Kid Gloves was founded in the mid-1950s by Frankie Goodman, a Harvard professor who taught children from as early as four years old to street-wise punks in the worst neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Frank also had a gym in Van Nuys, California, where he discovered and trained many professionals. Frankie worked with many great boxers, including Cassius Clay, better known as Muhammed Ali. 

Frankie has since passed away, but he gave Robert Ortiz the Kid Gloves trademark and exclusive rights to the Kid Gloves philosophy: "Teach youth the importance of a healthy mind and body and respect for yourself and each other." 

Robert started Kid Gloves Boxing in his backyard in Simi Valley, California, in the 1990s. In November of 1997, he began the process of initiating the Kid Gloves Foundation to obtain support for training low-income, disadvantaged youth. Today, the Kid Gloves Boxing Foundation, located in Center Court at the Simi Town Center, provides troubled youth an opportunity to experience personal success, and gives them choices when they are most vulnerable to the pressures of the street.