so much bad info I was given. Some people are meant to be coaches...Others aren't...the coaches at Kingsway? Well I'll let you answer that one.