Real Boxing Gym - Las Vegas:

[Speedy1]

This is Diego, who is Ian's older Brother. From the same session as Marcos. Diego will be making his Amateur debut within the next couple of months:

Nice controlled sparring session - each of them working with the other, not that bullshit gym wars nonsense.
That’s a telling sign for the quality of training they have there. It’s good to see. (Granted both fighters have things to work on but as you said one is about to have his *first* amateur fight so it’s expected). Thanks for sharing.

 

[Sinister]

Demonstrating some of the techniques of the Soviet system:

 

[Minowafanatic]

Demonstrating some of the techniques of the Soviet system:

I coach at an amateur club and teach these same techniques, I figure they're good for foot/hand coordination and developing mechanics even if they don't implement this exact stuff, like I've not seen anyone try the Russian walk in sparring. I don't have a clear idea in my head how these techniques fit into a wider system beyond that or if they need to.

 

[Sinister]

I coach at an amateur club and teach these same techniques, I figure they're good for foot/hand coordination and developing mechanics even if they don't implement this exact stuff, like I've not seen anyone try the Russian walk in sparring. I don't have a clear idea in my head how these techniques fit into a wider system beyond that or if they need to.

They definitely have applicability, and I can understand kind of being stuck with them as a bit of a side-exercise that has benefits that dont seem directly applicable. But there definitely are ways to implement them into actual use for fighting. I'd be happy to help get you there over time.

The Soviet system really was a work of genius, but then again you can foster that when you have subsidized coaching staff who get paid the same if students show up or not. And they refined their ideas at a time when many US wizards were starting to pass on without their systems surviving. And in many ways after years of studying the Soviet system I feel like I've only just now really started to get it. I dont agree with everything so some things I give my own flavor to. One of my favorite Coaches is Herb Brooks, he blended 2 Hockey schools to build a remarkable US Hockey program. I'm aiming for something similar with Boxing.

 

[RabbitPunch36]

The Soviet system really was a work of genius, but then again you can foster that when you have subsidized coaching staff who get paid the same if students show up or not. And they refined their ideas at a time when many US wizards were starting to pass on without their systems surviving. And in many ways after years of studying the Soviet system I feel like I've only just now really started to get it. I dont agree with everything so some things I give my own flavor to. One of my favorite Coaches is Herb Brooks, he blended 2 Hockey schools to build a remarkable US Hockey program. I'm aiming for something similar with Boxing.

What fighters would you recomend to watch to see the last remanants of those systems of boxing that are lost to time?

 

[Sinister]

What fighters would you recomend to watch to see the last remanants of those systems of boxing that are lost to time?

Well, in the US there were very good regions where fighters were developed. Like for a while Lousiana had some really good teachers and churned out guys like Canzoneri, Pastrano, and Dupas:







Pastrano and Dupas were trained by Whitey Ensault, a guy who never wanted to be a Profesional trainer. So he sent them to Dundee.

Some from the 80's and 90's will remember the D.C. fighters. Guys like Leonard (who also ended up with Dundee), but also William Joppy and Sharmba Mitchell, who were severely undervalued in their time. Then you have Philly, which was a hotbed for a long time. You had great defensive knowledge there with Futch and Benton spending so much time there, and yet they also developed extremely good offensive fighters like Frazier, Briscoe, and Curtis Parker.

One of the most unsung trainers in Boxing is Harry Wiley. When Dundee cornered against Ali in the fight with Ellis, Ali hired Wiley and was so happy with him that he wanted to keep Wiley on permanently and resurrect his career. The only reason Wiley didnt get that fame and recognition was that he died just a few months after that:



Wiley also trained Bunny Grant from Jamaica, and without Bunny there might not ever have been an explosion of boxing in Jamaica that brought about Mike McCallum, who was my trainer.

 

[purpleheart]

Doing a great job! Your kid and the lhw have some nice movements going on! Most gyms and coaches teach waaay to static. So much time is wasted when you go to a shitty gym with bad trainers. Went to clubs were recreational boxers after 5 years dont show the circling and poviting your son has demonstrates in sparring

 

[Sinister]

Doing a great job! Your kid and the lhw have some nice movements going on! Most gyms and coaches teach waaay to static. So much time is wasted when you go to a shitty gym with bad trainers. Went to clubs were recreational boxers after 5 years dont show the circling and poviting your son has demonstrates in sparring

Much appreciated, there has been a dire need for a shift in American boxing for about the last 20 years, maybe even 30. I'm hoping what we're doing can contribute to a positive shift.

 

[Sinister]

Another of the International fighters I work with is Miguel Veliz. To be perfectly honest I have no idea how his people found me but one day I got a message from Chile that they wanted him to do a camp here for a tentative run at the 2020 Olympics (lol). He came for prep for one tournament, then came in early 2020 again for the last qualifier before the games, which of course didnt happen. But this was one of his most recent high profile matches against Brazil's top guy:



He sparred my Southpaw MarcAnthony a lot for this one.

And here is an older video of him doing drills with Alex Martinssen:

 

[Sinister]

Yesterday after sparring (of the bigger ones). Littlest one is my 7 year-old Son:

 

[Steveston]

Next time i'm in Vegas without a doubt coming by.

 

[RabbitPunch36]

Some from the 80's and 90's will remember the D.C. fighters. Guys like Leonard (who also ended up with Dundee), but also William Joppy and Sharmba Mitchell, who were severely undervalued in their time. Then you have Philly, which was a hotbed for a long time. You had great defensive knowledge there with Futch and Benton spending so much time there, and yet they also developed extremely good offensive fighters like Frazier, Briscoe, and Curtis Parker.

I saw Stephen Edwards mention in his weekly q&a Janks Morton and Adrian Davis as the 2 guys who trained a lot of the big fighters from the DMV during the 80' to the 2000's. Do you know anything about Adrian Davis?

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1992-11-19-1992324060-story.html

 

[Sinister]

I saw Stephen Edwards mention in his weekly q&a Janks Morton and Adrian Davis as the 2 guys who trained a lot of the big fighters from the DMV during the 80' to the 2000's. Do you know anything about Adrian Davis?

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1992-11-19-1992324060-story.html

Yeah he's one of the most unsung trainers in US History, with the exception of Wiley, or maybe Sarria...though technically Sarria would be considered Cuban despite how much work he did in 5th Street gym

 

[Sinister]

Alex Hagen interviewing me:

 

[Shoemaker]

The story about your grandfather sounded so familiar. Mine was a MP in the Army until he retired to the post office. He had a garden in his backyard, and every morning when I was there he'd go tend to his tomatoes and then watch me try to kick the shit out of the tree he had in the backyard. He was the only person that ever let me watch boxing at that age. Him and all of his buddies would be in the room with the big screen & cracked cable box, and I wasn't allowed in there. But there was a window I could peak through and he knew I would. As long as my grandmother didn't find out we were good.

I hadn't thought about all of that in a long time. Really nice memories.

 

[Sinister]

The story about your grandfather sounded so familiar. Mine was a MP in the Army until he retired to the post office. He had a garden in his backyard, and every morning when I was there he'd go tend to his tomatoes and then watch me try to kick the shit out of the tree he had in the backyard. He was the only person that ever let me watch boxing at that age. Him and all of his buddies would be in the room with the big screen & cracked cable box, and I wasn't allowed in there. But there was a window I could peak through and he knew I would. As long as my grandmother didn't find out we were good.

I hadn't thought about all of that in a long time. Really nice memories.

I'm glad your memories were more pleasant. My Grandfather was an old school racist NY Irishman. It took him a while to warm up to me, I was initially afraid of him. I remember the exact moment he became cool. My Mom was trying to force me to eat peas and they were cold and gross by the time she walked away, saying I couldnt get up until I finished them. She walked off and he got up and lumbered towards me (he had a duck-walk from 22 years on and off the ship). He took my plate and scraped the peas into the trash, shushed me, and then my Mom came back and let me up.

In retrospect it would have been better if he had gotten me to eat them. Bonding over deceit is not a good look. But finally accepting and even deeply loving me didnt stop him from being a judgmental racist. We had many hot debates, and he did kick my ass once. Like literally, foot in crack.

 

[Sinister]

It's always great seeing younger kids getting into the sport.
Kid in red can slip nicely - he should do it more often, set up some nice counters.

I made a video tonight about the skepticism of kids:

 

[Sinister]

Flashback Friday: that time when the Wisconsin Golden Gloves Champ (Gunnar) took on the Nevada Champ (MarcAnthony), and was hyping the fight and himself on social media. MarcAnthony had just won the State Title the week before against a 6'8" 280lb opponent, and really didnt want the fight. But I assured him he was sharp enough and it would be a walk:



P.S. - I found the fight where that guy won the Wisconsin title, he was getting mopped by a fat dude until that guy gassed out, fell over throwing a punch, and couldnt get back up. Lol

 

[Sinister]

Throwback Thursday - that time my guy Jimmy fought Nico Ali-Walsh.



Jimmy as since gone on to become a Wilderness Firefighter

 

[purpleheart]

I coach at an amateur club and teach these same techniques, I figure they're good for foot/hand coordination and developing mechanics even if they don't implement this exact stuff, like I've not seen anyone try the Russian walk in sparring. I don't have a clear idea in my head how these techniques fit into a wider system beyond that or if they need to.

My coach used have us drill these as well. He called it a 'stop punch', if someone comes forward, step back and really sit down on the right hand. If he slips that one keep going back in the same line and keep throwing while fluently crossing the feet. In the beginning only straights but can mix it up with hooks in there as well.
The forward walk can also be good after backing an opponent up with a double jab cross.