INSPIRATION
Astounding physical movement is often described as poetry in motion. That artistic essence, the one that causes pause when you see flow-state-footwork, or masterful head movement seamlessly threaded with strikes, inspired AOKA. Despite boxing being filled with beauty we found that it had been dominated by brutal knockout reels and imagery that peddled violence and discipline ad nauseam. While both violence and discipline are core to combat sports, a type of contemplation, and artistry has been missing. There is a reason Ali said “float like a butterfly,” and not just “sting like a bee.”
THE CHALLENGE
Making meditative artistry part of our visual identity presented both a brand challenge and a production challenge. The brand problem asked us to introduce ourselves as inspired by stunning movement and moments without departing too much from the sweat and blood central to combat sports. These things aren't so separate from one another, but much like poetry, that vision is hard to articulate. If we could manifest this visual arrangement, it would take a world class production team willing to work within the means of a scrappy startup. We wanted our introductory media to be top tier to mirror the claims of elite quality we were going to make about our boxing gloves upon launch. We couldn't sell premium fight gear if our media was not premium, also, and we certainly couldn't sell it to boxers if we departed too far from their expectations of what boxing looks and feels like.
FROM SERENDIPITY
In May 2025, as we searched for media partners we stumbled across SUB:BIO Studios. They had done work for other brands whose media we found creatively energizing. On a cold message, they answered, we pitched them, and we got to work. Right away we knew it would be a fit as their CEO rolled up his sleeve to show off a pugilist boxer tattooed on his arm. “I’ve always wanted to work with a new boxing brand”, he said. Serendipity, flow, and trusting the moment are core components of AOKA’s messaging–and here was our moment to put that to practice.
TO SUBSTANCE
We got to work and, after months of sketching and scoping, we found a common thread: duality. Playing with the artificiality of the studio and organic matter, the treadmill and nature, the shadowboxing and meditation, allowed us to demonstrate the beauty, peacefulness and artful movement in a sport that contains as much violence as boxing.
DUALITY AS OPERATION
The visual dualities present in the video are reflective of AOKA’s way of operating: we make sleek gear for gritty work at the highest level of quality, we believe that there is elite talent in the underground, and that style matters most where it is understated. Follow along with us and join the Global Combat Community.