The group was a delight to train with, as was Mesa to stay in. Like the people in general, the men at the gym and those who drove to meet there, were less suspicious and more welcoming of stick fighting then in the east. The gym was perfectly appointed and the ring ours, thanks to Smiling Alfredo renting it ahead of time for 2 hours. Once the coach, Drexler, who deserves his own article, figured out that we were not cavemen or nuts, he was cool about the weapon training.

We began with boxing at 2 PM.

Drex had us break out the sticks after the regular crowd left at 3. He liked it so much he had us stay until after 5 PM and then took a group photo.

The interaction with the head coach was so positive we are setting a date for another session for late July.

The men will want an after training assessment, which I did not have time to provide, so will give it here. The catch weight combat clinic was simply light contact sparring conditioning, focused on peek-a-boo boxing defense, training parameters, stick sparring and basics of knife attacks and defense.

The next session will be very different, but retain a light contact sparring focus, branching into development of individual styles. Drexler was kind enough to demonstrate ground and pound and grappling with this twerp and not break it into pieces, so the grappling aspect will be reviewed. I suggest all four men access Drex as a grappling coach for monthly privates and use those skills as much as possible on your feet, against the ropes and walls when we do boxing, weapons and self defense in the future. In case of group attack, the floor needs to go vertical as a wall to serve your operational needs, and hopefully remain a horizontal destination for your attackers.

All of the men need to review the 2015 bag training video under the Modern Agonistics tag on the site. All of the stick strokes and steps are also included on 4 training videos on that site from the same year.

Everyone needs to watch boxers on YouTube, I recommend as models for their body type. All should watch Haggler versus Mugabi, with Haggler as the model.

…

Steven

Our tall, thin, strong nerd, a former Coast Guard man, with thin legs and an apish wingspan, came to me the next evening at the train station, bought me a soda. He was wondering what he needed to work on specifically on his own. I told him:

Do not stand, when talking or waiting, with knees locked back, ever.

Make certain to walk with the weight landing on the heels, then feeling the floor with the falling ball of the foot.

Forget Muay Thai kicks. Practice savate kicks with those hard pointy shoes against a light bag.

Look through your hands, even when looking down at a short man.

Stop BJJ classes and switch to privates, since the classmates are yanking on your neck like apes.

Practice step and drag line drills for boxing with your feet the same width as your hips.

Slap the bag, rather than punching it, until I see you next.

Watch Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns bouts as your model.

…

Vanilla Gorilla

Slap, don’t punch the bag, for now.

Never stand still after hitting the bag with one slap, but move, step drag to a stop, and hit it again, then move. Hit, move, hit, move.

Look at Mike Tyson for a training model. Pay attention to his movement when young, not his punching power, but his evasive motion while moving inside.

Work on forearm flexibility and shadow stick fluidity, not power with the stick. You already have the power, but are tight and tripping over the muscles. Slash with the stick. Avoid jabs and smashes for now.

…

Rollo

For boxing, your heavyweight stamina is great. You have good punches. So stop throwing every punch except the jab. Just jab and guard until we train again.

Use Larry Holmes fights versus Cobb and Butter Bean as models and shadowbox and work the bag that piston jab.

Stay with your jabbing stick style but work on power drills. Move after every jab.

…

Alfredo

In boxing you are tight and square. As you work with your coach view some videos after training to help absorb his coaching.

Watch the Mickey ward versus Arturo Gati trilogy. Use Gati as a model. Make sure you are not square, but on an angle, without your lead foot between the rear foot and your target. Note how much better gait does in the rematches when he stops banging and starts moving and jabbing. His coach is one of boxing’s best ever, Buddy McGirt. As a champion and contender Buddy was largely outgunned in the 80s, but won most fights through skill. Look up his highlight reel.

For the stick, get a pair of nunchucks and learn the basic twirls to loosen your wrists up.

You had great knife sense—your Sicilian blood welling up!

Hang a rope, string, belt or sheet of paper from some thing overhead and practice making your empty knife hand into a spear point of fingers. Put on work gloves and slash and stab the soft swinging target with your fingers, keeping a slight bend in them, moving after each stroke, then moving again as you deliver another stroke, keeping the other hand back to guard your neck down to your guts on the right side.

…

Men, thank you. Please follow up with your local coaches and instructors and we will expand in our next session.