Ron Richardson was there when the maile lei was cut when Kalakaua Gym opened in the early 1960s. It was an exciting time for the 12-year-old boxer, who already had been training for half his life under his father.

Now, some 50 years after putting on gloves, Richardson has opened Rapid Fire Boxing Studio, an easy half-mile training run away from where his love of the sport began.

"I teach the art of boxing, develop them from the ground up," said Richardson, a former Golden Glove champion and professional boxer, who is the studio’s coaching director. "It’s my way of giving back.

"I was still working out at Kalakaua and people would approach me, asking for help. My wife (Selina) encouraged me to start looking into my own gym and we began looking for a facility."

They found one among the warehouses not far from Farrington High School, Richardson’s alma mater. It’s compact and efficient, as was Richardson’s form as a junior welterweight "back in the day," he said.

The 57-year-old is about 20 pounds over his 140-pound fighting weight but is still in tremendous shape, a testament to the benefits of boxing.

Just ask Kahale Gabriel, who has been working out almost daily since the studio opened last October. The former Roosevelt football player is studying fire science at Honolulu Community College, hoping to become a fireman.

"I like the workouts and I’ve gained a lot of confidence," said Gabriel, who has lost nearly 40 pounds in the past four months. "I noticed I am quicker, don’t get tired. I like it."

Richardson said of Gabriel: "He’s a good inspiration. One of our newer boxers says his goal is to pass Kahale (in pounds lost), but he’s got to catch him first."

George Yoon fought out of Kalihi Valley Boxing Club as a youth and now coaches at Rapid Fire. He is one of the coaches and helps train his son, 12-year-old Logan, who has been in the National RingSide Boxing Championship finals the past three years, winning in 2009.

"It’s fun and the training is good," Logan Yoon said. "And there’s not much people.

"What I like is this is more private than being at the public gyms," George Yoon said. "We (he and Richardson) have similar styles, same foundation and fundamentals.

"My kids got me back into it. We’re here for the sport."

The sport has seen better days here. Boxing was huge in Hawaii for decades, with old-timers remembering the packed houses at the Civic Auditorium and HIC (now Blaisdell Arena).

Interest has risen following the success of Brian Viloria and Manny Pacquiao, but there are still concerns over head injuries and promotion of violence.

"I was scared at first, had heard about head injuries, it not being good for the brain," said Debby Gahan, whose 10-year-old son Kaimana trains at Rapid Fire. "But my husband said don’t worry, they have protective head gear.

"We wanted him to excel at something. He tried basketball, flag football, tennis, golf. And then he asked about boxing after seeing Manny Pacquiao.

"His confidence has really increased, it’s helped his weight and he’s eating healthier. It’s helped with school, his grades have improved. He loves it. He knows that if he doesn’t get his homework done, he can’t go to practice."

Kaimana Gahan is one of the youngest boxers out of the two dozen at Rapid Fire. Richardson said membership is split about 50-50 in terms of youth and adults, with a handful of women.

Because it is a total-body workout, boxing is a growing trend in the fitness world. Rapid Fire has speed bags, punching bags of various weights, mirrors used for shadow boxing, jump ropes, a treadmill and focus mitts.

And what used to be a traditional medicine ball that now is heavily duct-taped.

"It kind of fell apart, but it’s still good for the midsection," Richardson.

Workouts are 45 minutes to an hour. Membership cost is based on the number of sessions per week, with a free one-week session offered to newcomers. Gloves run about $40 and no special athletic shoes are required.

Richardson said he wants to keep the costs low for members. The initial investment for the equipment was about $20,000 and "we aren’t in this to make a profit," he said. "We knew that coming in. What we hope is to at least break even when it comes to paying the rent.

"The investment is in the sport and in the kids."

Many of his youth fighters are affiliated with TNT Boxing. Some will be competing in bouts starting at 6 tonight and tomorrow night at Palolo Gym. The event is sponsored by Amateur Boxing of Hawaii, Palolo BC and Kawano BC.