Student finds boxing passion

Two fists and one hardworking heart: the traits of a certain eleven-year-old boy.

Six years ago, Kevin Lozano (’15) signed up for boxing, unknowing that what he was about to begin as a sport would become a passion.

The sport attracted him because of its fast pace and aggressiveness. Inspired by an uncle that used to box in Mexico, Lozano decided to try it out.

“Knowing that I had a family member that did something I like to do pushed me to want to do it more,” Lozano said.

Lozano, now seventeen, started off six years ago at a gym once called Gio’s Boxing Club in Burbank. When the gym was closed and Lozano was no longer able to train there, it was a “devastating moment,” a place where he had spent up to a third of his life was gone.

Although he was without a gym to train in, Lozano was not discouraged. He took it upon himself to continue doing what he enjoyed. Lozano tried to train on his own and do what he could to continue his passion.

But he wasn’t always alone. He was able to keep in contact with his coach of three years, Ian Porter from Gio’s Boxing Club, and together they would train outside in order to keep in shape. Lozano now holds a membership to the Gracie Barra gym in Burbank where he once again trains with Porter. But Lozano is not the only one looking forward to his return to a boxing gym; his coach is as well.

“He’s got a solid work ethic,” Porter said. “He’s someone I thought would come back every class. He always sits and asks questions.”

Porter did mention that Lozano had a period of about two months off so right now the main focus is on strengthening and conditioning.

“He keeps going, he keeps finding a way to do what he loves,” Kevin’s sister Izmir Lozano said.

Lozano’s passion for boxing comes not for the sport itself, but also the environment it brings.

“It’s a one man’s, fast-spaced sport,” Lozano said.

The ability to be in the ring and to spar with someone one-on-one and the high rate of intensity is what brings Lozano back after six years.

“It’s all about having to be you in the sport, not with a team, or even a coach,” Lozano said. “In the ring it’s all about using what you know in the moment.”

Porter too sees the passion in Lozano, saying that “he is always willing to put in the work and learn.”

Lozano tries to run a minimum of ten miles a week to keep in shape. Porter even mentioned that Lozano is the type of student to ask questions, learn something, and then take that home to further perfect it.

“He’s always been the type of person to know what he wants and when he wants to do something he does it,” Izmir said.

Hoping that Lozano’s hard-working attitude would spread to his teammates, Porter said that he often designates him to step up and play the role of one the leaders of the class. Being an experienced boxer in training and in sparring, Lozano hopes to soon be able to get an actual fight and move his boxing career forward.

Luckily, Lozano isn’t alone on this journey. He has the support of his coach who said that “if that is something that [Lozano] wants to do, [he] could definitely see [Lozano] stepping up to the challenge of fighting.”

—Jessie Martinez