Check Out Armando Ramírez’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Armando Ramírez.

Hi Armando, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
West Los Boxing started in 2021 in Santa Monica at a friend’s Jiu Jitsu gym, then located off Lincoln Blvd. It was originally intended to be an Instagram account to promote my classes and for students to contact me. Since then, it has become my calling card for quality boxing instruction that comes from over 25 years of experience. West Los Boxing has also become a way for me to show cultural pride as a Chicano/Mexican American and my appreciation for Los Angeles as my adopted home. My name is Armando Ramírez, and I am the founder of West Los Boxing. I have been boxing since I was a kid. I first competed as an amateur around 12 years old doing USA Boxing-sanctioned tournaments and non-sanctioned matches (aka “smokers”). Over the years I would learn to become a cutman, wrap hands, assist with numerous professional and amateur camps, and, of course, coach. I never intended to become a boxing coach, but my propensity to effectively communicate correct boxing techniques to my students and clients has allowed me to stand out from the current mode of boxing coaches, which primarily cater to a cardio-fit workout style as opposed to the technical training plus workout style I provide. I actually want my people to learn how to box, not just work out.

I originally came to L.A., already an established purple belt, to train Jiu Jitsu under Kron Gracie. The goal was to train, acquire skills, obtain a black belt, and potentially move back to the Central Coast of California and open my own academy. When the pandemic hit, Kron’s academy closed along with many others and my plans changed. 2021 came around, and people were getting out and about again, little by little. My friend had a Jiu Jitsu school he had established and that’s where I would create West Los Boxing. It was what I had to offer the world at a time when everyone seemed to be finding their own purpose or gift. It is an area of expertise for me and what I’ve legitimately and consistently been doing most of my life. Things changed again in Santa Monica and I had to move operations to Downtown L.A., and other locations, where I still operate. I currently teach private lessons and classes in boxing, kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, and wrestling. My goal now, as I work towards my black belt (currently a brown belt) is to, one day, have a brick-and-mortar location for my West Los Boxing family and friends where I can consistently and effectively provide both boxing and Jiu Jitsu instruction. I plan to create a training environment that is stimulating, cool, and where your needs are met, whether it be for self-defense, recreation, or competition. ¡Y también, yo hablo español y quisiera invitar a toda la raza a entrenar conmigo! I currently fund my projects from my lessons and t-shirts that I sell that feature original artwork from members of my team. At the end of the day, my purpose is to provide self-defense and martial arts knowledge to those I meet. I hope everyone gets something fulfilling from it. Boxing and Jiu Jitsu humbles us while giving us confidence. Learning them both adds a lot of magic to the human experience.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Never a smooth road. We could go all day with the struggles. Business-wise, it is a struggle for most of us that coach or teach any method of training, especially martial arts, to make a solid living. I feel the public perception is that martial arts instructors, which includes boxing and wrestling coaches, are people that are sort of just having fun and getting paid for it. Maybe that’s the case for some, but for me it’s a lifestyle and what I have to give the world. When I teach, I present the information in an honest fashion because it’s ultimately self-defense training or learning to fight. It is a lot of fun, but the subject is serious. Another obstacle has been having a solid location to teach out of on a regular basis. I have had to operate out of various locations and still do. I continue to teach at clients’ homes, parks, beaches, alleyways, you name it. If Jiu Jitsu is requested, I pack my mats up and take them. I make it happen. Unfortunately, it makes the consistency in what I want to see in my students hard to achieve. Not every location has allowed me to operate freely in the past and my business and students have suffered as a result.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I teach boxing, Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, and kickboxing. My specialties are boxing and Jiu Jitsu. I like to explore and present where those two fight styles intersect and complement each other. Ideally, it makes self defense situations easier to manage or understand for beginners. I like to be on the path between self-defense and sport-style Jiu Jitsu. Not too light in training and going hard if we know what we are doing is the mode I work within. I also like to teach Jiu Jitsu in the Gi or Kimono that translates quickly to No Gi Jiu Jitsu. Most that have trained with me know I keep it real, but constructive and fun. I’ll let you know if your technique is ugly, but we’ll figure it out together and make it better. I’m proud that when people train with me, they feel more confident in their bodies and stoked about life. I’m also proud of my past training experience with legit boxers and Jiu Jitsu practitioners so I can share it. Learning to fight is cool.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I am a bit overly cautious, but I have definitely had to take risks. One major risk was moving to LA to pursue the whole Jiu Jitsu thing. There were no guarantees anything would work out, and it wasn’t how I had imagined. I don’t come from any money so I knew at a minimum it was all going to be hard work just to make something small. Nonetheless, if one does not try to make something happen then nothing is certain to happen. It is easier to say that one should try and fail than to not try at all. It is scary to not have a sure thing as you uproot your life for a dream. A lot of risks can be calculated, but they can be over-analyzed. Sometimes, you just gotta go after it or watch it go by.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @westlosboxing
• Youtube: @westlosboxing