Taupō boxing gym teaches the things that ‘don’t come easy’

Chris Walker (left) and Luca McKenzie practise their combos on a punching bag. Photo / Supplied

A boxing gym in Taupō is bringing shy kids out of their shell and teaching bullies to be “humble people with nothing to prove”.

Nuki’s Boxing Gym started as Taupō Boxing Gym in 1978, but when head coach and mentor Rodney ‘Nuki’ Johnson passed away the club was named after him to commemorate his services to boxing.

It is a serious boxing gym for those serious about the sport and it has grown in recent years, with about 30 members attending each training session. It caters to all ages, from young kids aged 5 to 9, to adults making the switch from rugby or league and going into the New Zealand amateur boxing circuit.

One of its most successful boxers is Jayden Ball, who recently won the heavyweight division and best fight of the tournament trophy at the Challenge Maco Nena Tournament in Tahiti.

Boxing coach Powell Marshall says the gym teaches valuable life lessons along with the necessary skills and fitness that go into boxing.

“The kids that come here, they all grow up and learn things that don’t come easy, like staying in the gym. They have to train with purpose.

“I see shy kids come out of that [shyness] and start to speak up, the tough kids that might be bullies turn around to become humble people with nothing to prove. I see girls and young women grow their inner confidence.

“Everyone that walks in takes something good away the day that they leave – if they leave.

“The gym is about being a safe sporting option for our rangatahi to take on and maybe pick up a couple of life skills. It’s about learning boxing as an art, keeping it about the art of boxing and not just a fight.”

Nuki’s Boxing Gym, which caters for children and adults from ages 5 upwards, successfully applied for a $1000 Taupō District Council community sports grant recently.

The money will go towards new boxing gear that will better suit younger boxers and offer more diverse training options for elite boxers.

Community Sports Grants open again in October. Learn more about the grants here: https://www.taupodc.govt.nz/community/community-grants-and-awards.