Vagabond Warriors Boxing Workshop Report (diary entry)

28.07.19   The first of our Vagabond Warriors Workshops focused on Western Boxing for Martial Arts Cross Training. We spent the majority of the lesson training footwork, various guards and the jab. These are all key components for setting up everything else in modern boxing.   We began with an overview of cross-training. I discussed the problems with “welding” martial arts styles and techniques. That is forcing together two fighting aspects that do not complement each other. This creates a confusing disconnect and can also lead to some very unrealistic applications. The key is adapting training experiences. However, before this can be done the art needs to be trained in isolation. The training system needs to be embraced on its own terms. Then it needs bringing back to the single objective path, be it martial arts, MMA or self-defence.   Training began with the agility ladders and cones. These are specific footwork exercises. They develop agility and can be directly apply to combative movement. I discussed my Hierarchy of Training, which time manages training.   We then looked at applications for the L-Step and the V-Step. This then brought us onto the use of the guard and slipping. We used the high guard, the peek-a-boo guard and the Philly Shell. With slipping down pat we moved onto various jabs. The jabs covered were the basic jab, the step-jab, the power jab, the flicker jab, the pawing jab and the up-jab. The up-jab introduced using a southpaw stance and angling off on opponents. Various autonomous combinations were encouraged off the various jabbing drills.   We then did some Progressive Feedback Loop Training – a round of flash-pad work, a round of defence only, a round of these two combined, then sparring then back to the combined round. The idea of this training is to allow sparring and drills to feed each other, constantly improving. We didn’t use focus mitts but used boxing gloves instead to keep a stronger sparring connection.   The lesson finished with an MMA application and self-defence applications. The former combined high and low jabbing with either a double leg takedown or a single leg takedown. The latter looked at the use of the pawing jab off the fence. DON'T MISS THE NEXT VAGABOND WARRIORS WORKSHOP ON 25TH August 2019