pussy/smart vs tough/stupid

[Robocok]

I did a sparring class last night. I haven't done many and it had been a long time since I'd done one. The instructor who I sparred with told me we'd go light and that it would be friendly, then he hit me with some shots kind of hard imo. So I hit with some shots kind of hard too. Not all out power, but hard.

I'm not as good though so I got rocked a few times and now my jaw feels weird and is sore. I want to go back and try again, but I don't know if I should go harder to match what it felt like he did or slow things done.

Guys talk about light sparring to get used to seeing where punches come from, but it's a lot different than when someone goes harder. Also, I am concerned I have a concussion, but I think maybe I'm just being a little dramatic. I got a little dazed after a couple shots but I feel fine now, though my jaw still feels kind of weird.

I don't want to be a pussy and miss out on a chance to get better, but I worry about those boxers that get sort of dumb after awhile after they've been punched a lot. I don't want that to happen to me. How hard do you need to get hit for that to happen? I wasn't knocked out or anything.

What's the right balance between caring for your health, and being smart about not taking too many good hits to the dome? Sorry if this is poorly written. I'm on phone.

 

[mooner100]

It's the nature of the sport. Maybe you can just stare at the guy and say 'i thought we were going light' unless hes retarded, he should get the message.

 

[Soul Rebel 2]

Was he really roughing you up or did you just get hit with some big shots.

 

[Robocok]

I don't really know. I just suck at sparring I think. We took turns doing 2 guys at a time in the ring and the first 2 went hard and I think that set the tone. There were good looking women there too so that also played a factor.

He kept holding left arm out toward my head and teeing off. Everyone else went hard so I would have felt like a pussy if I asked to go easy.

Another guy, one of the first 2 in the match, went with the instructor after me and the instructor knocked his head gear off with an uppercut. I mean that thing went flying into the air. He kept sparring and got another uppercut and his nose was bleeding at the end but he never acted like it was a big deal.

I was impressed with the toughness and didn't want to act like a wimp, but I was wondering how hard is too hard in the back of my mind. There were some hot chicks there for another class so that may have factored in as well.

I liked it and want to go back. I just don't want to compromise my health. Maybe I'll record the class next time and post it here.

 

[bobthebuilder]

and the instructor knocked his head gear off with an uppercut. I mean that thing went flying into the air.

lol doesn't sound like light sparring to me.

You could tell them you are not ready for hard sparring, let them think what they want, then go back to it when you want to.

 

[Robocok]

lol doesn't sound like light sparring to me.

You could tell them you are not ready for hard sparring, let them think what they want, then go back to it when you want to.

That's probably smart, but I would feel like such a pussy. Please don't hurt me lol.

I think I'll come back, but try to use better blocking and evasion

 

[j123]

TS is a pussy

There were good looking women there too so that also played a factor.

post pics so we can give proper advice

Spoiler

At first I figured you were new to it so as usual, folks on the receiving end think everything is too hard due to shock. But after seeing about your teammate's headgear fly off, I think your instructor is a tool. The problem with gyms that prescribe to old school mentality that sparring should = fights, is that in the end you don't improve. Sparring is a testing ground where you practice and try to work what you've been drilling all week in a live environment. The issue with gym wars is that you won't improve because you can't practice and work on things properly when toolbag Joe is trying to murder you. Hard sparring has its place, maybe once or twice during an entire camp.

You can opt for open training sessions with some close teammates of yours and do frequent light sparring. Drilling as well. To be honest your drilling would end up being similar to sparring. eg. your partner goes on offense, and the drill for you is to parry,block,move, and you can only counter with a teep.
gym war guys never flow spar and thats also one of the reasons why they're all brawlers with shit technique

I'm sort of an intermediate fighter. I've had 4 fights and 3 exhibition matches, and never once had my headgear flown off like you mentioned. Even in cases where it was loose it didn't, it shifted up, yes, but never flown off like what you described.

How long have you been with this gym? I would suggest moving elsewhere. imo this style of sparring is archaic and the cons greatly outweigh the pros. You will lose brain doing hard sparring 3x a week where the folks there are clearly trying to have a half assed exhibition bout each session.

We have a gym here that does that old school nonsense, and everytime you hear something that comes out of it, its truly a WTF moment. One was, a few years back a teammate of mine was going to have his 1st exhibition bout. His opponent, 1 week before the event sparred with his coach, and the guy headkick KOed him. When he came about, he was vomiting. Lucky for my friend, he had a replacement so the event for him wasn't scrapped.

 

[Robocok]

I've been there since February. It's a ufc gym and I like it overall. I just paid $799 for over 2 years for a holiday special they had so I'm not going anywhere. I worked with another coach at a sparring a few months back and everyone went light there. The coach was really good too.

I'll try to remember to video next time.

TS is a pussy



post pics so we can give proper advice

Spoiler

At first I figured you were new to it so as usual, folks on the receiving end think everything is too hard due to shock. But after seeing about your teammate's headgear fly off, I think your instructor is a tool. The problem with gyms that prescribe to old school mentality that sparring should = fights, is that in the end you don't improve. Sparring is a testing ground where you practice and try to work what you've been drilling all week in a live environment. The issue with gym wars is that you won't improve because you can't practice and work on things properly when toolbag Joe is trying to murder you. Hard sparring has its place, maybe once or twice during an entire camp.

You can opt for open training sessions with some close teammates of yours and do frequent light sparring. Drilling as well. To be honest your drilling would end up being similar to sparring. eg. your partner goes on offense, and the drill for you is to parry,block,move, and you can only counter with a teep.
gym war guys never flow spar and thats also one of the reasons why they're all brawlers with shit technique

I'm sort of an intermediate fighter. I've had 4 fights and 3 exhibition matches, and never once had my headgear flown off like you mentioned. Even in cases where it was loose it didn't, it shifted up, yes, but never flown off like what you described.

How long have you been with this gym? I would suggest moving elsewhere. imo this style of sparring is archaic and the cons greatly outweigh the pros. You will lose brain doing hard sparring 3x a week where the folks there are clearly trying to have a half assed exhibition bout each session.

We have a gym here that does that old school nonsense, and everytime you hear something that comes out of it, its truly a WTF moment. One was, a few years back a teammate of mine was going to have his 1st exhibition bout. His opponent, 1 week before the event sparred with his coach, and the guy headkick KOed him. When he came about, he was vomiting. Lucky for my friend, he had a replacement so the event for him wasn't scrapped.

 

[mooner100]

I don't really know. I just suck at sparring I think. We took turns doing 2 guys at a time in the ring and the first 2 went hard and I think that set the tone. There were good looking women there too so that also played a factor.

He kept holding left arm out toward my head and teeing off. Everyone else went hard so I would have felt like a pussy if I asked to go easy.

Another guy, one of the first 2 in the match, went with the instructor after me and the instructor knocked his head gear off with an uppercut. I mean that thing went flying into the air. He kept sparring and got another uppercut and his nose was bleeding at the end but he never acted like it was a big deal.

I was impressed with the toughness and didn't want to act like a wimp, but I was wondering how hard is too hard in the back of my mind. There were some hot chicks there for another class so that may have factored in as well.

I liked it and want to go back. I just don't want to compromise my health. Maybe I'll record the class next time and post it here.

You are at a weekend warrior mma bro gym.

 

[eero]

If the guy you are sparring is better then you, keep the sparring light even if you feel he goes "hard" (usually he doesnt go hard but if you are just starting your defence is so bad that even light sparring feels hard) . usually the other guy picks up that you are going light and he will tone down too.

But when its beginner against intermediate, if the beginner starts throwing hard because he thinks that the other guy is going hard, the intermediate starts going hard aswell because the intermediate isnt skilled enough to go easy if the other guy is throwing hard even if he is a beginner.

If you get to spar with international level amateur or high level pro, they can still keep it very easy even if you are going 100%

 

[Robocok]

You are at a weekend warrior mma bro gym.

I appreciate it, but I think there are some good coaches. There are quite a few between the 2 locations, and a lot of them seem like they're pretty decent

 

[eero]

Also never worry about whether some other guy thinks that you are pussy or wimp, its a solo sport and you are there for learning and if the other guy is going too hard for you, you dont learn anything except bad habits while defending.

 

[mooner100]

I appreciate it, but I think there are some good coaches. There are quite a few between the 2 locations, and a lot of them seem like they're pretty decent

Instructor shouldn't knock the head gear off a kid twice with an uppercut.

I'd put in some hard sparring work there and leave at a certain point to a more technical gym.

 

[n.diazismylife1999]

Getting punched hard in the head a lot of times is unhealthy as fuck. Like eero says, you learn nothing when someone's going too hard, you just absorb a ton of unnecessary head punches that you really could've done without.

Don't risk your brain's health to "not look like a pussy", hard as it may be. Either ask them to go easy or find a gym where they don't bully newbies.

 

[Ilk]

There are just some dumb people at the gyms. Look carefully for your spar partners. If there are none that can light spar just avoid the hard spar as much as possible until whenever you get comfortable. Talk to the people after the training is over and discuss the spars. Talk to them if you felt it was too hard. Explain them you work at an office and would not want browses in your face so you wonder if you will have to spar and etc.

I had brought that to my mates in the gym before a light spar session this Saturday and all of them but one kept me safe. Just one asshole head kicked me, but then got schooled from an experienced guy for trying to act tough and hard spar, when the coach has said multiple times we are doing a light spar.

 

[fluffball]

Re: The girls, you could just be blunt and make the guy look like an ass. "You're much better than me because you're an instructor and I just started training, so can you not beat the shit out of me, and instead help train me?" loud enough so the girls can hear. He'll either knock you unconscious or actually try to help you. He sounds like a giant tool though.

 

[Robocok]

Re: The girls, you could just be blunt and make the guy look like an ass. "You're much better than me because you're an instructor and I just started training, so can you not beat the shit out of me, and instead help train me?" loud enough so the girls can hear. He'll either knock you unconscious or actually try to help you. He sounds like a giant tool though.

Dude, I feel would feel so beta if I said that. I don't want to submit to that guy, especially loud enough for the girls to hear. I appreciate the advice though.

I'm going to ask him what he thinks I should work on to improve my defense. That way I won't be wimping out and I can get tips to improve defense.

 

[fluffball]

It's a lot wimpier to let him continue beating you up so you can make him look "cool" in front of girls. Being "alpha" means sticking up for yourself when it might make you uncomfortable.

 

[Robocok]

It's a lot wimpier to let him continue beating you up so you can make him look "cool" in front of girls. Being "alpha" means sticking up for yourself when it might make you uncomfortable.

I want to stick up for myself by doing better. I don't want to ask anyone to take it easy on me. It would be bother me psychologically to do that. It would be like they have something over me. I just have to get better I think.

 

[bobthebuilder]

Re: The girls, you could just be blunt and make the guy look like an ass. "You're much better than me because you're an instructor and I just started training, so can you not beat the shit out of me, and instead help train me?" loud enough so the girls can hear. He'll either knock you unconscious or actually try to help you. He sounds like a giant tool though.

he does sound like a giant tool.