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L.A. boxing offers unique fitness training
  
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By CHARLIE BIER
Enjoy lacing up the boxing gloves?
No problem.
Want a confidence and fitness boost minus a mashed nose?
L.A. Boxing’s got you covered there too.
Located at 3335 College Park Drive, the full-service gym aims to offer a little something for everyone.
Sure, L.A. Boxing’s bread and butter is heavily influenced by the art of prizefighting.
But, with the popularity of women’s boxing, mixed martial arts and blowing off a little boardroom-induced steam with boxing-related exercise practiced by corporate types, the place is about more than pugs and palookas.
The whole idea behind L.A Boxing is to provide exercise that relies on techniques rooted in various styles of combat, said Tyler Wiseman, L.A. Boxing general manager.
“This is not about getting in the ring and getting marked up,” Wiseman said. “The place isn’t full of spit buckets. This is not Rocky’s gym. This is a brand new, upscale facility. We have the weights and the cardio. You can do that, or you can do the boxing. We’re all about helping the customer.”
Consider 10-year-old Victoria Cumpian.
A soft-spoken fifth-grader at Sam Houston Elementary in Conroe, she lets her fists do the talking. Taking up amateur boxing at age 6 to be sure she knew how to “defend herself,” Victoria now has almost as many fights on her resume as years on her birth certificate.
The only problem is “it’s hard for her to find matches because there’s no girls her age that box," said mom Patty Cumpian.
Not that Victoria isn’t trying.
Earlier this month, she traveled with her coach, L.A. Boxing fitness instructor Toni Osuna, to Kansas City, Missouri for the Ringside tournament. A recent rules change mandating a set number of bouts on a boxer’s record prevented Victoria from competing, although she got to take in two weeks worth of sights and sounds.
"[Kids at school] think that her boxing is) cool,” Victoria said, adding she’s a fan of the movie “Million Dollar Baby” which stars Hilary Swank as a woman prizefighter.
In addition to boxing, disciplines practiced at L.A. Boxing include kickboxing, cardio classes Jiu-Jitsu and Muay-Thai boxing.
“If you want to spar, we’ll set up sparring for you. We have what we call ‘Fight Club’ and that (involves mixed martial arts),” Wiseman said.
Mixed martial arts, one of the fastest-growing and most popular sports in the nation, blends a combination of fighting styles, including most practiced at L.A. Boxing.
But Wiseman said the sport’s emergence in the last few years is more coincidence than the impetus for L.A. Boxing’s presence.
“MMA was just an added benefit,” Wiseman said.
The benefit for members can include everything from better health to increased morale.
“It builds a lot of self-esteem, and a lot of self-confidence,” Wiseman said.
For more information, visit www.laboxing.com/thewoodlands.
Colter Ray contributed to this article.
Click here for directions
Telephone: 936.321.UBOX
Fax: 936.273.9BOX
No problem.
Want a confidence and fitness boost minus a mashed nose?
L.A. Boxing’s got you covered there too.
Located at 3335 College Park Drive, the full-service gym aims to offer a little something for everyone.
Sure, L.A. Boxing’s bread and butter is heavily influenced by the art of prizefighting.
But, with the popularity of women’s boxing, mixed martial arts and blowing off a little boardroom-induced steam with boxing-related exercise practiced by corporate types, the place is about more than pugs and palookas.
The whole idea behind L.A Boxing is to provide exercise that relies on techniques rooted in various styles of combat, said Tyler Wiseman, L.A. Boxing general manager.
“This is not about getting in the ring and getting marked up,” Wiseman said. “The place isn’t full of spit buckets. This is not Rocky’s gym. This is a brand new, upscale facility. We have the weights and the cardio. You can do that, or you can do the boxing. We’re all about helping the customer.”
Consider 10-year-old Victoria Cumpian.
A soft-spoken fifth-grader at Sam Houston Elementary in Conroe, she lets her fists do the talking. Taking up amateur boxing at age 6 to be sure she knew how to “defend herself,” Victoria now has almost as many fights on her resume as years on her birth certificate.
The only problem is “it’s hard for her to find matches because there’s no girls her age that box," said mom Patty Cumpian.
Not that Victoria isn’t trying.
Earlier this month, she traveled with her coach, L.A. Boxing fitness instructor Toni Osuna, to Kansas City, Missouri for the Ringside tournament. A recent rules change mandating a set number of bouts on a boxer’s record prevented Victoria from competing, although she got to take in two weeks worth of sights and sounds.
"[Kids at school] think that her boxing is) cool,” Victoria said, adding she’s a fan of the movie “Million Dollar Baby” which stars Hilary Swank as a woman prizefighter.
In addition to boxing, disciplines practiced at L.A. Boxing include kickboxing, cardio classes Jiu-Jitsu and Muay-Thai boxing.
“If you want to spar, we’ll set up sparring for you. We have what we call ‘Fight Club’ and that (involves mixed martial arts),” Wiseman said.
Mixed martial arts, one of the fastest-growing and most popular sports in the nation, blends a combination of fighting styles, including most practiced at L.A. Boxing.
But Wiseman said the sport’s emergence in the last few years is more coincidence than the impetus for L.A. Boxing’s presence.
“MMA was just an added benefit,” Wiseman said.
The benefit for members can include everything from better health to increased morale.
“It builds a lot of self-esteem, and a lot of self-confidence,” Wiseman said.
For more information, visit www.laboxing.com/thewoodlands.
Colter Ray contributed to this article.
Click here for directions
Telephone: 936.321.UBOX
Fax: 936.273.9BOX
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