We are a small, woman and queer-owned Portland boxing gym located in the St. Johns neighborhood. Our goal is to provide a safe, fun, and inclusive space for people from all walks of life to learn and practice recreational boxing. We are the only North Portland boxing gym to offer group classes with mitt & glove style training–which is the most fun kind of training!

Nobody Knew How to Open a Boxing Gym. So She Did It Anyway.

In our experience, the fitness community can often seem exclusionary and inaccessible to people, especially within the sport of boxing. It can be very male-dominated and competitive, often inaccessible to women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, older adults, and people with disabilities. St Johns Boxing is a safe space to discover your strength and own your power. No matter where they are in their journey and we’re here to offer encouragement, guidance, and support along the way. St Johns Boxing focuses on boxing as recreation and we take pride in being a safe and positive environment. We just want to have a good time, make some friends, and get a great workout!

Our trainers are USA Boxing and Safe Sport certified, and we emphasize safety over all else. We offer a range of class types, as well as personal training and private group lessons. Our primary mode of training is in the form of adult group classes. Members are taught how to properly hold punch mitts and, under guidance from the instructor, partners work through various punch combinations, learning important skills such as ducking, slipping, footwork, and punching technique. The advantage of this format is that it’s low-contact, safe, mentally and socially engaging, and effectively trains both form and strategy for real-life boxing scenarios.

What is recreational boxing?

Boxing spans from purely fitness, kick boxing style, to highly competitive boxing. We do not fit in either box. In our classes, you will learn new skills and have the opportunity to apply them with a partner. You will also improve your cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength through boxing drills and conditioning.

Recreational boxing approaches sparring more like a chess match. Highly strategic and technical. Recreational boxing is for the person who wants to learn how to problem solve, in real time, under pressure.

Boxing is a great way to get in shape, build confidence, and deal with life stressors; it’s benefits include: