Walk into a certain nondescript building in Van Nuys, and the first thing you’ll notice isn't the smell of fresh paint or high-end air conditioning. It’s the heat. It’s that thick, heavy air that only comes from decades of sweat soaking into the floorboards. This is Ten Goose Boxing Gym. It isn't a "fitness studio" where people go to burn off a morning latte while checking their heart rate on a smartwatch. Honestly, it’s one of the last bastions of old-school, blue-collar boxing left in California.
You won't find neon lights here.
Instead, you find history. Specifically, the history of the Goossen family. If you know anything about the fight game, that name carries weight. Joe Goossen, the man with the slicked-back hair and the legendary ability to get a fighter through a bloody round, turned this place into a factory for world champions. It’s where the "Ten Goose" name—a play on the family's surname and the number of siblings in the clan—became a brand that synonymous with toughness.
The Goossen Legacy and the Ten Goose Boxing Gym Philosophy
What makes Ten Goose Boxing Gym different? It's the training. Most gyms today focus on "cardio boxing." They want you to move your feet and slap the bags. At Ten Goose, they teach you how to sit on your punches. It’s about leverage. It's about the technical nuances that Joe Goossen used to sharpen guys like Shane Mosley, Michael Nunn, and the late Diego Corrales.
Remember the Corrales vs. Castillo fight in 2005? Many people call it the greatest fight in history. Joe Goossen was in the corner. When Corrales was down, spitting out his mouthpiece to buy a few extra seconds of life, it was that Ten Goose pedigree that kept him in the fight. That grit isn't accidental. It’s baked into the walls of the gym.
The gym operates on a simple premise: boxing is 90% mental, and the other 10% is about how hard you're willing to work when nobody is looking. You see pros rubbing shoulders with amateurs and even just local kids trying to stay out of trouble. There’s no ego. Well, there's some ego—it's a boxing gym, after all—but it’s a disciplined kind of ego.
Why the Location Matters
Van Nuys isn't Beverly Hills. It’s gritty. It’s the Valley.
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Having the gym tucked away in this part of Los Angeles keeps it authentic. You aren't going to see many influencers filming TikToks in the middle of a sparring session. If you try, you'll probably get told to put the phone away or leave. The focus is on the ring. The ring is the centerpiece, a canvas where thousands of rounds of sparring have played out, some of them probably more intense than the actual televised fights these guys go on to have.
The Technical Edge: What You Actually Learn
If you show up at Ten Goose Boxing Gym, don't expect to jump into the ring on day one. They are big on the basics. Footwork. Hand placement. The way you turn your hip.
- The Jab: It's not a flick; it's a weapon used to measure distance and disrupt the opponent's rhythm.
- The "Ten Goose" Hook: A tight, compact punch that doesn't waste energy.
- Defense: Using the shoulder roll and subtle head movement rather than just running away.
Joe Goossen’s style is famous for being offensive-minded but technically sound. He wants his fighters to stay in the pocket. You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. That’s the Ten Goose way. It’s a specific brand of boxing that requires a massive amount of physical conditioning. You can't fight in the pocket if your legs give out in the fourth round.
A Family Business in a Corporate World
The boxing world has changed a lot since the Goossens started. Nowadays, you have massive promotional companies and venture-capital-backed "boutique" gyms popping up in every strip mall. Ten Goose has stayed remarkably consistent. It remains a family-oriented operation.
Dan Goossen, who passed away in 2014, was one of the most respected promoters in the business. His influence, combined with Joe’s coaching, created a powerhouse. Even though the landscape of the sport has shifted toward Pay-Per-View giants and Saudi-funded mega-cards, the foundational work still happens in small gyms like this one. You can't build a champion in a boardroom. You build them in a humid room in Van Nuys.
It's actually kind of wild when you think about the roster of talent that has passed through those doors. We’re talking about names like Gabriel Ruelas and Rafael Ruelas. These were brothers who took the boxing world by storm in the 90s. They were the quintessential Ten Goose fighters—humble, incredibly hardworking, and devastatingly effective once the bell rang.
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The Atmosphere Inside
It’s loud. The speed bag is constantly drumming a rhythm. The heavy bags are thudding. Coaches are shouting instructions, often in a mix of English and Spanish.
There’s a specific "gym smell"—a mix of leather, liniment, and old sweat. To a boxer, that smells like home. To an outsider, it might be overwhelming. But that’s the point. Ten Goose Boxing Gym isn't trying to be accessible to everyone. It’s for people who actually want to fight or, at the very least, want to train exactly like a fighter.
Misconceptions About Training at Ten Goose
A lot of people think that if they walk into a legendary gym like Ten Goose, they’re going to get their head knocked off. That’s just not true.
The trainers there are professionals. They know how to scale the intensity. If you’re a beginner, they’re going to put you on the double-end bag or have you doing shadow boxing in front of the mirrors for a long time before you ever touch another human being. They protect their reputation by making sure their students don't get hurt unnecessarily.
Another myth? That it's only for pros.
While the gym is a mecca for professional contenders, it serves the community. You’ll see teenagers in there learning discipline. You’ll see older guys who just want to keep their hands sharp. The common thread is respect. You respect the gym, you respect the coaches, and you respect the sport. If you can do those three things, you’ll fit in just fine.
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The Future of the Gym
As Los Angeles continues to change and gentrify, there’s always a worry that these "old-school" spots will disappear. But Ten Goose feels permanent. It’s survived the ups and downs of the boxing economy. It survived the loss of Dan Goossen. It continues to produce talent because the system works.
Boxing is a sport of cycles. Styles go out of fashion and then come back. Right now, there’s a renewed interest in the "trainer-centric" gym—places where the coach's philosophy is the primary draw. That’s exactly what Joe Goossen and the Ten Goose Boxing Gym offer. It’s an apprenticeship in the art of war.
How to Get Started at Ten Goose
If you're actually serious about checking this place out, don't just call and ask a bunch of questions. Show up.
- Bring your own gear. Don't expect them to provide everything. Get some decent hand wraps and 16-ounce gloves.
- Check your ego at the door. It doesn't matter if you were a tough guy in high school. In this gym, you’re a student.
- Watch and listen. You can learn more by sitting on a bench and watching a pro spar for three rounds than you can from a dozen YouTube tutorials.
- Be consistent. The trainers at Ten Goose don't waste time on people who show up once every two weeks. If they see you're dedicated, they’ll invest in you.
Basically, the gym is a reflection of the sport itself. It’s tough, it’s honest, and it doesn't give you anything you haven't earned. Whether you want to become a world champion or just want to know what it feels like to train at that level, Ten Goose Boxing Gym remains one of the few places left where you can get the real deal.
The path to improvement starts with the first round of shadow boxing. Focus on your breathing. Keep your chin down. Listen to the rhythm of the gym. If you can handle the heat of the Van Nuys afternoon and the intensity of the Goossen style, you’ll find that boxing offers a type of clarity you can't find anywhere else. Stop thinking about it and go hit the bag.