Korea’s boxing world has a living legend, the legendary boxer Juhwan Lim.
At 42 years old this year, he’s alive, but he’s in a state that’s quite literally just “alive.”
Given that age, it’s been a while since he retired from the league. It’s already been 10 years since he last laced up his gloves.
He has no particular regrets. Having won several championships, he’s secured his place as a legend in Korea and has saved enough for retirement.
His life is peaceful. To put it mildly, it’s a world apart from the blood-soaked, cutthroat life of competition he lived during his pro days.
It’s stable yet static and routine.
The only joy in Juhwan’s life is the gym he wakes up to manage every day.
He also mentors a few students there. While he hasn’t spotted any standout prospects lately, training the next generation has its own unique fun compared to his haywire player life.
Then, a year ago, something changed.
He started VTubing. His topics revolve around his gym, various boxing techniques, and sparring sessions conducted by his students.
He kickstarted it on a whim, encouraged by his nephew, and it turned out to be pretty entertaining. Initially, he was like, “What is this?” but now he’s completely hooked.
Maybe it’s due to his fame as a boxing legend in Korea, but he quickly gained a fair number of subscribers from the start.
Plus, reading the comments people left on his videos was an unexpected joy. The income isn’t bad either, and the growing subscriber count is quite fascinating. Most importantly, despite being retired, he enjoys a friendly image while communicating with people.
Back when he was an active player, his tough demeanor often made people quietly fear him. There were fans, sure, but most were burly guys, while kids and women would hurriedly look away if they ever spotted him.
But now, things have changed. In an era dominated by OTT services, VTubers, and TikTok rather than traditional cable TV, people don’t view Juhwan with fear anymore. Even at over 40, he’s now affectionately called “Juhwan-hyung” or “Juhwan-ham” by the younger crowd.
To Juhwan, it feels like he’s started a second life. After experiencing some oddly monotonous times, this is his second peak.
“Let’s see, did I get any emails….”
Wearing the glasses he only puts on when checking the computer, Juhwan began checking his work email inbox.
He never had a separate inbox for work originally, but after brainstorming various content ideas, it naturally came to be. Now, he’s closer to being a pro VTuber than just a boxing player or gym director.
The latest content he’s been working on is titled “Follow Me to the Gym!”
Recently, I’ve been working on a content called “Follow Me to the Gym!”
I’m inviting various famous VTubers to the gym to test their boxing skills and teach them various boxing techniques.
Just like a fitness VTuber invites celebrities to gauge their strength with three core exercises, Jun Hyun was only inviting VTubers to his gym.
It’s just that the theme changed from fitness to boxing, but the overall structure of the content was similar. There was no reason not to do content that people already loved and that was generating good views.
The problem was securing guests. The key to this content was finding someone with enough recognition whose participation would get a good reaction from people. Just securing the right guests would guarantee the content’s success halfway.
“I should have gotten a reply by now.”
He had already sent emails to most of the potential candidates.
Jun Hyun checked his inbox, feeling like a fisherman examining his traps.
“Hmm…?”
And unexpectedly, his eyes widened at the sight of a big catch.
*
#Boxer_JuhwanLimTV
– 508,000 Subscribers
On the way to the gym.
I was looking over the videos from the channel I’d be appearing on again.
Playing the videos in order of popularity.
– “Here, you use your waist to throw a straight punch! Wham!”
– “Whoa….”
The sound of a fist landing hard on the hanging punching bag was impressive.
The power came from being a former boxing champion, no doubt about it.
I nodded while watching a few more videos.
This was definitely going to be fun.
The ad I chose was for the former boxing champion Juhwan Lim’s channel, where I would promote both his channel and gym.
While it felt more like a collaboration than standard advertising since I was recommending it on another VTuber’s channel, it didn’t matter.
The reason I decided to accept Juhwan Lim’s ad among all the proposals was simple.
It looked like the most fun.
My decision was based not on payment or the future direction of my channel, but purely on interest.
Learning through boxing seemed exciting, and more importantly, it was a chance to indirectly experience Camilla’s physical specs, which I had been curious about for a long time.
Although it’s just a game setting, Camilla is one of the strong heroes who can dance on the battlefield while slaughtering enemies.
Even though I didn’t feel like I gained any superhuman strength from acquiring Camilla’s physique, I did notice that my body felt exponentially healthier than before. Just recently, I easily hung on a bar at the playground and did pull-ups without breaking a sweat.
I didn’t quite realize I had gained something, but I did feel like my body had become much healthier than before. Just the other day, I was hanging from the monkey bars at the playground and managed to do chin-ups easily.
This advertisement was not a bad test run. I would be able to learn some boxing techniques and self-defense moves that I could use in everyday life, as well as get a better understanding of my current physical condition.
The two editors also silently supported my choice. They even mentioned that this kind of appearance of mine would be an unusual charm point.
Perhaps this was Kayak’s boxer moment? Camilla could give off a boxing vibe with the boxing gloves on.
“Have you ever tried boxing, Boss?”
It was Kim Jae-jun’s question as he drove me to the gym.
Boxing, I had indeed registered at a gym once.
“I only lasted a month with jump rope before quitting.”
“Haha, sounds like me!”
Before he even got to hit the punching bag, Jae-jun found the basic endurance training too boring, which made him quit.
Next to him, in the passenger seat, Yusia was fiddling around with the camera when she asked, “What about other sports? Have you tried any other sports?”
Other sports. Nothing really came to mind. I felt like I only had the experience of learning the basics in school.
I had never officially registered for a sports academy or gone to a cultural center for any serious exercise.
“What about ballet or dance? Or rhythmic gymnastics?”
“Not really….”
“What about yoga or pilates?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t help but wonder what image Yusia had of me. I had Camilla’s looks, so I guess I’d fit in if I were to dance.
As we were having a brief chat about boxing and sports, we soon arrived at the gym.
“Ah! Welcome, Kayak and editors!”
“Hello.”
Im Juhwan, a former pro boxer and current gym owner and VTuber, greeted us enthusiastically.
Even with age, he had a solid body and a sharp gaze that felt like a mark of someone who had reached the pinnacle of their field. There was definitely a unique aura about him.
We slowly entered the gym under his guidance.
“Wow, it’s huge!”
“The expansion just finished recently. We’ve added a ring on each side and some extra punching bags.”
After taking a round through the gym, we began discussing content in earnest.
“We’ll be filming this for VTuber, so there will be editing involved, so no need to feel too pressured. You’re used to live broadcasts, so I don’t think you’ll get too nervous.”
“Got it.”
“First, we’ll start with the basics of hitting the punching bags, learning jabs and hooks, and then moving on to some self-defense techniques you can use in emergencies.”
“I’m planning to learn some jabs or hooks and also pick up some self-defense moves that could be useful in emergencies.”
There doesn’t seem to be a script, but it looks like there’s been a routine established by previous guests.
Jun Hyun continued explaining, while Yusia and Kim Jae-jun prepared to film for my VTuber channel, holding up the camera.
“Kayak, do you have good stamina? Any sports you’ve been doing for a while?”
It was a question I had also received in the car. When I answered that I had nothing to share, Jun Hyun nodded and spoke up.
“I was worried since you’re a gamer, but it doesn’t seem like your neck or back are slouched compared to others.”
The VTuber from the previous episode was also someone who, like me, focused on Abyss-themed content, but he had struggled with correcting his hunched posture.
As Jun Hyun said this, he put on red gloves and slowly got into position.
After briefly making eye contact with me, he slowly moved his body as if to say, “Pay attention.”
Swish, thwack—
In a straight stance, he extended his arm and connected it with the sandbag. Perhaps to demonstrate for me, he practiced a few more times.
Thwack-!
In an instant, he slammed his fist into the sandbag. It made a loud noise that startled Yusia, who was standing beside him.
“Ouch! Did I scare you? I should’ve warned you.”
“N-no, I’m fine.”
“This is one movement. How about it? You can give it a try, right?”
Jun Hyun stepped aside, indicating it was my turn.
“You don’t need to be perfect from the start. Just be careful not to twist your wrist. If you make a mistake, just correct your form and go at your own pace.”
The filming was already in progress. Jun Hyun was giving me the kind of advice a teacher would give to students.
I nodded, paying close attention to his words.
At the same time, I replayed the scene I had just seen in my mind. I recalled his posture bit by bit.
What was the spacing of his feet? Which foot was extended further out? How did he extend his arm to hit the sandbag…?
Now was my moment.
“Oh, looking good. You’re one of the best I’ve seen so far—.”
As Jun Hyun’s voice trailed off, I darted forward like lightning and executed the move that had popped into my mind.
Thwack-!
A muffled thud followed.
It felt like my fist was being sucked into something. Was this right?
The wrist, which I had been warned about the most, was still intact.
Doubting my instincts, I rolled my fist and turned around.
“Oh….”
Jun Hyun was staring at me, wide-eyed, with his thumb held up in approval.
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