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London Teen In The Wrong Crowd Turned His Life Around Thanks To Boxing

London Teen In The Wrong Crowd Turned His Life Around Thanks To Boxing

He was hanging out with guys who all carried knives but when he picked up boxing gloves he found a way to positively channel his energy

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

It seems as though there's a fatal stabbing in London every week. Recently, one man was killed after a fight in Finsbury Park, two others were injured in a separate brawl involving a knife near Tooting Bec tube station and a 14-year-old boy was stabbed in the leg in Walthamstow.

More than 60 murder investigations have been sparked this year, more than half of which involve knives.

While the city's cops are doing their best to appeal to young kids to put down their blades, the message isn't getting through. However, grassroots community organisations and groups appear to be doing a decent job.

When Chima was 15 years old, he started at a new school and quickly became a target of bullies. He developed a seething anger that was always bubbling under the surface and he would regularly use his fists to solve arguments.

The teen was kicked out of school, taken back and kicked out again. During this time, he found himself surrounded by friends who all carried knives.

"I was the only one who didn't have a knife," Chima tells LADbible. "I thought my fists were the only weapon I needed.

"They used to have knives and bring them in [to school] with them and keep it somewhere around [the campus].

"They felt it was more for self-defence. They call each other ops, which means enemy, and their enemies are carrying knives, so they think it's only fair that they carry knives. They feel like they're vulnerable without a knife."

Chima says his aggression dropped when he started boxing properly.
Supplied

He eventually got on the wrong side of the law because a mate of his was caught by the cops with a blade and he was arrested by way of association.

"The officer sent me to a youth offending service and they said, 'If you like fighting so much why don't you go [to Double Jab Boxing]'."

Double Jab is located in New Cross, south east London, and caters to people of all skills and ages. It was there at Double Jab, which has the motto 'jab don't stab', where Chima was able to channel his aggression and be in an environment that requires discipline.

Head coach Michael Harris tells LADbible: "We're trying to give people an option where if they feel aggressive or if they have anger issues or even if they love the sport they can get involved in a positive way.

"We also provide rules, and by providing rules you're regimenting them to the outside world where if you get a job you have to turn up on time, if you turn up to training late you get a penalty."

Chima admits that being a part of the club has kept him out of trouble.

Michael says: "We deal with kids on a level where we can relate to them and we live in the same area as them. I came from a bad area and bad things happened to me, so I can relate to them and they see me as someone they can rely on.

"But young people might not feel like they can approach police because they might end up in trouble. That's why these organisations are important because they act as a buffer zone between the police and someone.

"I think the more organisations like ours, the better it would be for the people in London."

Instagram / claireymelon


Chima adds that there's an initiative called #Bikelife, #BikesUpKnivesDown and #Bikestormz that gives young kids an avenue to enjoy themselves through bike riding rather than hang out in gangs with knives.

Thousands of people recently rode through London to protest the rising knife crime and it's hoped that will encourage even more young people to join their ranks.

One of the Home Office's strategies to tackling the rising crime rates is early intervention, which aims to target at risk people and support them at school while also providing them with employment opportunities and mental health facilities.

It's a part of a multi-pronged approach which also includes a targeted social media campaign, making it harder to sell and obtain knives. This is in addition to corrosive substances after a spate of acid attacks and kicking off an anti-knife crime community fund that supports organisations that tackle the issue at a grassroots level.

Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, Victoria Atkins said: "This powerful new campaign will highlight the tragic consequences of carrying a knife and challenge the idea that young people are safer if they carry one."

Featured Image Credit: Supplied

Topics: Knife Crime, Angry, Boxing, Home Office, Inspirational, UK, London