Built by a coach
Sugar Boxing started with Dana Donahue and a handful of heavy bags in Encinitas. It was the first real boxing club in North County, and it was never meant to be anything fancy. Just a place to learn the sport from someone who actually knew it.
The people who train here don't have much in common on paper. Some have been coming for years, some started last month. There are kids in the youth classes, people who showed up just for the workout, and a few who've been around long enough to watch the place change. Different reasons for walking in, same gym once they do.
We treat our members like family, which can be a good or bad thing. What that really means is we pay attention. Whether it's your first class or your five hundredth, you get the same coaching and the same fundamentals we've taught since the beginning, from people who've actually been in the ring.
We're here to teach people to box, and to look out for each other while we do it.
In 2002, when there was nowhere in North County to learn authentic boxing, Dana Donahue opened the doors to what was then Encinitas Boxing. More than twenty years later, Sugar Boxing remains a cornerstone of the local boxing community.
The origin story
Dana's story on Sugar Boxing, in her own words.
Boxing for everyone
This gym was built on the idea that anyone can box, and that a gym should take care of the people in it.
Rock Steady Boxing
A non-contact program for people with Parkinson's disease. Classes are three days a week. The training helps with balance and movement, but the regulars come for the community as much as anything.
Learn More →Youth Boxing
Ages 8 to 16, with two coaches in every class so no kid gets lost in the group. They learn to box properly, build coordination, develop focus and confidence while gaining the community that naturally come along with it.
See Youth Classes →Everyone is Welcome
Most people who walk in have never boxed before. Some stay a month, some have been here for years, and some are training to compete. Nobody cares which one you are.
Start Here →Ready to be part of it?
Your first three classes, gloves, and hand wraps. $125 with the Intro Pack. No experience needed.
Get the Intro Pack →