text: When it got cold, they'd usually quit work about mid-afternoon, and true to his word, Grit set up a training area in the barn, where he had stuffed a double gunny sack with barley. "There are a few punches you need to learn to be a good boxer. Number one is the jab. It's a sudden flick out with the fist to keep an opponent away from you. If you're left-handed, which you are, it's natural to throw a right jab. With me, it's a left jab. You being left-handed is an advantage because most people face right handers, so they'll be confused by a left-hander, and you can take advantage of it.
  
  "Go ahead and put on those cowhide gloves and practice your jab on the burlap bag."
  
  Grit watched Paulie awhile and then said, "You see, you can flick it out, not trying to cause much damage, or you can put yourself into it." Grit demonstrated on the bag.
  
  "If you put a lot into the punch, it becomes a right cross or left cross," Grit said. "That's a knockout punch.
  
  "Other punches are left and right hooks. If you see a man with his fists up to guard his face, you hook around his hands to get to his head or around his arms to get into his body. Go ahead and practice, and I'll watch. Sometimes with a hook, you'll leap to get the best leverage."
  
  After a time, Grit said, "The only other punch is an uppercut, which means you come from down low and up into the body or the head. Go ahead and practice that."
  
  When Paulie had practiced all the punches, Grit said, "Okay, try to hit me with any of those punches you want."
  
  "Really?"
  
  "Yes, really!"
  
  In the next few minutes, Paulie tried again and again, but Grit blocked every punch thrown.
  
  "In addition to blocking punches, you can dodge them or take them on your shoulders where it doesn't hurt too much."
  
  After a time, Grit asked, "You wanna try to block my punches?"
  
  "Okay, but don't hit me too hard," Paulie said.
  
  Grit laughed. In the next half hour, Grit showed Paulie how to get through any defense, how to take advantage of fake punches and how to clinch when he was in trouble.
  
  "Now don't get discouraged," Grit said. "We're just gettin' started. Next time we go to town, we'll see if we can get some gloves, and that'll soften the impact a little when we spar, but don't you worry, I won't hurt you much."
  
  "It'll be worth it to learn how to take care of myself," Paulie said. "I've always been timid because I never knew how to fight. Once I've mastered this, I won't have to be afraid."