Teaching, Training, Coaching...

TEACHING:  *Boxing Thought *The Proper Stance *Hand Position *Footwork *Targets *Bio-mechanics and Logic

TRAINING: *Punches *Counter Punching *Defensive Technique *Taking a Punch *Corner Boxing *Movement *Conditioning

COACHING: *Ring Fighting *Fight Analysis *Motivation *Focus *State of Mind

Rich Price

I was 12 years old the first time I ever stepped into an actual Boxing Ring. A friend of mine who had boxed before was giddy about getting me into the Ring. I clearly remember him laughing at me as we laced up the gloves, sure that he would make mincemeat out of me. The bell rung and within the first minute he was crying and quitting while I was the one with the last laugh. Boxing came quite natural to me, as my friend painfully realized.

I didn’t step into the Ring again until I was 18 years old. As a freshman at Washington State University, I took P.E. Boxing. Having been an athlete since the age of eight and a drummer since the age of 15 helped me to excel at Boxing making the grade to train with Dr. Robert Doornink. Bob was a Professor of Physical Education and Associate Athletic Director for Washington State University. He fought for the NCAA Heavyweight Title in 1947, a very big event in those days, cutting his opponent open with a solid punch and sending the match to an early end.

Bob achieved the highest level of Physical Education when he completed the necessary steps to become a Professor and get his PHD. He was also selected to conduct Boxing Clinics in Advanced Boxing Technique to our Armed Forces. He did so travelling the Pacific Rim and received high regards for his knowledge. Dr. Doornink was a Master Guru at Boxing yet throughout all his success he remained a humble person. Training and educating was his blood and I am honored to have fought under his tutelage for three full years.

During my time training with Bob mostly what we did was spar, spar, and spar some more while he spilled tricks of the trade. He felt that though bag work, pads, drills, etc. were important you learn most about Boxing by actually getting in the Ring and doing it. During that time I fought as a Prize Fighter competing in Exhibitions, Tough Guy’s Contests, Smokers, etc. winning them all easily. He allowed me to teach my own P.E. Boxing class for Washington State University giving me my first experiences as a trainer and leading me to the formation of the W.S.U. Boxing Club. My reason for forming the W.S.U. Boxing Club was so I could continue to fight in the Ring since much of my time was then spent teaching and training rather than sparring and I was the guy who always loved to get into the Ring. Most people are apprehensive of getting into the Ring since even the best fighters get hit, but Bob taught me how to eat the pain and use it to make me stronger. If you can’t fight thru a nose bleed, focus with tunnel vision and fight even thru painful body shots, then boxing is not for you!

Over the decades since then I have had great success training numerous fighters, leading to the formation of Combatweb.com. I train in a style as a fighter myself, teaching a balance between the physicality and the Cognitive thought of Traditional Boxing. Connecting the mind with the body is the number one key to success as an athlete, and my goal as a trainer is to teach an understanding of how and why things happen as well as the Art behind the brutality of Boxing.