Membership

HEX Boxing Club Northampton is a private membership association. We center women to create a focused training environment without the uncomfortable dynamics that are common in public gyms. Membership is by invitation. We believe growth emerges through relationships, not transactions. Members co-create a respectful, nurturing community. If you’re interested but aren’t sure if you know a member, you can fill our Prospective Member form.

HEX Boxing Club Northampton is a USA Boxing registered gym. We teach Olympic-style technique to all members so they can experience the full benefit of the martial art. Our holistic approach to coaching is grounded in founder Vanessa Chakour’s extensive training background, years of learning from seasoned professional trainers, ongoing education through USA Boxing, and a commitment to continually refining technique. As membership grows, we will also bring in visiting coaches whose experience and perspectives deepen the collective skill and knowledge of the club.

In addition to boxing, HEX offers meditation, creative arts, and herbalism workshops. Our approach to herbalism is rooted in local plants and ecological well‑being. At HEX, we emphasize what many herbalists call “people’s medicine”—working with abundant, resilient plants such as dandelion, nettles, and burdock that have long histories of use and thrive in our region. Centering local plant medicine helps us build intimacy with our ecosystem and deepen our awareness of the land that holds us. This kind of attention is also foundational to martial arts; awareness of one’s environment is a critical aspect of boxing and of moving through the world with presence.

Membership includes classes and offers access to our boxing gym, meditation room, co-work and gathering spaces, reading areas and clubhouse kitchen. Members can enjoy organic coffee, tea, and healthy snacks while they read quietly or gather, and attend community events. Every element in the space is intentionally sourced, from meditation cushions and seating to the boxing ring, heavy bags, and the coffee and tea we serve. HEX prioritizes organic and local options to support our wider community. We hope members come to see the HEX clubhouse as a supportive third space where personal, collective, and ecological resilience are nurtured. You can learn more about our ethos and read member feedback on our homepage.

Membership Basics

Private Membership Association

Our PMA model keeps HEX intentional and community‑centered. Membership happens through relationship rather than drop‑ins, helping us maintain a supportive culture. If you’re interested but aren’t sure if you know a member, you can fill out our Prospective Member form. If you don’t know a member, maybe one will sponsor you.

Pathway to Membership

Membership begins with a guest visit so people can get a feel for the space. If it’s a good fit, guests can enter the Prospect phase, where they train, meet members, and complete a few simple steps before becoming eligible for full membership. This approach gives people time to enter the community naturally and helps ensure the space continues to feel good for all who train here.

Member Experience

Full members are trusted with a key to our clubhouse that provides access during open hours. Members can use the boxing gym, showers, co‑work areas, shared kitchen, herbal apothecary, meditation room, and gathering spaces. They’re invited to participate in events and co‑create our sanctuary.

FAQs

  • In too many typical gym settings, women are objectified, underestimated, met with unwanted advances, or patronizing unsolicited advice — dynamics that make it difficult to train at a high level while feeling safe and supported. And in a sport like boxing, traditionally associated with men, women often have to work harder to prove themselves and be taken seriously.

    By centering women at HEX, we offer an environment where members are respected as athletes and able to focus on real progression. Non-binary people seeking a respectful, intentional space to learn and grow through boxing are equally welcome.

  • Offerings at HEX are designed to strengthen and support the whole person. We approach boxing as a holistic martial art that cultivates presence, situational awareness, reflexes, and grounded strength. Skills that matter both in the gym and in daily life.

    Holistic also means recognizing that we’re part of a living ecosystem. We need connection to Earth, to place, to supportive community, and safe spaces to learn and grow.

  • Founder, Vanessa Chakour guides the boxing and conditioning programs along with visiting pro-trainers and HEX assistant coaches. An experienced herbalist and outdoor educator, Vanessa also teaches a monthly relational herbalism class. Additional herbalism and creative workshops are led by experienced teachers, by invitation.

  • This may not be the space for you. Every member participates in training. Boxing is the core of HEX because it supports the full, embodied experience. You don’t need prior experience, and you don’t need to spar. Non-contact training is the norm.

  • Absolutely not. Sparring is optional and only available to members who train consistently and demonstrate defensive and offensive readiness. For those who have a strong desire to spar, we offer structured pathways via USA Boxing rules and regulations to support safe progression. Every member who spars must join USA Boxing as an athlete.

  • Absolutely. We teach pro‑level boxing skills to all members, regardless of experience. We also expose our members to holistic practices of herbalism, meditation, creative arts, and community building.

  • No. HEX is a private membership association. Membership is by invitation, extended by the founder or by current members. If you’re interested but aren’t sure if you know a member, you can fill our Prospective Member form.

    Only members and their guests have access to the clubhouse. This keeps the space intentional and community‑centered.

  • HEX is meant to be a healthy vice, not an expensive one. Membership is an ongoing monthly commitment, and the total simply matches what many people already spend each day on a morning latte. Here, that same daily amount goes toward building strength and community. Among other things, members enjoy boxing and conditioning, resistance training, meditation, herbalism, special events and organic, fair‑trade coffee and herbal tea on us. In 2026 membership is $240/month.

  • HEX Boxing Club is in Northampton, Massachusetts. Our 3000 square-foot space is in a repurposed mill buidling, housing many art studios and creative businesses.

  • No. Our purpose is to get people offline to be present in their bodies and with each other. Everything we offer happens in person within our private membership community.

  • Thank you for this generous question. If you’re in a position to contribute financially, you can contribute to our Stewardship Circle Fund or support a boxer directly through this link. Just as meaningful to us is keeping our mission in mind and sharing it with others. We’re deeply grateful for any support.