The practice of boxing in a school in an underprivileged neighborhood of the Mexican capital helps young teenagers to thrive.
From our correspondent in Mexico,
The car slowly climbs the hill to a small parking lot. A few meters below, the asphalt road stops in front of the David Paul Ausubel school, where a worker is laying down paving stones. Yair Ruiz, a teacher and founder of the collective “Boxeo por la Paz” (Boxing for Peace), comes every day to the heights of Chimalhuacán to volunteer for boxing training for middle school students.
“Hello teacher!” he is warmly welcomed by about fifteen young people aged 11 to 17 who study, regardless of their level, in a small room filled with dust and light. “The door must remain open because we have no electricity,” explains teacher Karin Pache Bautista, “even if the noise of the street works distracts the students.” The small school is located on the side of a mountain bordering the state of Mexico. The east of the Mexican capital extends below, but this neighborhood where nearly 70% of the population lives in poverty and where the sense of insecurity is very strong is on the margins.
Boxing to study
In the afternoons, Yair Ruiz takes over from traditional classroom teaching with boxing classes, but “the goal is not to train boxers.” Since 2023, this sport primarily serves to keep the attention of young people in this school and prevent school dropouts: “We focus on boxing, but it’s not just about throwing punches, the young people must study to ensure their future.”
“Boxeo por la Paz” is a community project supported by a few volunteers, without any support from public authorities. “I had never seen a school like this,” says Araceli Tellez, a mother of a student, who appreciates the effects of the method on her son. “Christopher used to be reserved, but since he started attending the class, he is more motivated. And above all, he enjoys going there.” With boxing gloves on his wrists, the teenager confirms his love for the sport and learning to defend himself. For the future, he promises to “continue studying” to become a surgeon.
“Take momentum and don’t look at the obstacle, don’t let fear stop you!” shouts the coach in the courtyard. Karin Pache Bautista, watching her students warm up by jumping an improvised course from large PVC tubes, ensures that “they have fun and that it helps a lot in the educational aspect.” The young psychology student supports the school by focusing on “young people who still cannot read or write.” She explains that in addition to precarious material conditions, the family situation of some students is difficult and complicates learning: “Sometimes they are sad, belligerent, or aggressive, it’s because of what happens at home.”
A community initiative
Raising dust from the ground, the teenagers practice a sequence of punches shown by their teacher in pairs. “It allows us to reduce our stress and release our emotions,” says Andrea, 15. The red-haired teenager watches her friend energetically hitting another comrade’s gloves: “Even when she gets tired or takes a hit that hurts, her willpower doesn’t diminish.” Once the exercise is over, Jana, 13, approaches with a big smile: “Boxing has helped me a lot, if you have problems at home, you can release them here.” The young girl, with a white bow in her hair, stands out among the best students in the class. “Master Yair wants us to know how to defend ourselves in a dangerous situation if dialogue doesn’t work. He also wants us to communicate with each other and always remain united.”
Equipped with a protective vest, Yair Ruiz absorbs the blows from the teenagers lining up in front of him, encouraging them with affectionate nicknames. He gladly recounts how the practice of martial arts helped him overcome a difficult period in his life. Now, he strives to pass on to these young people the values and discipline of the sport. A battle in “this excluded and abandoned area” that takes on a preventive dimension: “These young people are not tempted to approach criminal groups or consume drugs.” As evidence of this success, he counts the young people who manage to go to high school: “In the first generation, there was one, in the next, there were three, last year, there were nine. Now they are thinking about university!”
In March 2026, the Mexican government launched a national program offering thousands of free boxing classes to young people in gyms across the country to keep them away from drugs and violence. The initiative is also called “Boxing for Peace.” “An excellent name,” jokes Yair Ruiz, amusing himself by being proud of having possibly inspired the government. However, the Chimalhuacán collective has nothing to do with this program and will not benefit from it. With a hint of bitterness, the boxing instructor, who dreams of one day raising enough funds to build a gym in this neighborhood, says, “It would be good if institutions finally turned to community initiatives and saw what we are doing.”
