Fourways gym trains champions
FOURWAYS - Smith's Boxing Gym in Cedar Square is the stomping ground for a host of champions but also offers coaching in the art of boxing to the public.
The gym was started by Sean, George and Peter Smith, the sons of legendary heavyweight champion Kosie Smith. “I never chose the game; the game chose me,” said Sean Smith. “Once it’s in your blood it’s a high that you never want to come down from.”
Currently the gym is training a number of established and rising stars. One such star is talented boxer, Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu. A cruiser weight champion, Mchunu is currently ranked number two in the world according to the World Boxing Council. He will be fighting in the Reel Steel tournament in Pretoria on 6 June. Although Mchunu lives in Cato Ridge in KwaZulu- Natal, before a big fight he lives with his trainer, Sean Smith, in Johannesburg for eight weeks while in fight camp.
“Commitment comes at a price,” Smith said. “When you’re in the ring with your fighter, as a trainer you’re putting everything on the line. You always want to know that you’ve given your best to these fighters who put their careers in your hands.”
Apart from his intensive training with champion boxers, Smith also offers ‘boxercise’ classes to the public. “We teach the non-contact form of the sport allowing the public to enjoy the benefits without the risks,” he said. “We believe that boxing is the most functional and effective form of training.”
Smith also teaches a children’s anti-bullying course. “We don’t teach violence but boxing can improve self-confidence and self-esteem and that’s what we try to promote it.”
Details: www.smithsboxing.co.za
