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A South Florida boxing coach is showing young fighters the ropes — both in the ring and in life. And his no-nonsense, tough love approach — is now the focus of a new documentary. Courtney Allen has this 7Spotlight.
The punches were flying on a Thursday evening inside Flaco’s Community Gym in Hollywood.
Jose “Flaco” Perez: “I used to be skinny and ‘flaco’ means skinny in Spanish. So coach gave me the nickname Flaco and it just stuck.”
Owner Jose “Flaco” Perez opened the gritty, graffiti-filled gym in 2014.
It’s where the Brooklyn-born, former boxer has guided the next generation of fighters for the past decade.
Jose “Flaco” Perez: “The type of kids you’ll see in the program come from all different walks, all different financial demographics, all different cultural backgrounds.”
Despite their differences, Flaco preaches the same things: Hard work, discipline and accountability.
Jose “Flaco” Perez: “I create a safe environment for you to grow and mature and learn.”
Now — Flaco, his students and the small Hollywood gym are getting a little movie star treatment. They’re the focus of a new documentary.
Paolo Mugnaini: “The moment I walked in, I knew this gym was something different from the other gyms.”
Paolo Mugnaini is the filmmaker behind “Fighting Spirit: The Battle Within.”
Last weekend, it won best short documentary at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.
Paolo Mugnaini: “There’s always been this thing about how boxing is a metaphor for life.”
The film weaves together themes of perseverance and self-esteem.
Jose “Flaco” Perez: “He showed me the final product and I thought it was amazing, but I’m pretty biased being that I’m the main guy on screen.”
And the main guy is tough.
Jose “Flaco” Perez: “In this world where sensitivity has become a culture, I think you come here and it’s a little bit of a throwback.”
Paolo Mugnaini: “What I see is that underneath, not sugar-coating things, there’s a lot of love, there is a lot of passion for really building better people.”
People, like 12-year-old Maj, who has been coming to Flaco’s gym since he was 8.
Maj: “In school, sometimes I used to get bullied. So then me learning boxing, it improved my confidence and it made me more happier overall.”
He’s not bullied anymore.
Maj: “Once you find respect, that’s all you seek and you give it out. So it’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, I love to respect people and I love being respected.’”
Thirteen-year-olds Rami and Pacman — nicknamed after the legendary fighter Manny Pacquiao — also grew up in this gym.
Pacman: “my coach Flaco, he’s really a father figure to me. So I know I could trust him, you know, I could call him when I need something.”
Both teens won national titles in their weight divisions this summer.
Rami: “This is something I want to do professionally for sure, ’cause this is what I love to do.”
And whether Flaco’s students go on to be professionals in the sport or not…
Jose “Flaco” Perez: “I pride myself not only in creating great boxers, but creating amazing individuals.”
And that is something worth fighting for.
Mugnaini has already entered “Fighting Spirit – The Battle Within” in other well-known film festivals.
Courtney Allen, 7News.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Flaco’s Community Gym
Fighting Spirit – The Battle Within
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