Jason Luo never imagined that after officially becoming his coach, Pedro would have him start with jump rope. What did this have to do with boxing?
Still, he was the coach—he had to know what he was doing. Might as well train.
But even something as simple as jump rope was enough to ignite Pedro's fiery temper.
"I told you to jump rope, not smash the floor apart! Stay light… Oh God, how can you be this clumsy? Let me show you."
In his fifties, Pedro picked up the rope, tapped his toes lightly, and began jumping. His movements were fast, steady, and so light he seemed almost weightless. Jason Luo even wondered if the man was floating—his upper body hardly moved at all.
This looked way too hard. And what was the point of training like this anyway?
But with Pedro's stern eyes on him, Jason Luo didn't dare ask. If an old man could do it, then so could he. He tried landing on his toes, which worked much better, but he was still nowhere near his coach's level.
"Faster! Keep your breathing steady! Good, hold it for fifteen minutes."
"Don't slow down! Stay with it—only three minutes left!"
...
One round of jump rope nearly broke him. After barely a few minutes of rest, Pedro started a new Boxing Technique drill.
This time, the coach brought out three heavy bags and marked several red circles on them.
"You might think hitting a moving bag is easy, but that's only because bags move slower than people. Their rhythm is predictable, easy to read."
Jason Luo felt wronged and muttered under his breath, When did I ever say it was easy? Can't you be reasonable for once?
But Pedro didn't care.
"For a technical boxer, scoring points by striking effective areas is critical to building an advantage. That requires accuracy. Now, I want you to hit the target areas on the middle bag while all three are swinging. Remember, only punches with power count. Start!"
He set the three bags into motion, swinging unpredictably. Jason Luo froze. How was this even possible? The bags collided, their rhythm chaotic, and even getting close was difficult. One careless step and he'd get slammed, and taking a hit from a heavy bag at full swing was no joke.
"Keep your balance! Don't dodge! Punch fast, retract faster! Guard up! Speed!"
"Don't get distracted by the other two bags—lock onto your target! Keep your feet moving!"
Pedro's nonstop commands echoed through the training room, pushing Jason Luo to the edge.
The pace was too fast. He wasn't used to it, and the drills were too advanced. For someone who had grown up fighting without proper training, how could he possibly keep all this in mind?
"Punch properly! Breathe! Keep it steady, or your stamina will give out!"
Jason Luo finally broke.
"Coach, slow down! There are too many details—I can't memorize them all at once!"
"Hmph. Exactly. That's the point. Stop here for now." Pedro seemed almost satisfied with that answer.
Looking at the exhausted Jason Luo, he softened his tone.
"Boxing is brutal. Once you step into the ring, all your focus must be on reading your opponent and seizing openings. You won't have time to think about the small details of your punches. But those details are vital. So what's the solution? Habit. Turn them into habits, into muscle memory, into reflexes. Only then can you become a true boxer."
"Right now, you're still in the beginner stage. Learning proper punching form and hand-eye coordination is just the first step. The next step is to forget the form entirely—see left, strike right. Do you understand?"
Jason Luo could only shake his head.
Pedro sighed.
"Your understanding of boxing is shallow. Starting tomorrow, add twenty minutes of technical lessons every day. Without that, your training has no direction."
"Today we'll stick with punching technique. Correct form teaches you the science of generating power. The drawback is that it makes your punches easier to read and dodge. That's why many professionals in the ring seem to throw punches at random, yet land so effectively. That's the principle."
"If you go pro later, remember this: top fighters are masters at reading. They can predict your timing and attack just by watching your eyes, your facial expressions, the smallest movements. That's why during training, you must avoid bad habits like biting your lips, blinking, or tensing your face when you punch. If you do, you'll pay dearly for it one day."
Jason Luo broke into a cold sweat. He had never imagined that even a glance or twitch could reveal his rhythm. Terrifying.
Pedro glanced at him and continued.
"Now, Footwork. Good footwork doesn't just help you dodge—it lets you create angles and find openings. But keep your movements small to save stamina."
"stamina is everything. When two fighters are evenly matched, the one who manages stamina better usually wins. Control the pace, conserve energy, and when the chance comes, unleash it all in one burst—that's how you score a knockout."
...
Pedro's explanations opened up a whole new world for Jason Luo. For the first time, he realized that what looked like simple offense and defense in the ring was actually shaped by countless hidden factors.
The entire morning passed like this—training while listening to Pedro's guidance. Jason Luo soaked up the knowledge like a sponge, absorbing everything he had missed before. Under proper instruction, boxing became something both unfamiliar and fascinating to him.
As Coach Pedro had said, once Jason Luo had this foundation, he finally understood the purpose behind training and the importance of each detail. Without needing to be pushed, he began to hold himself to higher standards. Even if progress was slow, he was determined to build good habits.
Pedro noticed the change and nodded slightly. The kid had clearly taken his words seriously.
"Keep training like this. I'll give you two days. If you can hold out, we'll officially begin. If not, tell Raul to find you another coach."
...
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