Lion Heart Boxing Gym

Courtney Jackson, who fights and coaches under the name CJ Lion Heart, has lived a few different lives before opening a boxing gym in Coral Gables. Born in Miami, he served as a Navy corpsman, including a 2010 deployment to Afghanistan. After his time in the service, he spent a stretch in Los Angeles pursuing acting before coming back home to finish a biology degree at the University of Miami, with minors in chemistry and political science. Somewhere in the middle of all that, he built a professional boxing career, running his record to 19 wins with no losses before a title shot ended in defeat.

A three year hiatus during the pandemic interrupted his momentum as a fighter, but rather than walk away from the sport, Jackson opened Lion Heart Boxing Gym on South Douglas Road. The gym gives him a place to keep training toward his own championship goals while also coaching the people who come through the door.

His approach to teaching is direct. He describes his method simply: he will pass along knowledge as fast as a student can absorb it, but there are no shortcuts in boxing, and the work shows in the results. That no nonsense attitude runs through the gym’s whole identity. This is not a boutique fitness studio dressed up in boxing gloves. It is a working gym built by someone who is still an active competitive fighter, teaching the fundamentals that got him to a 19-0 record.

The schedule reflects a gym meant to work around real life. Lion Heart opens as early as 6:00 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays for people who want to train before work, keeps evening hours until 8:00 PM most weekdays, and offers shorter weekend sessions on Saturday and Sunday mornings. That kind of flexibility matters for a neighborhood gym trying to serve people balancing jobs, school, and training.

For Coral Gables residents who want boxing instruction from someone who has actually competed at a high level, rather than a fitness instructor who picked up pads as a side specialty, Lion Heart offers a direct connection to the sport. Jackson’s own path, from military service to acting to biology to professional boxing, gives the gym a personality that is hard to replicate at a chain studio. Anyone curious about training here can reach out by phone or email to ask about current class options and pricing before stopping by South Douglas Road to see the gym in person.