Eastside Boxing Club

Ok, so I’m not going to lie — boxing has always been in the «good lord WHY would you do that» category for me, but Eastside, and Aprons for Gloves have done a LOT to change my mind! I’ve been eagerly anticipating the gym’s opening since I was fortunate enough to attend the Restaurant Rumble this year and saw how exciting and skillful the sport is.
Last night bestie and I headed down — nervous and excited — to hit up their beginner drop in class. We were expecting to be the only women in a sea of burly dudes, but wonderfully the class was about 8 women and 1 guy! Brian, our coach, was patient and clearly passionate about boxing, and helped us put our hand wraps on before we even got started.
He taught us correct stance before we got to try out our jabs. We drilled for quite a while — as he says, footwork is incredibly important! I have to say though, that first moment putting on boxing gloves was seriously cool! There’s something about having the right equipment that makes you feel like you can do anything! A lot of it felt like trying to rub your head and pat your stomach, like anything new, but I’m determined to get it! We finished the session by getting to punch the punching bags, which was the most satisfying thing ever, and then we did a bunch of calisthenics which were tough but a good way to get fit!
It was a great workout, and there’s a real sense of community in the space. Everyone was friendly and working hard — there was a fighter training session at the same time, and there was so much focus on every one of their faces. It was also wonderful to see so many women in the room — for such a traditionally male dominated sport I felt welcomed and equal in the gym, and that’s really special! I can’t wait to see how the gym develops!