Learn to box in Miami this week, inside our MMA program — and soon in a boxing class of its own
Stance, footwork, the jab, cross, hook and uppercut, head movement and counters, on the pads, the bag and against a partner: boxing is the foundation of the striking curriculum in our mixed martial arts program at 1423 SW 107th Ave, Miami, FL 33174, and you can start that this week. We do not yet run a dedicated boxing class — we are opening one soon, for adults, led by Edgard Plazaola, who is 6-0 in bare-knuckle boxing in BKFC with five knockouts. The fastest way to be first in it is to already be training here.
Start my 30-Day Free TrialOr call 305-225-4610
The free lesson and the 30 days are for South Florida residents, at our Miami location. The same form also tells us you are waiting for boxing, if you would rather wait than start now.
So can I box here today, or do I have to wait?
You can box here today. You cannot yet book a class with the word boxing on the door, because that one has not started.
Those two sentences look like they are in tension and they are not, so it is worth being precise. In our adult striking sessions you learn the orthodox and southpaw stance, how to move your feet, the jab, the cross, the hook and the uppercut, how to slip and roll and block, and how to counter. You hit pads. You hit the heavy bag. You work against a partner who is trying not to be hit by you, which is the part that turns a technique into a skill.
What that session is not is boxing-only. It also teaches kicks, knees and the clinch, because that is what the curriculum is. In its own words, from the class list: “Kickboxing is the core of our striking curriculum at FFA, and we use elements of Muay Thai, Dutch Kickboxing, Boxing, Tae Kwon Do and Karate.”
So if you came here wanting to learn to punch, you do not have to wait for anything. If you came here wanting boxing and nothing else, you do — but not for long, and not without us telling you when.
Who will be teaching it?
Edgard Plazaola
FFA Black Belt, 6-0 in bare-knuckle boxing in BKFC — five by knockout — and 4-0 as a professional in MMA. He already teaches across the kids, adult and bootcamp programs, the only coach here who teaches all three. Read about his bare-knuckle debut.
Chevenne Moreno
FFA Black Belt, 1-0 in Muay Thai and 2-0 in amateur MMA, teaching striking on the adult roster today. Striking is where his own competitive record was made.
Bare-knuckle is the least forgiving version of the sport there is — there is no glove to hide behind and no padding to absorb a bad decision. Six fights, six wins, five of them stopped inside the distance. That is not a man who has been carried by judges’ scorecards, and it is a credible person to learn to punch from. Beyond any record, every coach here has passed our own 12-week Instructor Program, a pass-or-fail course in the science of teaching rather than in technique. It is the reason a nervous beginner gets a lesson rather than a demonstration. See the full roster and what each coach teaches.
What is different about learning to punch at an MMA gym?
One thing, and it will still be true when the dedicated class is running: you learn to punch around people who are allowed to do more than punch back.
A boxer trains against an opponent whose only legal weapon is a punch. That single rule shapes everything — you can stand square and low, slip deep, hold a high tight guard and walk forward, and none of it costs you, because nothing else is coming. Change the rules so the other person may kick your lead leg, catch you in a clinch or shoot on your hips, and several of those habits become liabilities.
If you are here for self-protection rather than for a sport, that is the difference that matters. Nobody who confronts you in a car park has agreed to the Queensberry rules. It is the same reason we route self-defense students into the MMA program rather than selling them a short course. If you are here for fitness, the honest answer is that it makes very little difference — an hour on the pads is a superb workout either way.
Where would I start in the meantime?
In the Adult MMA Intro Program — the beginner track, and where every adult with no background begins. Striking is taught in it from the first week; you are not made to earn your way to the pads.
You send the form, or call or text 305-225-4610
All three reach the same people. The form asks for a first name, an email and a phone number, and nothing else. Tell us boxing is what you are waiting for and we will make a note of it.
We call you back within 24 hours
A member of staff calls to find a time that suits you, and this is the point to ask anything you are still unsure about — including whether it is worth starting now or waiting.
You come in for a free private lesson and a tour
A one-to-one lesson with an instructor and a look around the gym. It comes with 30 days of group classes, a uniform and online video access, at no charge.
The free lesson is for South Florida residents and is available at our Miami location only. It stays open for one month from the date we send it to you.
Students who progress can be invited into the Combat Athlete Program, the advanced adult track, entered by invitation rather than by signing up. The other two adult disciplines have pages of their own: Muay Thai kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Where are we, and when can you come in?
Freestyle Fighting Academy is at 1423 SW 107th Ave, Miami, FL 33174, Across the street from FIU, in the Publix Shopping Center, and we have been here since October 2001. Most people who train here come from Westchester, Tamiami, University Park, Fontainebleau and Kendall (where students travel from).
The facility is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and staffed, with over 70 classes a week running from 6AM until 1:45AM. That is when the building is open; the class timetable is a separate thing and we do not publish it online. Ask us when you visit and we will go through the timetable with you.
There is free parking at the address — a strip mall lot with plenty of spaces.
Call 305-225-4610Or text usinfo@ffagyms.com
Directions and parking · Who runs the gym · What members say · Contact us
Frequently asked questions
- Does Freestyle Fighting Academy have a boxing class?
- Not yet as a standalone class, and one is coming. Today, boxing is taught as the foundation of the striking curriculum inside our mixed martial arts program at 1423 SW 107th Ave, Miami — punching, footwork, head movement and defence are trained in every striking session, and adults with no experience start in the Adult MMA Intro Program. Separately, we have decided to add a dedicated adult boxing class led by Edgard Plazaola, who is 6-0 in bare-knuckle boxing in BKFC with five knockouts. It does not have a start date yet.
- Can I learn to box at Freestyle Fighting Academy right now?
- Yes. You will learn stance, footwork, the jab, cross, hook and uppercut, head movement, blocking and counters, and practise them on pads, on the bag and against a partner who is trying not to be hit. That happens today, inside the striking curriculum, which also uses elements of Muay Thai, Dutch Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do and Karate. You do not have to wait for the dedicated class to start training.
- When does the dedicated boxing class start?
- There is no start date yet. The decision to run it has been made and Edgard Plazaola will lead it, but it is not on the timetable and nobody can book it. If you leave your details we will call you when it is scheduled, and in the meantime you are welcome to start in the Adult MMA Intro Program, where the boxing is already taught.
- Who is Edgard Plazaola?
- An FFA Black Belt who is 6-0 in bare-knuckle boxing in BKFC, five of those wins by knockout, and 4-0 as a professional in MMA. He already teaches across the kids, adult and bootcamp programs at Freestyle Fighting Academy — the only coach who teaches all three — so he is not a new hire, and he has completed the gym's own 12-week Instructor Program like every coach here.
- I have never trained before. Where do I start?
- In the Adult MMA Intro Program, the beginner track, with a free private lesson first. Send the form, or call or text 305-225-4610, and we will call you back within 24 hours to arrange it. The free trial includes 30 days of group classes, a uniform and online video access, for South Florida residents at the Miami location.
Start your 30-Day Free Trial
Leave your details and we will call you within 24 hours — to book your free private lesson so you can start training now, to answer anything you want to ask, or simply to note that boxing is what you are waiting for and call you when it is scheduled. Whichever of those you want, say so on the call.
Here is everything you get, at no charge:
- Train mixed martial arts for 30 days
- Get a FREE uniform
- Get a FREE private lesson
- Get instant access to FREE MMA and self-defense instructional videos
In your private lesson you learn the basics: the jab, the cross, the hook, the roundhouse kick, the closed guard, the rear naked choke and the armbar.
And if you join, you have our 60-day money-back guarantee: attend all of your classes in the first 60 days, and if you are unsatisfied, get your money back.
Call or text 305-225-4610. The gym is staffed 24 hours a day, so someone picks up. Prefer not to talk on the phone? Text us and we reply within 24 hours.
For South Florida residents, at our Miami location. The offer stays open for one month from the date we send it. Bring a spouse or your children along if you would like them to take part.