Opening Day At Impact Boxing’s New Facilities In Stoke

Photos © Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

It was a grey and wet afternoon – but it was all smiles at Impact Boxing’s new base in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, England, this Saturday. Former English Lightweight Champion Scott Lawton and team officially opened the new Impact Boxing Gym and had invited press, friends, family and the public to check out the new facilities.

Parking up outside the characterful brick building in Brocksford Street – you’d never guess it was ‘home’ to a smart boxing and fitness centre. The door to the building bore a sign saying ‘Impact Boxing’ and the balloons and streamers attached to it – although dripping with rain – suggested the ‘party atmosphere’ inside.

I was welcomed at the door by one of the team – a friendly guy who gave me a guided tour of the building. Amazed at the size, the ground floor level had a large work area, weights and fitness suite adjoining another work-room which appeared to be the main area for staging fitness sessions.

Scott’s mum, Linda, and his wife, Ruth, were on hand to provide coffees, drinks and food, which had been laid out for everyone. Making me feel very welcome – they chatted about the new facilities and sessions run by coach Tayah Kansik. I watched Tayah for a while as she conducted a ladies session. Despite having already trained for two hours – the ladies were keen to impress those watching and didn’t falter as Tayah suggested some ‘kicks’ on the pads.

A qualified Gym Instructor, Personal Trainer and Boxing/Mixed Martial Arts Coach – Tayah runs a ladies ‘Boxercise’ Session on Wednesday evenings at ‘Impact’. A pleasant and really approachable person – she was keen to tell me her ’boxercise session’ had all the elements of a boxing training session – ‘but without the sparring’ unlike some boxercise sessions I’ve seen advertised elsewhere that might be an aerobic work-out with a bit of shadow-boxing thrown in.

I implied that I’d like to try her session, but was worried I might need to get fit first, she assured me that all the ladies were of mixed age and ability and were comfortable going at their own pace.

Tayah then hands me a DVD that she has recently produced called ‘Self Defense for Women’ by Tayah Kansik but is later embarrassed when Scott puts it on the TV upstairs, rather loudly, so that visitors could watch. The other ‘star’ of the DVD was noted photographer Mr.Will, who also attended the ‘open day’.

Upstairs were separate changing rooms, toilets, a kitchen and small treatment room. Scott led me to his office, where the walls were adorned with boxing photographs and signed gloves. He talks excitedly about the gym and his goal to achieve a thriving ‘stable’ of pro-fighters.

The gym is open six days a week and includes fitness classes on Thursday and Saturday with amateur boxing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Scott, Lindon and Tayah also offer personal training sessions.

We chatted for a while before wandering back out in to the large boxing work-area. There, a professional boxing trainer called Lindon was doing pad-work with former British Super-Flyweight Champion Chris Edwards. Heavyweight boxer Alex Ibbs was also there and a number of visitors, some of whom were trying out pad-work or hitting one of the many punch-bags lined up along one side of the space.

At the far end was a decent ring – where young people were getting a taste for boxing, including Scott’s young son, who obviously felt that his Star Wars light ‘Force’ was far more effective than a boxing glove!

Promising to return sometime soon for more photographs and interviews, I left the Impact Boxing Gym.

Stood on the pavement outside the building again – I mused at ’the other world’ behind the door and knew that the determination of Scott Lawton and the Team would make this a gym of champions.