Boxing Gyms in the UK | Glove London

BOXING IS IT! It's up at the crack, before the birds are out. Running around the block. Running on Christmas morning. Running on boxing day. Running on your birthday. It's skipping rope until your shins splint. It's awareness, that the guy on the tube might be bigger than you. Might be gnarlier and have a mean streak about him, but you know he's not got the right footwear that will enable him to plant his feet effectively. You know planting your feet is everything, he doesn't.

The smart thing to do in any confrontation is to walk away, run away if you can. But if you can't, then providing your opponent isn't trained in Jujitsu and isn't armed, you're in the box seat. Even if your opponent is twice the size, his fitness levels won't be on a par with yours if you're a boxer. If the fight goes longer than 30 seconds and it hasn't gone to ground, and you're still standing and unhurt, there's a good your chance opponent would have punched himself out with sloppy, ugly-untrained haymakers. Boxing is fitness. It's knowing your surroundings. It's profiling potential threats and getting out in front, nullifying them if you have to but being prepared.

All the work has been done in the gym, the final tweak only happens when you hear the bell ring.

This is boxing.

I've been getting into my boxing in a big way of late and was delighted to accept the invite from Glove London to attend one of their classes. Glove London is a high-energy, intense class where likeminded people can get together to work out, sweat and socialise. Created by Tom McClelland, fitness industry expert of over 15 years, GLOVE completely embodies his fitness ethos. After 10 years in the USA, owning and operating a boxing gym in Salt Lake City Utah, and becoming one of New York Cities most sought after trainers; Tom realised that there was so much more to working out than the aesthetic side we constantly see displayed on our social media.

Glove London boasts a fully transportable bag-hanging rig that holds up to 10 punch bags and can house up to 20 people per class. They bring the energy of an intense boxing gym workout - punching, slipping and moving with a real boxing coach to ANYWHERE the rig fits.

My thoughts

The workout and the trainer was brilliant, nothing to improve. After a few conversations with Tom, I've learnt that the business model is not necessarily a pop-up which will continually move locations, but a tool whilst scouting for a permanent location. Which makes sense to me as it will drastically reduce rental costs whilst exploiting the full mobility of the equipment. I've learnt from my own experience that it's good to test the market and different encatchment areas for a while before you decide where to settle....hopefully in Clapham for me!

To find out where their next location will be in the city head to www.glovelondon.com. Users can sign up to the mailing list to be the first ones to hear when we have their next pop up location and receive a schedule of classes and social events on at GLOVE that month, straight to you inbox.