PENDLETON, Ore.- Pendleton Boxing Club gives kids and adults in the Pendleton area a chance to stay active by providing classes at their gym throughout the week.
Rob Brooks, a coach at Pendleton Boxing said boxing is a sport that anyone can do. “Spokane Boxing even participates in having Parkinson’s patients come in from time to time just to get that range of motion.”
Brooks said a lot of people may be intimidated to try boxing because of the contact, but Pendleton Boxing makes it as inclusive as possible.
“Everyone kind of assumes that if you are going to a boxing class someone is going to punch you in the face or you’re going to be under pressure,” said Brooks. When people come to Pendleton Boxing, they aren’t going to get contact until they register through USA Boxing so they can be covered to spar.
“It’s good for discipline, if you’re having a bad day it’s also good for that,” said Brooks.
Leo Leon, another coach at Pendleton Boxing, was always interested in mixed martial arts and enjoyed contact sports. He found Pendleton Boxing 8 years ago and has been there since.
“It’s not just about getting hurt in the ring like they might see in the Rocky movies,” said Leon. He said as a coach he really encourages boxers to have fun.
“I think boxing in general allows an outlet for newbies to get good cardio and try something out that’s new,” said Leon.
The Pendleton Boxing Classic is at the Pendleton Convention Center August 24 and 25. Last year they had a similar tournament, Northwest Nationals, where 200 boxers showed up with 80 fights the first day and 40 fights on day two.
