Hope all is well sir,

Thought I would update you on the boxing first. I have been training daily and sparring regularly and following your instructions to practice for more inside work. Our housekeeper, a former kickboxer with pretty decent hands, eyes and footwork has been helping me by making full on karate blitzes on me while I block shots, and get inside to mug.

[Excellent asymetrical training]

She is has roughly the size and power of a Mexican teenager and we use four ounce gloves. I refrain from hitting her.

Anyway I was psyched out by today's sparring which I knew better than to be.

Our senior coach, Kevin Lightburn has been great about letting me follow your instructions.

One of the first things he drilled us in was "getting in the cut" Not cutting off the ring but the old Bernard Hopkins clinch special.

We've also been working far more on the inside.

However in the last two months he's been occupied with preparing his two active pros for their upcoming bouts. Kenzie Morrison, son of Tommy, now a bare knuckle fighter, and Kalvin Henderson, facing a very tough fight this weekend.

Consequently this week we were coached by the junior coach who really doesn't like inside fighting of any kind.

I sparred a round with him today, used the blind jab to get in close, and then planned to stick to him like glue through the round, but without grappling.

I know he hates the clinch and has thrown tantrums when strong golden gloves kids clinch him. So I planned to stay low and maintain body contact while throwing uppercuts.

He said I was fighting and not boxing and advised me to get back on my jab.

I followed his instructions but it took the wind out of my sails because I knew I had no shot at a mid range contest with the black version of Sean.

[That was why he directed you to box in the manner that favored his inflexible nature, so he could continue to beat you up and prevent you from learning. I have long said that boxing is not a martial art. But this guy is behaving exactly like a martial arts instructor, putting you into a box where he can knock you about like a pinball.]

I'm relating this to let you know that I've been working diligently on inside boxing.

[You might as well, as your body time has already determined that you will live on the inside. Since I am not a Christian or a Scienceist, I do not make it my habit to dispute God’s design of humans. Note that disputes humans conduct with God are conducted through doctrine, in the ring and at the pulpit.]

I had watched some videos on Gene Fulmer and his reverse cross guard and practiced it in shadow boxing.

It seems to work in sparring and I was wondering if you had any thoughts on it.

[I don’t know any details on Fulmer other than his immensely durable head and the fact that I have met two men in Utah and in Oregon, whose fathers boxed and knew him. But, since Fulmer was heavier and more rugged than, Ray Robinson, and beat him in one of their bouts, that is a good base for a stout Injun like yourself.]

It seemed like a good setup for the blind right hand.

It also seems to relate to the wing block, though I have not tried it against a good hooker, yet. I also have used it when close, to pin the opponents guard so I can throw uppercuts and shovel hooks with my right hand.

I read that Joe Fraziers trainer believed that a right uppercut could beat or upset a left hook, and was also interested in your thoughts on this, as I am not fast enough to evade a Mexican teenagers best punch, the left hook. Anyway I won't say I'm comfortable in the cut or pocket, but I'm getting there.

Today I also sparred a guy who basically is like Dennis and throws nasty uppercuts on the inside, but was able to dictate range and time my inside approaches. I was definitely intimidated by the uppercuts and was wondering about the best defenses against them that can be practiced in shadow boxing? Also shovel hooks, which the Marshallese throw from the floor, or so it seems.

Hope this finds you well. I will give you a call over the weekend if that's ok, to catch up on the November business. I'm interviewing Mr Barrett soon and am going to pressure him to come to our St Louis excursion.

Best

PB

Paul,

The assistant is substandard, egoist and a dick. So, listen to him about the jab and work on a mid-range jab against his long range jab, which puts you in the right spot to deal with the Marshallese and Mexicanese.

Eat, slip, catch, parry, roll with or, stop that jab with shoulder, forehead or rear hand. Then jab while you straighten up and move to your right or left. Try them both against righty and lefty.

The up jab is your friend against the left hook. There is a point where the shovel hook and up jab are not distinguishable from each other, other than the feet.

When thrown best as a cut off punch, the up jab and the shovel hook both bring the elbow of the punching hand right off the ribs. I state that the dividing line between the two, is that pivoting with this straight, rising, supine fist makes it a shovel hook and that stepping and dragging with it makes it an up jab.

Both dissect the Philly hook.

Both cut off the uppercut.

Both set up the straight right, overhand right or cross.

Both work best from a slightly bent, not fully crouched, lead knee.

If rolling with the lead shoulder off a right hand, consider shooting the up jab over that right shoulder with a leftward step or the shovel hook under with a pivot. This only hits when they over commit or when you step past their lead to the side of their rear foot, rather than out.

Both set up your right hand.

Against the Philly hook, Shield high with the right and either:

Stepping right raise his chin or hit his eye ball with an up jab or,

Pivot and grind a shovel off your ribs into his chin.

Both set up the right hand.

If he wants your body with a Philly hook in your high shield, bring your elbow down on his thumb while you up jab or shovel from a pivot.

Start slapping elbows to stall the hooks and go right to a light face punch with movement, to the mugging.

Don't stay close and get the coach pissed, more punishment lies there. Let him drift away while you touch him with the jab, then make him come to you. Make him be the one that makes things too close for his comfort.

If you can't deal with his long jab, and score your own, then practice catching while targeting the bicep of his jabbing arm with your up jab.

Let him have his range, then step in and eat a jab.

Then step back.

Then feint the step in and punch his jabbing fist, hitting his pronated glove with your supinated glove, and stretching his tendons but not yours.

Against the shovel hookers, try jabbing the chest while stepping right. Since the shovel drives in diagonally, get out of its vector while punching at the same time. Get to the outside.

When he adjusts to jab or Philly hook, give up the outside and drift left towards his right hand, then drag out again to the right with a blind jab.

I hope some of these ideas help you, Paul.

Thanks for your support, Sir.

Take care.

j