There aren’t tons of options in this city but Leeds does have a handful of great boxing gyms for you to train at. Let’s take a look:
My preference is always for those rare, pure, old school boxing gyms, free of ego, and full of passion for the sport. But sometimes I include the odd boxercise place because I know that not everyone wants the nitty gritty of actual combat.
Why listen to me: I’ve been boxing as an amateur for 6 years and trained in countless boxing gyms around the world from Seattle to Spain. I’ve learnt that picking the right gym can literally change your life and want to help you do the same. Learn more about me here.
PLEASE leave your own opinions and experiences about Leeds boxing gyms in the comments at the bottom and I’ll continuously update this page to make it as useful as possible!
The 6 Best Boxing Gyms in Leeds🥊
1️⃣ Alliance Boxing Club
- Summary: Alliance ticks all the boxes. Friendly, professional, passionate.
- Address: 1st floor, Crossgates Working Mens Club, Orchard Rd
- Google rating: 4.9
- Opening hours: M-F: 5:30-8:30pm, Sa: 9:30am-1pm, Su: 9-11am
- Pricing: £4 / class
- Best for: beginners, pros, and everyone in between
- Online: website, Facebook
Alliance Boxing gym is awesome. It’s members talk about how it has changed their lives, physically, emotionally, socially.
It has become much more than just a boxing gym for many. It’s a rock solid community where everyone feels welcome and encouraged. You’ll get in the shape of your life here, learn the true art of boxing, and probably come away with some great mates while you’re at it.
They have two or three boxing classes everyday in the afternoons and evenings, and have designated classes for kids, women, and fitness, as well as general adult boxing classes. And at £4 a class, it’s great value.
Owners Sam and Graham are both hugely experienced boxers themselves and have built an equally talented and professional team of coaches to help them.
Undoubtedly one of the best boxing gyms in Leeds. Go check it out.
2️⃣ Ministry of Boxing
- Summary: a real deal old school boxing gym
- Address: Moorfield Rd, Armley
- Google rating: 4.8
- Opening hours: M,W,F: 6am-8pm, T&T: 6am-9pm, Sa: 6am-noon
- Pricing: £55 / month (unlimited classes)
- Best for: beginners, pros, and everyone in between
- Online: Facebook
Ministry of Boxing is the real deal. This is a place where boxing seeps out of the walls and where everyone who trains here is borderline obsessed with the sport. Love it!
It’s a humble but mighty gym that trains fighters for competition but is also very welcoming of boxers of all ages and abilities. They also place a big emphasis on helping kids get off the street, and to learn discipline and confidence so they can improve their lives.
The have designated classes for kids (“tots”), adults, and women, so there’s something here for everyone. The classes are mostly held in the evenings during the week, although on Tuesday and Thursday morning they have “rise and shine” boxing classes.
The rest of the time, the gym is open self-driven training or private classes.
3️⃣ Tigers Gym
- Summary: run by a former world champ and with a great atmosphere
- Address: 8a Stonegate Rd, Meanwood
- Google rating: 4.8
- Opening hours: M-F: 5-9pm, Sa: 10am-1pm
- Pricing: £9 / class
- Best for: beginners, pros, and everyone in between
- Online: website, Instagram, Facebook
It’s hard to find a bad word said about Tigers Gym. Most of the praise is directed at coaches and husband and wife pair Michelle and Gary who have created a welcoming and motivating environment that gets the best out of each and every student.
Some of the other boxing gyms in Leeds have quite intense atmosphere’s but not Tiger. This is the sort of place you want to spend as much time as possible.
Head Coach Michelle Sutcliffe has won three world titles so it’s safe to say you’re going to be coached by someone who really knows what they’re talking about.
As well as offering boxing classes, they also offer Muay Thai classes for anyone who wants to mix up their training. Several classes are held every evening for women, beginners, kids, adults, and competitive fighters.
Undoubtedly one of the best boxing gyms in Leeds. Highly recommended!
4️⃣ The Camp Detox Boxing Club
- Summary: an old school, hard working boxing gym
- Address: New Wortley Conservative Club, 7 Oldfield Ln
- Google rating: 4.7
- Opening hours: M-F: 8am-8pm, Sa: 8am-4pm, Su: 9am-2pm
- Pricing: n.a.
- Best for: competitive and wannabe competitive fighters
- Online: Instagram, Facebook
The Camp Detox is another one of those old school gyms that focuses purely on the boxing. There are no frills here, no superfood smoothies or influencers taking selfies.
These guys are here to train hard and learn real boxing. They send plenty of fighters to local competition so if you’re looking to get in the ring for real then Camp Detox has certainly got what you need.
Don’t let that intimidate you though if you’re new to the sport. Camp Detox is welcoming of all boxers, and is run by passionate and caring coaches.
The facility itself is great. It’s spacious and light, in a warehouse-like building.
They’re too busy boxing to have a website sadly but you can learn more from their social media pages.
5️⃣ Sharky’s Gym
- Summary: learn hard and fast at this tough old school gym
- Address: Nordon House, 332a Meanwood Rd
- Google rating: 4.4
- Opening hours: T, T, F: 4:30-7:30pm, Sa: 11am-1:30pm
- Pricing: n.a.
- Best for: serious boxers
- Online: Instagram, Facebook
Sharky’s is as old school as they come. There’s nothing fancy about this place, but it’s all about pure boxing, full of passion and dedication to the sport. They don’t even have a website and their social media pages are never updated.
They’ve been going for over 30 years here and trained many champions so they certainly know what they’re doing. And they are very heavily involved in the Leeds boxing scene, organizing fights against other gyms and that sort of thing.
Be aware that they do train HARD here, so I wouldn’t recommend starting out at Sharky’s if you are new to boxing. Some people have found that it can be a bit rough on beginners. It’s also not ideal for young kids.
If you’re an experienced boxer or adult/young adult looking to train intensely, take some hits, and learn the hard and fast way, then Sharky’s is the place for you.
You’ll get insanely fit and learn proper technique in a gym full of other serious boxers.
6️⃣ Bad Company (Muay Thai)
- Summary: Leed’s best Muay Thai gym
- Address: 3 Glenthorpe Cres
- Google rating: 4.9
- Opening hours: M,W &F: 10:30-8:30pm, T & T: 10:30am-7:30pm, Sa: 10:30-11:30am
- Pricing: £55 / month (unlimited classes)
- Best for: those wanting to try some Muay Thai
- Online: website, Instagram, Facebook
Ok, ok, I know this isn’t a boxing gym. But it’s a highly recommended and very popular place to learn Thai boxing so this might be useful for you if you’re considering which sport to choose (go for boxing!)
It’s run by Richard & Lisa who make sure that every student gets plenty of attention and learns true technique. They’ve created a strong family feel where first timers will be training alongside seasoned veterans, but you’ll never be under any pressure to move faster than you’re comfortable with.
There are no egos here, which is always a great sign that the gym has got its priorities in the right place.
The facility itself is clean and bright, and the sessions, which are held every afternoon, are varied and seriously intense!
If you want to step away from boxing here in Leeds and give Muay Thai a go, then Bad Company is the place for you. (We’d give this place a 10/10 if it were a boxing gym!)
Related articles:
- The Best Boxing Gyms in Manchester
- The Best Boxing Gyms in Birmingham
- Should I Start Boxing? (7 Reasons Why Hell YES!)
How to pick a Leeds boxing gym❓
- Coaches – an experienced, motivating coach makes all the difference. Not just when it comes to improving your technique but also in encouraging you to keep coming back time and time again. Becoming a good boxer takes a long time and so it’s important you find a coach that you click with if this is something you want to do for many years. Reviews will often focus on coaches so try looking for those for some insights.
- Convenience of location and class timings – this is key. My boxing gym is on the same block as my home so I have no excuse not to go almost everyday, even if I’m not feeling up to it. Finding a gym that’s close to home or work will make your life much easier and help to make going to boxing training a habit. The same applies to class timings, if you have to massively disrupt your day to get to a class because it doesn’t fit your schedule then you’re going to be less likely to go.
- Gym focus – I don’t have a problem with boxercise classes, but make sure you know what you’re signing up for if you join one of these. Boxercise is very different than actually learning how to fight and getting sparring experience. If you truly want to learn how to box then you need to box. That involves punching other people and getting punched yourself.
- Trial class – most boxing gyms will allow you to have a free trial class so you can get a feel for the place before you sign up. This is a great way of evaluating whether you like the coach, the energy, and the focus of the gym. Always worth asking for a free trial class if you’re not sure whether it’s offered.
How much do boxing gyms in Leeds cost? 💰
- Monthly memberships: Some places change by class, some by month. But expect to pay around £5 / class or £60 per month. Some places offer unlimited classes to their members. Be sure to check for this.
- One-on-one personal training: Depending on the gym, costs are around £20 per hour as a minimum.
- Drop-in boxing classes for non-members: ~£5 per class
- Initiation fee: not all places make you pay one of these (and I’m not a fan of it) but those that do usually charge a one-off fee of £20
12th Round 🔔
With places like Alliance, Ministry of Boxing, and Tigers, Leeds has some really decent boxing gyms on offer. Pick the one that you like the sound of, give it a go, and get in the ring.
Happy fighting! 🥊🥊
“A boxing ring looks different from the inside, particularly when it’s shared with another man who is intent upon rendering you unconscious. There’s no place to hide. Once a fighter climbs the stairs, he’s roped in, unable to leave until his night’s work is done.”
Thomas Hauser
