MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Kaenohe Bay -- For the past two years, the sport of boxing had taken a complete hiatus from MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, but recently, USA Boxing opened a chapter aboard the base that is free and available to all service members who want to learn the sport, or who want to compete on the base team, currently boasting about 20 full-time members.
Jack Johnson, the career planner with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, was a member of the boxing team here two years ago. After getting reassigned to MCB Hawaii recently, he decided to rebuild the old club. He now serves as the head trainer and resident expert to all things boxing.
"When I came back, I saw the need to get something like this rolling," said Johnson, a former Golden Gloves fighter. "Now we've got a great area to train and practice, and we have a lot of guys who are coming out and working hard."
The new club is located across the flight line in a renovated storage building that's now packed to the walls with punching and speed bags, and other types of equipment to build expert pugilists.
"I think people like boxing because it's such an individual sport," said Johnson. "It gives people a good chance to get away from the regular, Marine Corps style of working out and do something completely different."
The new club welcomes members of all abilities to come out and train with boxing experts. The training can be intense; however, dedicated boxers are some of the toughest athletes in the world, said Johnson.
Anyone can become a proficient boxer: Technique and training ultimately win out over natural ability, so it's really a sport for anyone, Johnson believes. On average, he said, a boxer can be ready for his first bout in two months - if he or she is passionate about fighting.
"We're lucky to have such a facility here," said Richard Ransom, an eight-year veteran of the sport and section leader from Marine Corps Air Facility's Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting unit. "This really is the best I've ever trained in."
Ransom added, "Boxing really is a good sport for Marines, and we tend to have an advantage over the average civilian who wants to go out and get involved. Marines are generally in shape, and we can usually make time for something like this. A lot of civilian guys can't train as much as they need to because of jobs and other things like that."
Individuals who have never boxed before are welcome to attend the practice sessions, which take place Monday, Wednesday and Friday of every week from 5 to 7 p.m. First timers will receive one-on-one instruction to understand the basics before ever entering a fight.
For more information on the club, call Jack Johnson at (808) 292-2109, or check out the boxing club's debut April 23 at Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill aboard K-Bay, when Hawaii Marines will take on members from Oahu-based boxing clubs.