Meet the Cincinnati boxing club using combat to promote peace

Using combat to promote peace may sound convoluted, but it's been a practice at Oasis Elite Boxing Club for several years now.

We joined them Thursday at their gym inside Dohn Community School's fitness academy in Walnut Hills to see how it's working.

"You can walk away from violence, stay in the gym and box. Educate your head," said Daryl "P-Man" Jones, a coach at the club. "This is a free sport and happy sport. I think it does a lot mentally for our kids to stay positive."

The club's director, Andrew Williams, said their young athletes' ages range from 6 to 21 and "come from all backgrounds."

"They come from two-family households, they come from single-family households," Williams said. "We try to fill that gap by helping teaching the kids from right from wrong. And you know, maybe replacing that father figure, if he is not there."

It's an unconventional-looking classroom, but Williams assures the lessons learned at the club are hard-hitting and touch on techniques inside the squared circle and tips for dealing with life outside of it.

"We do care about our kids, and we're doing everything that we can do to steer them in the right direction," he said. "We can't stop these kids from going downtown, but we can teach them how to act when they get there."

Taking part in the "sweet science" known as boxing often serves as a safe third place for young people, providing an outlet for frustration and authority figures who preach discipline and offer up support.

"I think the younger generation are a product of what happens when you strand a community of resources," Williams said. "I think that the Black community has been stranded of resources."

Williams' hope is that the club can become an indelible resource to more young people across Cincinnati. Evening classes are free and open to all ages 6 to 21. To join, you. can contact the club's Facebook page or show up to one of their programs, which run at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The club is also known in the community for its “Punching for Peace." The anti-violence initiative looks to bring people together in an effort to continue conversations surrounding violence.