A trip to Vegas: training under Sinister aka Luis Monda

[giancana]

Hi guys,

I wanted to share my experience of going to Vegas (for 3 and a half weeks) in order to train with Luis , better known as Sinister here.

About me:
I was a former thaboxer until I had an injure and then I occasioanlly boxed but I was inactive.
Basically I am out of shape and overweight but the interest in boxing never died which lead me to following what Luis wrote in this forum.
I came from Germany to Las Vegas in order train under him (so all the US American reader´s don´t make excuses like it´s too far away ;-) )

It was an awesome experience.
Luis basically trains 3 groups a day at 12am, 4pm and 6pm.
The training occurs in a group setting with drills.
I trained always at the 12 am group which consists of the advanced guys/fighters.
Everyone in the team is very warm and welcome no matter which experience level.
My biggest fear of being treated in a condescending manner by other guys did not happen; quite the contrary the experienced ones also give you good advice and help you to improve.
The drills will teach you a lot. Every drill has multiple purposes like improving biomechanics/phisiology/mobility/flexibility/stability .
Basically Luis will explain you the drill and then you drill with a partner.
The drills will also teach you self reliance as he will not babysit you and make you rely on him.
You will do the drills and self correct and your body learns to do the movement.
Of course Luis will also provide feedback for correction but he does not tend to overwhelm you with information and want to make sure that you execute it without overthinking.
The drills are playful but also improve other aspects then the other one that I mentioned like: sense of range and positioning-doing the technique in relation to sense range (your range+positioning and the opponent´s range+positionig) + balance+leverage+footwork.
A lot of things are built into those drilsl that you don´t see as you understand them but as you reflect about them you see more things that come with them.
Luis is also a person I would describe as a teacher, not as a "coach" or "trainer".
It was always great to have a deep conversation with him and he intends to build more then boxers or foghters but also teach values (not in a preaching way but more in a subtle or shamanic way let´s say)
Everything I know about boxing, how I see boxing is from this man.
It is just beautiful to see and learn the art of boxing, the sweet science of boxing of man that has a genuine love for boxing and lives boxing.
If give you also an anecdote which says a lot about him:
The gym was closed for a couple of days.
While the other boxers with other trainers in the gym could not train.
Luis took action and made sure that his boxers could train at another place.
He really cares man.
This place btw. was a good gym with excellent fighters and also the legendary Mike Mccallum Luis´teacher walked in there because he trains fighters there.
We took a photo with Mike which as a big honour.
I learned a lot from Luis and want to thank him.
I just can tell all of you that just go and train with him-make it happen.
You will not regret it.
Furthermore if you read his stuff like the tile exercise.
Maybe you think you know how to do it but are you really sure?
There are A LOT of subtle elements which you will not get from reading all Sinister´s threads and watching all of his videos but from going there.

If this post sparked your interest or fueled your enthusiasm for going to train under Sinister "one day"
-> Make it happen. Define the day on which you go and go.


ps: his page is here:
https://www.facebook.com/Levantar/

If you ever benefited from an advice he wrote in the forum, why not give something back by liking the page and writing a good review ;-)

 

[zapataxiv]

I made the trip there myself a couple of years ago and it was amazing. I agree with you @giancana everybody should make an effort to visit at least once and support Lu and what he is doing. I have been trying to make plans to go back for a longer stay and really learn his system but life keeps getting in the way right now the plan is for when I hit 30.

 

[DoctorTaco]

I trained with Lu a few summers back and had a great time. Learned some stuff that I still apply to myself and my own fighters.

But it was hotter than the gates of Hell there. So there’s that.

 

[zapataxiv]

I trained with Lu a few summers back and had a great time. Learned some stuff that I still apply to myself and my own fighters.

But it was hotter than the gates of Hell there. So there’s that.

Yea it’s hot
I was not prepared for that. Firs day in the gym Sin wanted to see what my Shadow boxing looked like. I ended up puking halfway through the round.

Bu the time I left I was more used to it. Be prepared to shed some water weight.
It wagrdeat but is an ego check. I remember getting burnt out doing the circle drill, who seems simple. Compare that to my home gym high had us doing 10 min plus jump rope warm ups, ladder drills, and various calisthenics.

 

[Sinister]

This was the OP working with some of my competition team at said other gym (Prince Ranch Boxing, which is a private gym):



Squad with The Bodysnatcher:

 

[Davem10]

Sounds and looks like a colossal waste of money

 

[Sinister]

Sounds and looks like a colossal waste of money

Lol, you should offer up a service during the harsh midwestern winters, as you have enough saltiness to melt any amount of snow.

 

[zapataxiv]

Sounds and looks like a colossal waste of money

Care to elaborate on why? What about the trainin g do you find to be subpar?

Sins got thick skin and we are in a part of the forum where people can go years without getting banned while begging for it.

Don’t be scared homie, tell us all about it.

 

[BillytheFish]

Sounds and looks like a colossal waste of money

Ive had dozens of friends goto Thailand for weeks/months who wanted to experience training and fighting there while having a vacation.

Someone from Europe flying to do something similar in Las Vegas is a colossal waste of money to you?

You sound like a colossal BORE.

 

[Frode Falch]

Training with Luis at his gym is in my training bucket list. Never been to USA. But i gonna.

And i want to try boxing at his gym, and also try some creative striking at rick roufus gym

 

[Davem10]

Care to elaborate on why? What about the trainin g do you find to be subpar?

Sins got thick skin and we are in a part of the forum where people can go years without getting banned while begging for it.

Don’t be scared homie, tell us all about it.

The training video looked trash, for one. Im aware that isnt all theyre doing but why video that? people doing Sinisters variation on crossfit. He really fancies himself as a strength and conditioning guru now

So lets work this out, Flights, hotel and training for a couple of weeks. Lets be kind and estimate $2500 for that. You get Sinisters crossfit routines and to work with some other nobodies in a few boxing classes. Or you can just stay home and do probably 100 private lessons with a coach for that. All attention on you working on solid stuff and actually improving

Its obvious he wasted money but hey thats on him

I dont get why Sinister is seen as a guy to go to. He just has done more than the usual forum dweller so he therefore attains "guru" status on the forum. Yet in reality he has done absolutely nothing of note, hasnt produced a single champion in all his years of training, so why anyone would fly from a different country and blow all that money to do some classes and what not with him is just weird to me. He is just a normal boxing trainer with no outstanding credentials

If i was to fly out and do something like that, id go see Roy Jones jnr and do a couple of privates if he would do it. Atleast youre with a bonafide legend who knows his shit and you get to meet and talk to him , thats a once in a lifetime experience type deal that is worth doing. But flying to some no name amateur boxing coach is just ludacris, he could have gotten way better training at home if he just searched his area and then spent the money on 121s.

What did you feel you got out of the experience OP ?

 

[Davem10]

Ive had dozens of friends goto Thailand for weeks/months who wanted to experience training and fighting there while having a vacation.

Someone from Europe flying to do something similar in Las Vegas is a colossal waste of money to you?

You sound like a colossal BORE.

If thats what it was then thats fine i guess

If he ws having a great Las Vegas holiday and just done a bit of messing around at Sinisters gym then yeah its not a waste of money because hes on holiday

But if the purpose of the trip was to go and train boxing with Sinister, then that is a huge waste of money as i explained in the post above

 

[Frode Falch]

The training video looked trash, for one. Im aware that isnt all theyre doing but why video that? people doing Sinisters variation on crossfit. He really fancies himself as a strength and conditioning guru now

So lets work this out, Flights, hotel and training for a couple of weeks. Lets be kind and estimate $2500 for that. You get Sinisters crossfit routines and to work with some other nobodies in a few boxing classes. Or you can just stay home and do probably 100 private lessons with a coach for that. All attention on you working on solid stuff and actually improving

Its obvious he wasted money but hey thats on him

I dont get why Sinister is seen as a guy to go to. He just has done more than the usual forum dweller so he therefore attains "guru" status on the forum. Yet in reality he has done absolutely nothing of note, hasnt produced a single champion in all his years of training, so why anyone would fly from a different country and blow all that money to do some classes and what not with him is just weird to me. He is just a normal boxing trainer with no outstanding credentials

If i was to fly out and do something like that, id go see Roy Jones jnr and do a couple of privates if he would do it. Atleast youre with a bonafide legend who knows his shit and you get to meet and talk to him , thats a once in a lifetime experience type deal that is worth doing. But flying to some no name amateur boxing coach is just ludacris, he could have gotten way better training at home if he just searched his area and then spent the money on 121s.

What did you feel you got out of the experience OP ?

The words is full of people like you. Look for something negative to whine about, and you will find it anywhere. So who cares.

And why do you care?

 

[Davem10]

The words is full of people like you. Look for something negative to whine about, and you will find it anywhere. So who cares.

And why do you care?

I was asked to explain so i explained .........DUH

 

[Sinister]

The words is full of people like you. Look for something negative to whine about, and you will find it anywhere. So who cares.

And why do you care?

Eh, he's just salty about something I either said or didn't say long ago. Or some forum argument where his pride was hurt. Hence the bullshit about what I've done and not done with my time. This type of person always shows up to troll threads and degrade me in ways that make me equal to themselves. It has literally no bearing on my every day in the gym, or the projections of how my students do, or what they do. Since it's utterly inconsequential there's not even a need to ban ole Dave, better to let him vent his angst in a semi-public medium, and suggest that others seek out people to instruct them who literally don't spend any significant time instructing a thing, but may have a glitzy name attached. Because we all know how that tends to work out.

 

[Davem10]

Eh, he's just salty about something I either said or didn't say long ago. Or some forum argument where his pride was hurt. Hence the bullshit about what I've done and not done with my time. This type of person always shows up to troll threads and degrade me in ways that make me equal to themselves. It has literally no bearing on my every day in the gym, or the projections of how my students do, or what they do. Since it's utterly inconsequential there's not even a need to ban ole Dave, better to let him vent his angst in a semi-public medium, and suggest that others seek out people to instruct them who literally don't spend any significant time instructing a thing, but may have a glitzy name attached. Because we all know how that tends to work out.

This stinks of EGO

Doesnt accept any valid criticism and instead decides my points are all based on a vendetta and are therefore untrue

Also threatens to ban me based on valid criticism

Just terrible all round

My points are very true

 

[Frode Falch]

I dont get why Sinister is seen as a guy to go to. He just has done more than the usual forum dweller so he therefore attains "guru" status on the forum. Yet in reality he has done absolutely nothing of note, hasnt produced a single champion in all his years of training, so why anyone would fly from a different country and blow all that money to do some classes and what not with him is just weird to me. He is just a normal boxing trainer with no outstanding credentials

This stinks of EGO

Doesnt accept any valid criticism and instead decides my points are all based on a vendetta and are therefore untrue

Also threatens to ban me based on valid criticism

Just terrible all round

My points are very true

Ego you say..

 

[Sinister]

lol@"You say my criticism is born of vendetta but I assure you it is all true because I insist it is and you are terrible. No vendetta tho"

Trumpian logic at its finest.

 

[Davem10]

lol@"You say my criticism is born of vendetta but I assure you it is all true because I insist it is and you are terrible. No vendetta tho"

Trumpian logic at its finest.

Do you understand how to use quotation marks?

I also never said you are terrible, you are good actually but your clone is easily found

What i am saying is, you are a boxing coach who is decent at his job of coaching boxing, but so are thousands of others. Its not like youre some prolific trainer of champions or a celebrity trainer. So why make a special trip to see some normal boxing coach who has achieved nothing of note (not a dig, just a fact) and spend all that money, when you can find someone the exact same level as you right there in your home town

Youre just an average guy, nothing wrong with that of course but for someone to spend all that cash to come and see you is mental. Its just based on a forum rep and not real world results

Tell me honestly do you believe spending $2500 on a trip to see you for 3 weeks will imrpove anyones boxing skill more than if they searched for the best coach in their area and paid for 100 private lessons ? The answer is obvious and one is so far superior to the other that it shouldnt even be a question.

As ive already said, if the intention was a nice Las Vegas holiday and to play around at your boxing gym then that is fine, but if the purpose of the trip was to improve boxing skill then the money was surely wasted or very very badly managed

 

[Davem10]

Ego you say..

Erm, ok