At almost any hour of the day, seven days a week, Santa Maria’s Infinite Boxing Gym is awash with the hiss of pounding gloves, throbbing workout music, and the syncopated whip-cracking of jump ropes.
The gym’s owner, Julio Avila, always knew the city he grew up in was a hotbed for boxing, but the extent of the sport’s popularity among locals became readily apparent when he expanded to a new location at Stowell Center Plaza in November.
“The amount of people that we’ve been getting has been pretty amazing,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just overwhelming.”
From pint-sized pugilists to amateurs on the verge of turning pro, Infinite’s membership currently numbers about 70 strong. Every weekend, the independent boxing gym is rocking, as clubs from larger cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento visit to spar with the local talent.
With 15 years’ experience as an amateur boxer and trainer behind him, Avila dreamed of owning his own gym for years, finally opening A&J Boxing in a rundown warehouse near the railroad tracks on Thornburg Street. After six months, the business had grown too large for its cozy confines, and a move to Broadway was in order—with a hand from the local businesses and the boxing community.
Here, all of the equipment is new, from the treadmills and weight benches to the speed bags and sparring ring, which Avila purchased for a cool $4,000. A handful of local sponsors helps pay the monthly rent.
“I’ve always loved boxing, and I knew from the beginning it would be a nonprofit business,” Avila said. “I just decided I was ready to start teaching and coaching because boxing was something that really helped me when I was growing up around here. I felt that I could give that back to the community.”
The 31-year-old Avila has surrounded himself with students and teachers of similar drive and purpose. One of the gym’s six volunteer coaches, Juan Ramos, was a boxer in Mexico in the 1970s and later a trainer for hometown professional welterweight Jose “Tony” Ojeda. Now, Ramos revels in the satisfaction of sharing his boxing expertise with his 15-year-old son and anyone else who’s willing to listen.
“I start with running before they ever touch the bag,” Ramos said. “The youngest learn more than some of the others. Everybody’s different. We take care of all of them, young and old. I don’t expect them to all be champions.”
Junior featherweight Edgar Flores followed Avila from A&J to Infinite, and though he’s consumed with readying for his first professional fight in March, once his own routine is done, the 24-year-old gets to work teaching the fine arts of punching, movement, and endurance.
He considers training the younger fighters as a personal responsibility to his mentors and his pupils.
“I like to help them out because there’s a lot of prospects out there. The same way they’re helping me out, I want to help too,” he said. “That brings me a lot of blessings because they’ve taken me far, and I’ve got to help take these kids far. They deserve it.”
While the youngsters gain knowledge about the sport, Flores said he feels encouraged in his own career through imparting his experience.
“I feel like I can be a role model for this place. I can be an example for them,” he said. “We’ve got to take it as far as we can get so they can see there’s a future in it and it’s not just play. It’s a serious sport.”
With memberships set at $25 per month for children ages 5 to 10, and $30 for ages 11 and up—with no added registration fees—the gym’s affordability is drawing in youth like 11-year-old Jose Avalos, who’s been training there since the gym’s opening.
“I like it because it’s about teamwork. We have clean fights. There’s no winners and losers,” Avalos said. “I want to box until I’m a pro.”
One of four girls who train at Infinite, 14-year-old Elizabeth Lua, said she noticed the gym while passing by and had to try her hand at the sport.
“My uncles were boxers, and I just wanted to see what it was like,” Lua said. “It’s cool. My favorite part is hitting the bags.”
Avila said he hopes to eventually host his own competitions and is counting on the gym’s emphasis on individualized instruction to keep the kids coming back for more.
“Kids want to do something. They want someone to push them, motivate them, and keep them going,” he said. “We try our best to show them. Even though it’s crazy full of people, we still look at everybody. We teach everything.”
Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas learns everything. Contact him at jthomas@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 28 – Feb 4, 2010.