Health Defence in King Street is on a mission to boost physical and mental health.
The main ingredients are their whole food and organic produce sold in the front shop under the banner Health Defence Organics in Hammersmith, as well as the fitness training offered at the gym at the back.
As a wellbeing centre it teaches boxing and non-contact kickboxing, offers counselling, healthy eating advice and health checks, runs workshops and even has a relaxing dedicated massage room.
There are training sessions just for women – solo or in small groups – teaching self-defence, stamina and confidence improvement "all at the same time".
Max, who turns 60 in May, has coached three British kickboxing champions, developing his 'health defence' training system, using martial arts "without the cuts and bruises".
"It all makes for a better world," said Max, a former light-middleweight boxer with 10 professional fights to his name.
Boxing foundation
While the entrance to the health food store remains at 132 King Street, opposite the transforming Civic Campus, the gym is accessed from Albion Place, next to Albion Court, W6 0QT. The walls are dotted with pictures of his boxing hero, Muhammad Ali, and framed motivational slogans, alongside the punchbags and racks of gloves.
It's been quite a journey for Max. For 16 years he worked at a community centre in Shepherds Bush, while also running a stall at Shepherds Bush Market. He also worked as a security guard at the W12 Centre.
"But I realised that I could help youths, making a difference to young guys who were at risk of going the wrong way," he said. "A lot of the guys I've helped have gone into the fitness business themselves. One builds five-a-side pitches."
There have been setbacks. When he was 21 his daughter died of meningitis, and in 2013 he himself spent a week in hospital after a suspected stomach bug turned out to be a burst appendix.
"I thought I was going to die," he said. "But my core strength pulled me through." That, and the Goldhawk Road couple's firm belief in a higher power, acted as further motivation on the path to creating Health Defence.
Former shop Bushwhacker
Ruth, 54, a former social worker, is in charge of the shop which sells packaged seeds, grains, nuts and legumes as well as organic bread and chilled, fresh and frozen produce, much of it vegan, gluten-free and wheat-free, and much of it exclusively stocked.
It also sells ranges of environmentally friendly vegan supplements, vitamins and minerals, as well as herbal and homeopathic remedies. "Health is part of our religion," she said.
It's a natural successor to the shop's former incarnation as Bushwacker, an ethical, fairtrade outlet set up 40 years ago by Chris and Sunita Shipton, initially in Shepherds Bush (hence the name) before moving to King Street three decades ago.
But Health Defence is more than just a combined gym and healthfood store. It shows films (the first was a Muhammad Ali documentary!), it provides massages, runs healing courses and teaches plant-based cookery. Max is also a pencil artist, passing on tips about drawing to others. He designed the business's 'fist' logo.
Max, awarded a QPR Unsung Hero award for community work in 2023, describes as "a godsend" the support he has been given by Suzanne Noble and Mark Elliott at the government-funded Startup School for Seniors, which guides entrepreneurs aged 50+ as they set up in business.
The Health Defence shop is located at 132 King Street, W6 0QU. Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday 10am-3pm and Sunday 11am-5pm. Closed Saturdays.
