Cobra Boxing Club founder Angelo identifies as a student of the martial arts with a passion for physical fitness. Having been introduced at a very young age to martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, Angelo ecame fascinated by Kung Fu and began training at the age of 12. Little did he know at the time but Bruce Lee would become Angelo’s lifelong idol, influencing him to focus on studying various martial arts both through physical training and mental training in the form of collecting and reading many books on different martial arts and related texts.
Angelo’s boxing training started at 19 after leaving his home in London to attend The University of Huddersfield to undertake a Sports Promotion and Marketing course, for which he obtained a degree.
After graduating from university, Angelo not only remained focused on boxing, joining Battersea Amateur Boxing Club, he started training to become a personal fitness trainer having gained a love for training prior to leaving for Uni. Life seemed to be going in the right direction until whilst undertaking a medical exam to compete as am amateur boxer, Angelo failed the eye exam and was unable to obtain his medical clearance.
Not being discouraged, he continued his boxing training whilst also taking up Muay Thai at the famous KO Gym in Bethnal Green, training there for a couple of months before moving to Roehampton after the birth of his first child.
Roehampton brought new opportunities for Angelo, joining Putney and Roehampton Boxing Club and the UK renowned MMA club New Wave Academy based in Crystal Palace where Angelo competed and unfortunately lost in an amateur bout due to his newly acquired yet low level of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Not being discouraged by his loss, Angelo began training at the Roger Gracie BJJ Academy in Wandsworth Park learning new skills before the club relocated.
This set back allowed Angelo to join the newly opened boxing and martial arts gym; Glove Up, in Wandsworth, where once again he trained in Muay Thai under two great coaches, one being Tununchai Rachadech (Mac to his students) the former head trainer for the world renowned Muay Thai gym, Fairtex Gym in Pattaya Thailand. Having trained world famous Muay Thai fighters, Angelo learned a great deal from his world class coach and now aims to pass on his knowledge to the children he teaches.
Fast forward to September 2022, 6 weeks after opening Cobra Boxing Club in the Toland Square Community Clubroom in Roehampton and Angelo has accomplished
many things to get him to where he is now, voluntarily running a boxing club to provide free of charge sessions to the community.
Angelo has been qualified as a personal fitness trainer for over 10 years, training a vast array of people and further enhancing his passion for physical fitness, specialising in strength and conditioning.
He has also had the privilege of working in the local Catholic school, Sacred Heart, for 3 years as an after school sports coach where he worked with many children of different abilities, cultures, religions and races. His time spent as a school sports coach is what put him on the path to wanting to focus on helping the youth of today. Seeing the joy the children had participating in sports allowed him to recognise the importance sports had played in his life and at that time, in the lives of many children in the school. This in turn led Angelo to privately training children in boxing, Muay Thai and general strength training in his home garage gym.
“Having a parent thank me because their child hated school and would cry every morning to now wanting to go to school because they were on my sports clubs every day made me realise the importance sports can play on a child".
Cobra Boxing Club C.I.C started in August 2021 under the name Doverhouse Lions Boxing Club after Angelo agreed to run boxing sessions for the Doverhouse Lions Football Club youth players.
Having started with one under 18’s session every Saturday morning, Angelo ended up running four sessions for different age groups: U10’s, 10 – 17, Adults and finishing with an 8 – 17 year olds session.
Unfortunately, due to a difference in opinions and the aim to grow the club, Angelo relocated the club and changed the name to reflect one of his goals of instilling certain attributes which Angelo believes to be important in the pursuit of achieving a high level in any activity one chooses to do.
Cobra Boxing Club C.I.C is a registered (2022) Non – Profit Community Interest Company (C.I.C) focused on delivering boxing, martial arts and fitness training to children under 18 years of age.
The main goal of Cobra Boxing Club is to be an all inclusive club that eliminates all barriers preventing a child from participating in a sport. The club is open to and has children participating from many different races, cultures, religions and socio economic groups as the club offers boxing, Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) and fitness sessions free of charge to all participants. Angelo believes that there is a whole pool of talent amongst disadvantaged children and now is the time to identify them.
Angelo has big ambitions for the club and wants to branch out into many areas to facilitate the lives of disadvantaged people.
