Punch him in the Ring

Boxing isn't all about watching two half-naked, beautifully toned, sweaty men punch each other in the head when all you really want them to do is kiss, make up and get busy. It's also a serious sport.

As gay men, we clearly know how to fly like a butterfly, but how many of us know how to sting like a bee?

Punch Him in the Ring is a boxing group created especially for gay men, by a gay rookie and a straight instructor. The aim of the group is to empower gay men with the correct skills involved in throwing different punches with force, blocking incoming hits, protecting the face and improving footwork, stance and balance. "Many gay men have never been taught how to fight. This class is all about equipping us with that skill," says Andrew Georgiou (incidentally, also the editor of this newsletter).

Georgiou and his Time Out Sydney colleague Stacy Batchelor are the men behind PHITR. "I'm gay and Stacy is straight. He tells us he was born that way, so we don't hold it against him. We're here to learn from his passion for boxing," says Georgiou.

Batchelor - affectionately known to the group as ‘hetero-bear' - focuses entirely on the technique behind the variety of punches that make up boxing, including hooks, jabs and uppercuts. "The classes will teach your body to react with precision and effectiveness if and when the time arises to defend yourself, so there is no hesitation and the skills become second nature," says Batchelor.

The groups are kept small with a maximum of seven participants, which, when partnered off with Batchelor, form four pairs of constantly rotating one-on-one training bouts every few minutes. An hour-long session offers an incredible work out, with skipping rope training, short sprints and field jogs injected into the programme every session.

"It's amazing how quickly you can pick up the techniques behind throwing different punches," says Georgiou. "We like to have some fun, but over all it's a serious workout and focus on technique. You leave every training session feeling incredibly confident and empowered."

The group runs two classes a week: Wednesday night at 7pm and Saturday morning at 9am at Waverley Park in Bondi. Participants can take one or two classes a week across six weeks at $20 per class.

Session II of Punch him in the Ring starts on 7 Oct. Places are limited so email your interest to punchinthering@gmail.com