The Story Behind the Beat
A practice that’s built for the brain—and designed for the human experience.
How It Started
Origin Story — shot by Jahmin Lerum
Drumboxing was born at the intersection of movement, music, and brain health. Created by John Wakefield, a lifelong percussionist and movement educator, the practice began as a way to support adaptive athletes, trauma survivors, and neurodiverse learners.
What started as a grassroots method for connection and resilience has evolved into a science-informed system for neural activation and emotional regulation—accessible to all.
Meet the Creator - John Wakefield
John Wakefield is a classically trained LA Opera percussionist, athlete, and educator with over two decades of experience in performance, coaching, and therapeutic movement. He’s worked with Olympic hopefuls, aging adults, trauma-informed communities, and global wellness leaders.
His mission is to help people reconnect with their bodies, strengthen their minds, and evolve as connected humans—one beat at a time.
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Founder / CreatorJohn Wakefield is a classically trained LA Opera percussionist who originally created Drumboxing for professional boxers to improve focus and mental agility. Over the last 14 years, John has adapted the program beyond elite athletes for various communities including people with Parkinson's and neurodegenerative diseases, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Anxiety and Depression Disorders, ADHD and Autism, as well as for young developing minds and students. His passion is undeniable for using his gift, rhythm, to help people succeed in all walks of life.
Meet Christina Hinds - CEO & Co-Founder
Christina Hinds brings a rare combination of performance excellence, strategic leadership, and deep psychological insight to the heart of Drumboxing. A former Olympic-level athlete with a degree in psychology, Christina has spent her career at the intersection of high-performance mindset, movement science, and mission-driven innovation.
Her experience spans executive roles in health, wellness, and creative industries, where she has helped scale organizations rooted in impact and inclusion. Christina’s background as a competitive athlete shaped her lifelong commitment to discipline, neuro-performance, and somatic intelligence—principles that now guide the evolution of Drumboxing as both a brain-based practice and a global brand.
As CEO and Co-Founder, she is responsible for guiding the company’s vision, partnerships, and platform with the same focus and integrity she brought to elite sport: with clarity of purpose, adaptive strategy, and unwavering human empathy.
Ready to Try Drumboxing?
FAQs
What if I don’t have rhythm or boxing experience?
Everybody has natural rhythm in their heartbeat. There is also rhythm all around you, in the seasons, circadian rhythms, moon cycles, and tides. The goal of our practice is to connect you to rhythm. We take a progressive approach to the training, as you get more comfortable and connected with rhythm and movements, we layer more on. We use the motion of boxing, rather than actual boxing, as we move from drums to heavy bags, as a means to interact with gravity, time, and space with our bodies. In short, no experience is necessary - the magic happens in the process of learning.
What if I make a mistake?
Our practice is all about making mistakes, isn’t life too? What happens when you make a mistake? How do you react? We train to recover from mistakes while neutralizing emotions and staying present, calm, and focused on what’s next. This is an important skillset that you can develop, but you have to be willing to make a mistake once in a while.
Can everybody do it?
Yes, everybody can do it. The physicality is controlled by you and can range from high intensity cardio to a slow waltz, we focus more on the brain engagement. The purpose is to push you out of your comfort zone and on the edge of making errors, so if you’re doing it perfectly, we aren’t doing our job.
What are the benefits?
According to studies in neuroscience and customer feedback, the practice increases focus, decision-making skills, and emotional regulation. It enhances memory, motor skills, and cardiovascular health. It makes you feel calm, happy, and clear headed. It detoxes your body and mind. It increases strength, stamina, and agility. It helps you break through creative blocks and rewires repetitive thoughts. In group settings it is reported to make you feel connected to others.