Pro Boxing Skills:

Monthly Sessions

Empower your month with Vanessa Chakour, a former pro boxer and NYC coach. These progressive 4-week training sessions will equip you with a solid foundation in boxing, including footwork, speed bag and heavy bag training, basic defense, and conditioning. Learn in a welcoming, no-contact environment that awakens your primal instincts, trains your reflexes, and builds cardiovascular health and endurance.

Open to Franklin County YMCA members and non-members. All levels welcome!

Join Now via the YMCA site

Monthly Training
Greenfield, MA

Train under the guidance of a USA Boxing certified coach with personalized workout recommendations between sessions. Open to YMCA members and non-members. Students will need boxing gloves and hand wraps. A speed rope is also recommended for warm-ups and practice between sessions.

Tuesday Evenings:

The Blue Corner
6:15-7:15 PM
(Max 5 participants)
Train once a week for a month with personalized workout recommendations between sessions.

Wednesday Afternoons:

The Red Corner
12:30-1:30 PM
(Max 5 participants)
Train once a week for a month with personalized workout recommendations between sessions.

Only 5 spots available per group: Secure Your Space!

Once/week training for November: $120 (6 sessions x $40)

IMPORTANT REMINDER:
Students will need gloves and hand wraps (recommended gloves, recommended wraps).
Sign up via the Franklin County YMCA website

Read more about Vanessa’s journey and the training sessions in the local paper and her essay Rewilding Through Boxing

Secure Your Space!

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Testimonials

Boxing Reviews

"In the years that I have known Vanessa Chakour, she has always impressed me. She fully understands the dedication, commitment and skills required to be successful in all aspects of boxing. Her heart & determination are unparalleled. She comes from a school of great trainers who know the game & have given her pure wisdom."
~ Lennard Jackson, Boxing coach and Former World Ranked Middleweight

"Boxing with Vanessa is not about punching people or being a hard ass, it's about being true and clear in your direction and concentration. To say I needed this would be an understatement. The support and inspiration I feel boxing, practicing the meditation techniques and connecting with the elements within me and around me, is the whole warrior of my true self."
~ Steph Harris

"Working with Vanessa has been a phenomenal experience. She is a great teacher and really analyzes your skills for peak performance. She is an advocate of using proper technique which many trainers don't emphasize. She also helps you gain confidence through understanding the science of the sport, and learning to generate power with technique and awareness through meditation practice."
~ Rene John Sandy, Co- Founder of The Hip Hop Loves Foundation

"While I’d been an athlete for much of my life I’ve never had someone hold the space for me to arrive deeply in my practice in a way that welcomed not only the practice itself but left room for the baggage, wisdom, flair and life experience I’d carried with me in that moment. In this way Vanessa makes boxing a sacred opportunity to learn about how to better one’s approach to life, self and others. I am deep in gratitude"
~ Phelicia Magnusson

“Vanessa uses her own special technique of combining the fierceness of boxing with the focus and visualization of meditation and then makes it more of a beautiful bundle when she teaches you about healing with local medicinal plants. I can only fully express my gratitude for her teaching and guidance by sharing it because she has changed my world and made me feel like more of the Badass that was waiting to be released! *cue Eye of the Tiger please!”
~ Danise Prescott

“Vanessa is an amazing person, one time female boxer and boxing coach, she knows how to teach people to get in touch with their animal instincts like no one else I know.”
~ Author and Herbalist, Matthew Wood

Benefits Beyond the Ring:

Footwork & Balance:
Practice pro-style drills to improve agility and coordination, and enhance overall athleticism.

Power & Technique:
Learn proper punching mechanics to maximize power, minimize injury risk, and experience a more efficient and effective workout.

Defense & Reaction Time:
Sharpen your reflexes and reaction time through evasive maneuvers and head movement drills – valuable skills for everyday life.

Cardio & Stamina:
Experience the intensity of boxing workouts to build cardiovascular health and endurance.

Meditative Focus & Resilience:
Hone your focus and push your limits, gaining mental strength and perseverance that translates to all aspects of life.

Unique Training Experience:

Centering Meditation:
Find focus and mental clarity before diving into the workout.

Intro Talk:
Learn key boxing concepts and techniques.

12-Round Pro-Style Training:
Experience a structured workout mimicking the pros' routines.

Workout assignments between classes:
Enhance your skills between classes with personalized workout recommendations.

A Brief Boxing Bio:

After training as a professional boxer at the renowned Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, Vanessa honed her skills and coaching expertise at various New York City boxing gyms, including Mendez and Church Street. A USA Boxing certified coach, she has extensive experience working with clients and volunteering as a coach/mentor at organizations like GEMS, and The Harlem Children's Zone (with the Hip Hop Loves Foundation). Her popular Reclaim The Wild Woman retreats held at the Wolf Conservation Center (2014-2020) offered outdoor education amongst wolves, while incorporating boxing and ethical wildcrafting. These programs fostered a powerful connection between our inner and outer wilds – a connection Vanessa continues to cultivate throughout her work.