by Tim Clinton

If you’ve seen the steamy windows at the new Boxing Gym West Seattle lately, you know that the athletes inside are hard at work jumping rope, doing combination drills, and hitting the speed bags. With the rise of MMA and professional female athletes like Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm in fight sports, there is a renewed interest in boxing as a high intensity fitness workout, and this is the first gym in West Seattle dedicated to the sport.

The Boxing Gym West Seattle aims to make the sport of boxing accessible to all individuals for personal expression and self-discovery. Lee Torres provides an inclusive learning environment where all are welcome to access one’s personal strength and power. While a boxing gym may seem intimidating, what you’ll find is a warm, welcoming group of people of all fitness levels who are eager to help you do your best, and remind you to have fun. Members include mason workers, stay at home moms, and Microsoft employees, and many have said that boxing is an excellent way to cross train to round out other workouts and fight programs.

Lee Torres's instruction is centered in the technical, fundamental boxing methods rooted in the Chicago style of boxing. Described as “intelligent fighting”, it is the art and science of hitting and not getting hit. Self-defense taught by Torres is a learned art, set in a structured sport environment. As Torres puts it, "Boxing was one of Bruce Lee’s favorite of the martial arts. Learning the fundamentals of self-defense is a psychological journey that builds self-confidence and strength."

Everyone comes as they are to achieve results, and each individual progresses at a level and pace that is appropriate for them. Safety is important to us, sparring is available by invitation only to ensure that students develop the appropriate skills necessary to take their training to the next level. While sparring is available, it is not required for participation.

Lee Torres has been around amateur boxing since the age of 9, when his step brothers started boxing for Bill Heglin of Hamlin Park, a Chicago Park district in Chicago, IL. He started training around 16, and also also learned from Danny Nieves, who also came up under Bill Heglin. They trained Fres Oquendo as an amateur, a former top ten ranked heavyweight. They also trained David Diaz who was part of the 1996 Olympic team and went on to became a world lightweight champion.

Anyone interested in trying boxing are welcome to try any class for free, and the schedule can be found online at www.theboxinggymws.com