THE BOXING HOUSE

Rathbone, Camden, Bermondsey, Kensington

If you’ve not heard of The Boxing House, chances are high that you have heard of, seen on social media or even trained at one of their state-of-the-art centres of excellence; Rathbone, Camden, Bermondsey or Kensington boxing clubs. 

I first came via Rathbone Boxing Club in 2019 - the first outpost of TBH. They opened their doors with a clear mission to bring real boxing club culture and authenticity, with rigorous training mixed with modern conveniences, customer-service and top-level coaching. 

I was four years into an obsession with recreational boxing at the time and having trained nowhere else but my local boxing gym in W10, it felt naughty to be moving away from my close-knit community harnessed by boxing.

It was damn exciting to venture out somewhere new. It was particularly exciting to hear of a newcomer to the boxing ecosystem, with new teaching methods and elevated teaching standards. I had heard that Rathbone applied technical teaching points taken directly from the latest, televised fights. Their preceding reputation was already legendary.  They had Adam Booth as Executive Director of their Boxing Programme.  Not a gimmick, but a genuine investment in the quality of their coaching, so us clients would benefit from their coaches’ continuing professional development.

Walking in for the first time, there was a distinctive look and feel, made up of reclaimed parquet wooden flooring, the canvas with teal blue accents, boxing iconography on the walls, plus the state-of-the-art equipment (brand new Rival bags), which all made such a memorable impression. The class size of 8-10 meant we all had the undivided attention of the coach. It was a cosy size to fit right on in from a community perspective, and I was deeply impressed by how the class flowed. We warmed-up and got straight to the bag, following a 3mins on - 1min off rhythm. Every minute-off was spent hands-on-knees and breathing, while listening to the incisive instruction of what formula we were following in the next round:  the “how” and the “why” were made really clear. It was simply an elevated experience. The content and boxing acumen were exceptional. I learned a lot. We got a lot done.

Parquet flooring at the original Rathbone Boxing Club

The Boxing House ethos had arrived. The mission remains the same to this day, and their continued success builds on their consistency across all four of their distinctive outposts. TBH’s influence within the boxing ecosystem has grown as their unique and elevated platform has caught the attention of the promoters, professionals and boxing media. You might have clocked the best of the best on social media during open media days at the gyms.  Likewise, don’t be surprised if you spot a known professional training in any of their gyms or come across an upcoming masterclass with a well-known character from the boxing world. These masterclasses offer something otherwise unavailable anywhere else in London, for appreciative enthusiasts. Recent masterclasses have included Ben Davison, George Groves and Johnny Nelson, for example.

George Groves Masterclass, at Bermondsey Boxing Club

There are simply no other boxing clubs inside the M25 available to everyone, that offer such a consistently high level of learning, in a modern and fully-fitted gym, with an appealing and inclusive club atmosphere. Classes are varied, just as popular with women as men; they focus on technical teaching points, and the coaches will get you hooked with their infectious enthusiasm. The TBH Clubs are open all day with full class schedules, while also hosting England Boxing affiliated Rathbone ABC and Hawley ABC on some evenings.

Now for a chat with Manya Klempner, the founder of The Boxing House portfolio of gyms:

Max:  So, that was my experience with TBH since 2019, in a nutshell.  How would you summarise yours?

Manya:  Thank you so much for acknowledging and appreciating the fine balance we sought to strike between authenticity and customer experience.  We get this sort of feedback often, and it means the world to me.  In my mind, it means we nailed it… it makes me so proud!  However, even while the boxing gyms are thriving, I think I’ve come to the end of my journey.

Max:  What do you mean?

Manya:  The experience of bringing a concept to life, developing a brand, and building a clientele was magical.  It was so, so hard, but I like that sort of challenge. Over the years, however, the shift from founder to operator began to wear on me. There are people who excel at the latter.  And those people are the ones to take The Boxing House on to the next level.  I still believe in the vision 100%, and I will always believe in the vision.  It’s now time for me to step aside and support the next chapter of scaling the business.

Max: Are you really walking away?

Manya: I’m NOT really walking away, just passing the torch.  I’ll take a bit of much-deserved time to spend with my little boy. I will probably take a holiday, do a few puzzles, finally take a crack at the large stack of books I’ve been neglecting.  Perhaps, I will take the time to smell the flowers in my garden… at long last.

And then, once I’ve had a chance to clear my mind, watch out folks!  I have a mean body shot!  Just ask Johnny Nelson 🥊