"I've been mulling over what I should do in regards to training and was wondering if I could trouble you for any advice or if you could recommend any resources like links or youtube videos.

"I've always wanted to learn more about combatives, but grunts don't get shit for that sort of training, and I've been bouncing around so much, I haven't spent long at any one place. There's a place by where I live that's ran by an ex-fighter/former high speed college wrestler/LEO, I've been checking out, but it seems like a mixed bag. Knowledgeable trainers, nice people, but like just about every place I've been, it ultimately revolves around creating a stable of prize fighters so that's where most of the instruction goes. The rest gets spread thin or scattered haphazardly. I swear, my first day striking, I received three different sets of instructions on body shots, some of which flat-out contradicted what another had said.

"By the end, I just wanted to say, 'enough with the rigmarole. I'm 38 years old this year. Just show the fundamentals of how to fuck someone up and let me do the drills. Fundamentals. Basic punches, kicks, blocking, etc.'

"I've thought about saying to hell with it and just continuing to lift weights and maybe invest in a punching bag. But I thought practice against real people is better than nothing. Then again, maybe both?

"Anyhow, any advice you may have would be appreciated. I hope you're kicking ass down there and that life's treating you well."

-Ben

This MMA club you describe—like most sounds grappling-based—and they know less than zero about boxing.

Any coach who shows you a hook or uppercut in the first session knows nothing about coaching boxing or its fundamental basis. He may be a good fighter, but he doesn’t even know why. The club is not a loss though.

Get a punching bag.

I will send you an e-copy of my boxing manual coming out at the end of the week.

Go to YouTube and look up Jason Van Veldhuysen for your video coach. I helped him write his boxing manual and it was a growth experience for both of us.

Continue at the MMA club. You need the bodies.

Go through with all the grappling.

Unfortunately, when dealing with ignorant people who are in control of your body during potentially dangerous activities, you must employ the tactical lie.

As long as you are training kicks your punches will always suck. Do learn leg checking and leg kicking. Just keep it below the waist. That way you stay in their doctrine and don’t rob yourself of punching leverage. Only the best combat athletes ever get potent with the mid and high line kicks and also carry a heavy punch by boxing standards.

We mortals need to choose one or the other. The low kick is necessary for some weapon defense. Otherwise, the punch is more practical for defense than the kick. So box, primarily, with some low kicking.

Claim a service injury that shredded your upper back muscles, so you must avoid training hooks and upper cuts. Only straight punches for you—Doctor LaFond said so in his audio notes.

When you spar with their fighters, jab only, jab and defend. Do nothing else other than low kicking and grappling. Only throw the right when your dumb-shit trainer yells for you to throw it. You need these guys to learn how to defend a punch and eat a punch. Most attacks begin with a sneak punch and in the ring you learn how to operate calmly while compromised by a punch.

When you work on the bag at home jab: single, double, triple—even five jabs in succession from various angles. With bag and shadow always do at least one round that is only the jab, with movement.

Now that you know when you get hit in sparring you at least have a reference point for hitting the bag with your hook and uppercut. Jason has a great hook and coaches it and the uppercut superbly. Read up on my jab evolutions and watch his hook, uppercut and combination videos. He has over 100 free videos.

Here are some links below.