Local boxing gym aimed at youth celebrates a decade in the ring
By Miguel Morales miguel@theacorn.com

MIGUEL MORALES/Acorn Newspapers FIGHTING FAMILY- Robert Ortiz Sr., owner of Kids Gloves, poses for a picture with his son, Robert Jr., 25, during Saturday's celebration.

Children chasing each other through a maze of punching bags and playing tag inside a steel cage may not be a typical way to celebrate a decade in business, but for Robert Ortiz, owner of Kids Gloves Boxing Studios in Simi Valley, it was the perfect scenario.

Kids Gloves marked its 10year anniversary April 21 at its facilities at 4219 E. Los Angeles Ave. In between mouthfuls of chips and dip, Ortiz reminded audience members that his vision for the gym remains the same as it did in 1997: making it a place where kids can come after school, do their homework and train.

"At Kids Gloves we teach the backwards ABCs: conceive, believe and achieve," Ortiz said. "We stress the importance of challenging both the mind and the body."

With pictures of boxing superstars like Muhammad Ali and Roberto Duran on his walls and countless trophies lining the entrance to his gym, Ortiz backed up his vision with more than just words.

Ortiz's first boxing studio had its roof blown off by El Nino's 100 mph winds. After starting over with Kids Gloves, Ortiz had his mind set on staying open for good.

"Some businesses open up and close their doors without even a word," Ortiz said. "This gym has changed so many lives- it won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

Ortiz has a plan to bring in computers for kids to use as part of an after-school program where they would receive help with their studies. Then they can train. He has confidence in the ability of his staff to help with all kinds of problems: Past members have come in with more issues than just losing weight, he said with a grin. They've raised their grades at school and gained respect for themselves.

"That makes me proud," he said.

The celebration brought the Ortiz family together with the gym's many members and at the same time shared the atmosphere of boxing with the rest of the community.

Ortiz's mother, Betty, 66, raised her three sons as boxers. She remembered the way boxing used to be taught.

"Boxing used to come from the heart, and it took lots of sweat and blood to become a champion," Betty Ortiz said. "Nowadays everyone is all Hollywood and is fighting for the money, but my son teaches the old way of fighting and that's something that you can't buy."

Rachel Greenbush, an amateur boxer for the past three years, started training at Kids Gloves five years ago. She was looking for a way to change her life, she said, and found it through boxing. Everyone who comes to the gym is a friend, she said.

"It's a real family environment," Greenbush said. "When I first started working out, I never thought about boxing, and after one lesson I was hooked."

For more information on Kids Gloves Boxing Studio, call (805) 526-3214.