Our National Champion!

First of all! I want to apologise for not updating this blog! I am not used to this technology stuff and also finding time to sit down and write is hard for me...

But I'm going to quit making excuses and suck it up, and start updating more.

I wanted to share a little story with you so read on if you care, read on if you don't :)

About 2 years ago, a group of zit faced teenagers with bad B.O turned up at our gym and said they wanted to learn boxing. There were about 6 of them if I remember right, and so we obliged.
What we usually do with cocky kids that come in wanting to fight is put them through a grueling workout, most of you that have attended the gym know these well, 9 times out of 10, this will weed out the serious ones from the ones that just want to fight or look cool in front of their friends.
So we did, an hour of sweating and sprinting and burpees and box jumps and pull ups and then bag work drills and drills and drills.....And as we suspected, only one of them came back.
That next evening Danny Galloway walked through the door with his grandma and paid for a month pass. At first we were not sure, he was a little uncoordinated and little off balance, but at 14, 5,10 with size 13's and growing on a daily basis, we persevered.
Danny showed a lot of heart from the very start, he came everyday, listened, learned, grew! And we started to see a lot of potential in this kid. He started to work for his membership by helping us at the gym and continued to come everyday.
We took Danny to his first fight and he won! It wasn't extremely conventional, it was a little sloppy, his footwork was wobbly his hands were not up, he was nervous and excited, but he won.
Every time after that, he got a little better and better and better! He even won the Utah State Tournament and headed to New Mexico to fight for the Utah team, and fought some of the best fighters in Utah.
Luckily enough for Danny, Colby's Dad - Mel Rogers has taken him under his wing, Mel is a great trainer and has taught him a great deal about boxing, he comes into the gym everyday and gives Danny and a few of the other guys a lot of much needed one on one attention, and I have to say - has a great deal to do with where he is, and where is going.
Now when we get young kids trying to be tough, or in fact 30 years old guys trying to be tough, we put them in the ring with Danny and say to him ' Don't hold back... 9 out of 10 times they dont come back and it weeds out the ones that are serious, from the ones who just want to act tough.

Not only has Danny grown as a fighter, he has grown into a polite, smart and friendly young man. His grades are great, he has earned rewards for this from some of our amazing regulars at FFYL and a lot of people have taken to him. He is raised by his Grandma and things aren't always easy, but he is trying to make things a little easier, just from his perseverance and determination he has shown at the gym, and in boxing, it has not gone unnoticed by people around him and close to him and has earned the help he and his family have received.

Just to cap it off, Danny fought the best fighters in Utah to win the Junior Olympic USA State Tournament, and then went on to blast through his opponents, at the JO USA Regional Tournament, the best fighters out of the 4 corners ( Utah ,New Mexico,Colorado & Arizona). To make it to the JO USA National Tournament in Alabama next month.
Not only is he attending, but we expect he will do really well, thanks to Mel and Colby and of course himself for the determination and drive he has put into this sport.

This kids got a right hand that will knock you into the middle of next week, you'll wake up with a sore jaw and a bruise on your face like your friends went to town on your face with a sharpee....and have no recollection of getting there. He is one to watch in the future of boxing.

Just to add, we are gonna throw together some donations to give him to take out to Alabama next month, Although the USA Boxing Association provide room and board, and some food money, its always nice to have a little spending money to go along with it. If you are interested in donating anything - even if its just a dollar. please bring cash or a check to Tom at the gym and we will give it to him before he leaves.

Thanks for reading!!

The Official FFYL Blog!

Grab a jump rope and get a good sweat on. Alternatively hang up your jump rope and let me get you warmed up the TOM way!

If you are reading this blog you might have an idea of what I am saying, you may have been to FFYL and attended a cardio busting, sweat inducing, muscle burning workout at Fight for Your Life Boxing.

Who are we? We are primarily a Boxing gym, we have a team of some of the best Amateur boxers in the country, a national Golden Glove boxer, a Golden Glove silver medalist, a USA national level boxer attending the USA Nationals in Alabama next month. We have boxers who will be turning pro by the end of the year and boxers currently training for pro fights. 

Difference is, we teach what we know to absolutely anyone! We have Men and Women, 16-65 and anyone can do it!

We teach you to BOX and get the best workout you have ever had. Not an aerobic 'boxercise' workouut at Gold's Gym. This is a real boxers workout with a real boxer instructor, we teach you how to throw a real punch, how to use your feet, how to slip a jab and throw a HARD right hand! Most boxing gyms will turn their noses up if you show up and don't want to fight or spar. We just want to teach this sport to everyone!

The workout will not only teach you skills as a boxer, but we guarantee this will be the hardest workout of your life. We combine cardio, endurance, strength training and always change your workouts to keep it fun and exciting, some of our members come 6 times a week, I refuse to let them get the same workout twice in one week. 

I decided to create a blog to keep you all up to date with the workouts, nutrition tips, general gym life, stories from around the gym, where our boxer's go, when they fight, weight loss success stories, links to stories we like, promotions and such, websites to check out etc etc! 

Hope you all enjoy!