Founder
Joseph Haynes
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Pugilist trained at Kansas City, MO professional gym 'Authentic Boxing Club' under the late great Coach Larry Edgar
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Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) Black Belt
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​Greco style wrestling with freestyle aspects implemented after training with Bulgaria Olympian Borislav Novachkov
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Jiu-Jitsu student under Marine Iraq War Veteran Black Belt Mike Cragholm
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Muay Thai Pad Holder Certified via Kru Jacky in Thailand at Yak Yai Muay Thai
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Destroyed the Terminator & defeated Skynet
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Exited the matrix
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Current Avatar on a mission to restore balance to the world.
Joe receiving his Pad Holder Cert. from Kru Jacky at Yak Yai Muay Thai in Chalong, Phuket, Thailand.
The Journey
Chuck Liddell
2004
The Iceman stuffed takedowns and delivered electrifying knockouts. I have always been enamored by the warrior lifestyle - Chuck pulled my interest into the world of cage fighting and it has never wavered.
Adolescence & High School
2005 - 2013
Working the heavy bag at home and finding a scrap anywhere it was became habit - granted the training resources were scarce so most often it came with getting into trouble.
Marine Corps
2013
My dedication to the warrior existence inevitably led to my enlistment in the United States Marine Corps. Running comms on the gunline for 2/10 and operating in the Fire Support Team for Weapons Co. 1/6;
In between field exercises and other duties time was always made for various comabatives - striking and grappling alike.
Training Post Service
2017
After separating from the corps I knew the one staple of my life would be martial arts training. Initially I moved to Fort Wayne, IN - where I would frequent jiu jitsu classes at the Lee Bros gym after getting my rounds at the Deers Boxing Club.
Authentic
2018 - 2019
The next stage of my training is where true evolution takes place:
Authentic Boxing Club.
Down in the basement of an old building in the West Bottoms of Kansas City, Missouri was an old school, take no prisoners style of professional boxing training. There were no hobbyists as Coach only worked with pros, amateurs could secure a place on the team only by keeping pace.
The philosophy was to break opponents with pressure and conditioning, and that we did. Every night Monday to Friday it was 3 hours of grit, will and determination.
When I walked through the door at Authentic for the first time I was at a crossroads of my life; and in a way this gym, the environment, team, and coaching set me on the right path. I'll always be eternally grateful.
Rest in Peace Coach.
Business
2020
Regardless of my personal ambitions, bills still had to be paid. So I took a leap towards opportunity and started a moving company back around the area I grew up, Lake of the Ozarks. Things worked out well, and are still operating to this day. But something was missing..
Enter the Odyssey
2022
Even though professionally I was flourishing, my heart ached for great training opportunities. Lifting weights wasn't enough, I missed the grind. I also wasn't satisfied with what I believed to be a lack of training where I grew up. So I hatched a plan - I'll bring high level martial arts to my home! And the Odyssey was born.
Borislav Novachkov
2022
We were brand new, and needed someone on a higher plane to help us elevate; that someone was Boris.
Sometimes coined a bit unorthodox, Boris' wrestling style brought him National victory in both High School and the NCAA, not to mention finishing 8th representing Bulgaria in the Olympics.
Outside of technique, his greatest ability was pace and conditioning. Can wrestle all day every day, this work helped my grappling tons.
Intro to Muay Thai
2022
My boxing was prepped for any bout, yet it had come time to expand my striking arsenal. With ambitions of eventually training in Thailand, I wanted to build a foundation of knowledge in order to not spend much time learning the ropes but getting solid reps once I do travel. So I enlisted the help of "Ruthless" Rudy Morales, Guatemala's own first professional cage fighter. We sponsored him for his main event against Garret Wells at the Regalia and after he came out to hold pads for me and help the team improve.
Cage Fight
2023
In late July of 2023 I was contacted for a bout way on the edge of Northeastern Wisconsin at the Red Cliff Indian Reservation for their amateur Middleweight Championship. I took the bout on 6 days notice, came in under weight and ready to rock. I arrived ready for a scrap but Jeffery's wrestling proved superior as he won via rear naked choke in the 2nd round. The experience made me aware of the work I needed to do on the mats.
Michael Cragholm
2024
Mike is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a retired officer USMC, Iraq war veteran.
He and I connected on an extended trip to Florida as he is the founder of Space Coast Mobile Jiu Jitsu, and beautiful and innovative business model that brings the training to you.
Founder of GrapplApp - Download and find the Open Mat near you.
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We stay in touch about business and martial arts, currently a white belt under Mike.
Thailand
2024
In the fall of 2024 I took a 6 week trip to the island of Phuket where I trained at Yak Yai Muay Thai with Kru Noy, Kru Jacky and many other elite masters that together accumulated over 1,000 fights.
The training was tough but I thoroughly enjoyed it, they helped me level up my technique and understanding of how to apply the art.
Pad Holder Certified
2024
During my trip I enrolled in a Pad Holder course at Yak Yai which was fruitful, challenging, and put a nice bow on the experience. Interestingly enough understanding how pads are held traditionally will ultimately expand your game in ways beyond conception.