Hey everyone. My second thread & I need help. Today I had my 4th lesson in Muay Thai. I have been taking it ever since Friday of last week. Anyways, my first couple of lessons when we sparred(yes, I sparred even on the first day. Kinda crazy, but that's the way my trainer does things) I absolutely had control over pretty much everyone I came up against(which was about 6-7 diff. ppl), except one guy who had been doing it quite a while who owned me w/ kicks. Anyways, to say the least, I have been self-training myself in boxing for about a year previous. Boy, I didn't even know what I was missing out on, it is so much diff. in a training gym. Anyways, the one thing I somehow managed to take out of the training is some hands of stone. Either that or I just got lucky w/ genetics, I don't know. Anyways, I know how to throw a punch. I weight 136(all muscle but whatever) @ 5'6" & am certainly the smallest in my class by far. Somehow, I can hit the hardest in the class & my kicks are coming along quite well too imo. Anyways, today things were diff. I sparred one of the tallest guys in the class. He was 6'3", 205 lbs, muscular & in shape. Wow, this sucked, I got owned bad & by punches, never had that happen b4. Yeah, I know it is a serious miss-match, but whatever. We started off like I would w/ anyone. I felt him out a lil' bit then started the exchanges... or atleast tried. First thing I delivered a swift kick to his leg, & then went in to try & thow a combo on him. B4 I could get close enough, whap. Followed by a couple more hits. Then I got out & backed awayout of his range. I then started thinking of an advanced strategy. I knew that shorted guys have to get inside normally to deal w/ taller guys, so that was the plan. Didn't work. I went in, got in close, delivered a couple of body shots then I got hit hard. Not sure if it was a hook or what, I couldn't see it. A barrage came on by this guy, hit after hit. all to the head. I just tried anything to hit the guy. But everytime I would try to throw a punch bam, bam, whap, bam. I ended up brawling the guy & just throwing everything at him, trying to connect anything. I uppercutted him & rocked him had, but then my trainer stopped us, saying we were brawling & not to(to sum things up)... no shit. Anyways. That was it. The problem, I have decided, is that when I start feeling helpless & am getting knocked around, I just lash out intensely, throwing anything like a slugger, because I don't know what the hell to do. So, what the hell do I do?! The only good thing that has come from this, is that everyone who watched us spar, now things I have a crazy iron chin, since I didn't even get rocked once from all the bombs. I don't know, but hey I would like to believe it. Anyways, what do I do to correct this problem? I asked my trainer & he said that it would come w/ time & more sparring... no shit. He also said shadowboxing, but I have been doing that forever, & it didn't help in this situation. The guy I sparred is not as fast as me, can't strike as hard as me, have as much endurance as I have, & isn't as good as me, but he still was beating me till that one lucky shot. It's frustrating. Someone help me. Appreciate it. Oh & sorry for the lengthy post.