Meet Runa: the kickboxing champion creating a safe space for women to get stronger

• Business name: RKB Boxing

• Industry: Fitness

• Founded in: 2026

• Top business products: Business loan

• Key learning: “If you can combine something you’re passionate about with something that genuinely helps people, that’s incredibly powerful.”

Runa Bakshi knows how much the sport of kickboxing can offer. But she also recognises that for women who want to learn boxing or kickboxing, it isn’t always easy stepping into a traditional gym.

So she created an alternative.

Cardiff-based RKB Boxing offers a women-only space where fitness is only one part of the experience. The focus is also on confidence, wellbeing and community, with women of all ages, backgrounds and fitness levels encouraged to train at their own pace.

With support from a £15,000 Start Up Loan, Runa has been able to invest in the equipment needed to create the dedicated training space she envisioned.

We spoke to Runa to better understand how she turned a lifelong passion for kickboxing into a business, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and why creating a positive impact is central to RKB Boxing.

What inspired you to start RKB Boxing? What gap did you want to fill for women in Cardiff?

I trained myself to become a black belt kickboxer, and over time I noticed that a lot of women were interested in learning boxing and kickboxing but didn’t feel comfortable going into traditional boxing gyms. There was a real gap for a space where women could learn self-defence and boxing in an environment that felt welcoming and non-judgemental.

A women’s aid organisation also reached out to me and asked me to teach vulnerable women, with the aim of helping them build confidence. That experience was incredibly rewarding, and RKB Boxing has grown from there. I wanted to create a place where women could come as they are, learn something new, and leave feeling stronger physically and mentally.

Starting a business always comes with challenges. What have been some of the biggest obstacles you’ve faced since launching RKB Boxing, and how have you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges has been making more women aware that RKB Boxing exists and showing them that it is different from a traditional gym.

I’ve been building awareness through social media and, perhaps most importantly, word of mouth. The women who come to my classes often recommend me to friends, family and other women in their communities. It’s taken time, but I’m building the business through genuine relationships and the experiences of the women who attend.

What sort of feedback have you received from the women you’ve worked with?

The most rewarding feedback has been hearing that I’ve helped women mentally as well as physically. Some women have come to me during really difficult periods of their lives, including women who were grieving or struggling with their mental wellbeing. For some, the classes have become a safe space where they can switch off from everything going on in their lives for 45 minutes.

Knowing that someone can walk through the door feeling overwhelmed and leave feeling more confident, positive and in control is incredibly rewarding. It reminds me that what we are doing is about much more than exercise.

Your approach goes beyond fitness, with a focus on confidence, wellbeing and community. Why have those values been so important in shaping the business?

I wanted RKB Boxing to be a safe place for women. There is no competition and no pressure to be the best or to compare yourself with anyone else.

Everyone comes with different experiences, abilities and goals, and I want women to feel comfortable being themselves. Boxing can build physical strength, but it can also have a huge impact on confidence and mental wellbeing. Creating a supportive community has therefore been just as important to me as the fitness side of the business.

You’ve adapted your classes and resources around cultural and religious commitments. How important has it been to build a business that genuinely reflects the needs of the community you serve?

It’s extremely important to me. I want RKB Boxing to be accessible to women from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, as well as different ages and fitness levels.

There are many women who simply don’t feel comfortable going to conventional gyms, and I want them to have another option. That means listening to the women who come through the door and understanding what they need, rather than expecting everyone to fit into one traditional model.

You secured a £15,000 Start Up Loan from the British Business Bank to help launch RKB Boxing. What difference did that funding make to the business, and what would have been more difficult without it?

The funding made a huge difference. Setting up a boxing and fitness business requires a significant amount of equipment, and commercial gym equipment can be extremely expensive.

The £15,000 Start Up Loan gave me the financial support I needed to invest in the equipment and resources required to get RKB Boxing off the ground properly. Without that funding, it would have been much harder to create the right environment and provide the facilities I wanted for the women coming to my classes.

Looking back, is there anything you would do differently if you were starting RKB Boxing again today?

Not at the moment. RKB Boxing is still in its early days, so I’m still learning, developing and seeing where the business can go. I think every stage of building a business teaches you something, and I’m happy with the journey so far. I want to continue listening to my customers, learning from the experience and growing organically.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to build a business that’s centred on making a positive impact in their community?

Go for it. If you see a genuine need in your community and you have the passion to do something about it, don’t be afraid to start.

For me, building RKB Boxing has never just been about creating a business for myself. It’s about creating something that has a positive impact on other women and gives them a safe space to become stronger and more confident.

I think nowadays people increasingly want businesses to have a positive impact on the communities around them, not just to make money. If you can combine something you’re passionate about with something that genuinely helps people, that’s incredibly powerful.