If you’ve spent any time in the athletic fields of McCarren Park in the past year and a half, you’ve seen Krush teach boxing, be it with just two students or a class of 50+. Through rain, snow, or shine, Krush and his students are in the park every day, training, practicing discipline, and, incidentally, forming a tight-knit community.
The Inception
Before the pandemic, Krush was a personal trainer at a local gym. But when everything shut down, two of his former trainees requested some boxing lessons from him in the park. The isolation was getting to them and the need to be outside, moving, and training seemed like a mental health saving grace. Krush agreed to train them, free of charge, and the three got to work in the winter of 2020. Hence, the birth of Krush Boxing.
It started with two, and then there were ten, and then there were 25, and as the numbers climbed, Krush kept true to his word: he never charged anyone a cent. You see, to understand Krush, you need to understand how deeply, and unequivocally he is dedicated to being a public servant. Everything he does, he does for others. He prides himself on being by the people and for the people. He’s never sought power, and he’s never missed a day in the park. He wakes up at 3:45 am every day to get up and out there and train himself before he serves the community.
The Inspiration
There are a few people he credits for this masterly endurance. First, he credits his mother, a matriarch and the “backbone of everything.” And second, he credits his girlfriend Ashley, a “two-time cancer survivor and one of the greatest champions I’ve ever trained.” Krush shared that a lot of his strength, power, and inspiration has come from her, one of the greatest. He’s incredibly grateful for his family, (special shout out to his nephews who’ve trained with him as well), and claims that his family put him on the map, and the community has kept him there.
As many of us have looked for guidance during these unprecedented times, so too, certain individuals have been thrust into becoming community leaders. That’s Krush. But this was never part of his plan. Brooklyn-born and raised, Krush recalled the “old days” when he spent most of his time out in the streets, citing run-ins with the Notorious B.I.G., and leading a much more nefarious lifestyle. But all the while, from childhood onward, boxing was a part of him, and it’s become the foundation of his life today.
Krush explained that while boxing can get violent, it’s not a violent sport by nature; rather, it’s an art. He trains adults and children alike, but as someone who started boxing as a child, he really enjoys instilling that sense of discipline and strength into young kids today.
And Now, A Gym
Here’s the best part: after generously investing over a year of his time and talents to the people of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, they’re investing back into Krush Boxing. On donations alone, Krush and his appointed Board of Directors are opening a gym in the neighborhood.
While they still plan on teaching class outside in the park, considering that’s how it all started, people will have the option to train inside the new facility as well.
Acceptance, inclusivity, respect, love, and support are the pillars of Krush Boxing, and as Krush put it, “The only race that matters with Krush Boxing is the human race.” At Krush Boxing, he wants you to know that you’ll always have the opportunity to build, and you’ll learn to get back up with each fall along the way.
To learn more, visit them on Instagram @KrushBoxingBrooklyn.
