“..it wasn’t scary at all. I loved it.”
Boxing training demands that you strike a pose--but Enzo Giordano’s classes are definitely not for posers. Based at ramshackle premises in Islington, first impressions are not good. Don’t be put off though: walking in with the man himself is like stepping on to a film set. The lights flick on to reveal a huge room with battered bags hanging in rows, a boxing ring, a rickety weights machine and an intriguing collection of posters covering the walls.
A super-middleweight contender not so long ago, Giordano has been running the club for six years. He began teaching at women’s gyms in south London but ended up sticking with this one place where he operates three days a week.
Throwing punches, I soon discovered is a remarkably addictive. But, as this is boxing training rather than the sport itself, none of the blows ever land on someone else’s nose. Beginners should arrive early so that Enzo can demonstrate, with the skill of a former pro, how to wrap the bandages which serve as protection for your hands and wrists. He then demonstrates the basic stance and key punches: jabs, crosses, hooks and upper-cuts. These are the essentials; everything else is practice. The class lasts 90 minutes, but it usually goes on longer as people lose track of time. Read more...
