Sparring and Safety

[NHB7]

im sure this topic comes up a lot, but with the growing awareness of CTE, it seems worthy of reviewing.

I train and spar just for fun and fitness. I think I spar a safe amount, but I can’t get a clear cut answer.

I spar 6 times a month max (1-2x per week). And usually it’s between 2-5 rds. Of those 6, 4 are at 50% power or less and 2 are about 70% power.

I feel like that’s not much sparring. But I am 36 now, so I worry about my brain.

Thoughts?

 

[wilddeuces]

No one knows if they've struck the genetic lottery of a LaMotta who seemed coherent later into his 90s (as coherent as a 90 year old can be), or others that were no so fortunate like Muhammad Ali. I think what you are doing is reasonable, but I would advocate maybe 20% power for sparring 5 out of those 6 times, and maybe 50% just once. Especially if you aren't going to get a fight and it's just for fun. The light sparring is good for technique and speed and familiarity of reacting to an opponent's rhythm and such. Sparring 50% or more just has no value, in my opinion, if you aren't going to get an exhibition or compete. You could spar more and lighter and probably be just fine too.

FWIW

 

[shincheckin]

im sure this topic comes up a lot, but with the growing awareness of CTE, it seems worthy of reviewing.

I train and spar just for fun and fitness. I think I spar a safe amount, but I can’t get a clear cut answer.

I spar 6 times a month max (1-2x per week). And usually it’s between 2-5 rds. Of those 6, 4 are at 50% power or less and 2 are about 70% power.

I feel like that’s not much sparring. But I am 36 now, so I worry about my brain.

Thoughts?

You can fight with that routine

 

[Azam]

Personally I don’t think you need to spar at that intensity that frequently.

If you aren’t looking to compete it makes no sense to spar at that frequency or intensity.

Like @wilddeuces said best to lower the intensity - personally I’d be sparring light most of the time and 50% once. Maybe have a hard spar everyone now and then - like once a month or more - if you want that.

No need to reduce longevity and risk cte if you are only looking to train recreationally.


Also with LaMotta sure he hit the genetic lottery but from what I’ve read it caught up to him towards the end of his life. He had a lot of health problems and was very incoherent - I think he might have had Alzheimer’s or some other related brain health issues. Sure you can chalk it down to age or genetics but maybe he didn’t go as unscathed as we’d like to believe.

 

[j123]

Everyone handles brain trauma differently, some guys get concussed and can still train and compete, others when they hit the bag, they vomit. It depends.

Personally 70% is pretty high, now I'm talking about power delivered, not speed and cardio intensity. The latter 2 should always be high. 70% is approaching exhibition level power. Hard sparring of that and above should only be done maybe 1-3x during a camp. Stick with 30-50% power.

That volume of sparring you're doing is plenty. If you're very green and are scared of getting hit, then yeah you'll want more frequency to get used to it and get out of the comfort zone. Typically I spar once a week, some times work gets in the way and I miss the sparring sessions and end up twice a month. I don't regress, actually those days end up being better.

Sparring for me, is a testing ground to work and implement techniques, and gameplan I've been drilling in and out all week in a live environment. Its not fighting. Typically my drilling is very like sparring as well, so really I'm not missing out too much. Drills end up something like: partner is on the offense with no restrictions, I'm working defense. I'm allowed to retaliate and interrupt their combinations with a 1,2, or kick, 3,2. Nothing else

 

[ctrlaltdelete]

My gym spars pretty hard. 50% to 80% about twice a week. Part of it is probably that someone is always in camp, and needs hard rounds.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

I’m an active amateur and I don’t even spar that hard or frequently when I don’t have fights.

The good thing you are doing is only going 2-5 rounds at a time though. It’s unnecessary to go over 7 rounds imo. (Which many places do)

 

[spacetime]

Personally I don’t think you need to spar at that intensity that frequently.

If you aren’t looking to compete it makes no sense to spar at that frequency or intensity.

Like @wilddeuces said best to lower the intensity - personally I’d be sparring light most of the time and 50% once. Maybe have a hard spar everyone now and then - like once a month or more - if you want that.

No need to reduce longevity and risk cte if you are only looking to train recreationally.


Also with LaMotta sure he hit the genetic lottery but from what I’ve read it caught up to him towards the end of his life. He had a lot of health problems and was very incoherent - I think he might have had Alzheimer’s or some other related brain health issues. Sure you can chalk it down to age or genetics but maybe he didn’t go as unscathed as we’d like to believe.

Agreed. As long as you get the feeling of hard contact it's not really neccesary to spar that level of intensity.

 

[j123]

I’m an active amateur and I don’t even spar that hard or frequently when I don’t have fights.

The good thing you are doing is only going 2-5 rounds at a time though. It’s unnecessary to go over 7 rounds imo. (Which many places do)

Yeah its an old school idea. Go more so you can do easy with X. Great on paper, but not so much irl

Same thing when they have you do rounds longer than the duration you'll be fighting. Come fight night it messes you up. I've been there.