I posted a thread a couple of weeks ago about my brother fighting in the GG at the maximum age of 34... Some asked for a follow-up. Here it is. http://blogs.heraldtimesonline.com/cagewriter/ Thanks for reading!
I don't want to be a pessimist, but having fought for a while and being around amateur boxing for about 6 years.... your brother's scenario reminds me of a couple guys who ended up getting knocked out a few times and quitting. But perhaps he can make it through a whole fight without quitting and that will be his accomplishment in boxing. Right now it sounds to me like he hasn't achieved making it through a hard practice with hard sparring. It's not really something that most people like to do when they start boxing, but it conditions you to not freak out and fold come fight time when somebody punches you. What exactly is his goal with this endeavor?
His endeavors are a little more clear in the blog I wrote before his fight. Mostly, he just wants to be a boxer. Period. He started late, etc. He had a really tough fight before the Golden Gloves in which he stuck it out for all three rounds (took a beating, basically and sort of gave one back). I agree with you about hard sparring and hard training. Nothing like getting tested weekly (or twice weekly) before you step into a strange ring. Thanks for your interest.
Yep. As you must already know, B-Town loves the race. Last year was my first attendance; I stood in the mid-field and took pictures and notes. Next day I wrote the story completely wrong
Serious about what exactly? As far as his hard sparring goes, I don't actually know if he does it nine times a week. He trains in another part of the state and obviously, is a boxer, so I'm not there. But nonetheless, I am assuming you are saying it's too little?
Not being an ass here; just curious. How often should a fighter spar (hard, headgear, full rounds, etc.)? I train Muay Thai, grappling and boxing about 4xs a week, but I only spar hard one day a week (every Saturday, about 8 rounds total) Pure boxing might be different, I don't know. Thoughts? No smart ass comments please, I assume this arena of Sherdog is intelligent.
LOL. Like I said I just moved here (and I'm 32) so I can't vouch for the girls that love to put male members in their mouths and such (okay, maybe a little), but...I do live a block up from Kirkwood, and yes, the bars are great. While I'm in training, unfortunately, all I can do is run by them every day. Just got my newspaper assignment for this Sunday (I'm a journalist here at the Herald-Times) and I'll be writing the special 'drunk court' story following the Little 5. I guess our County actually holds a special court on that Sunday every year to file all the students out of jail... Hope your new location is treating you well!
I sparred almost every day I was at practice for pretty much over 5 years and EASILY see the benefit of daily sparring. Mind you these were not 10 round wars every day...it's up to the coach to guide you to improve, and sometimes it may be more beneficial to restrict you in sparring....such as have you only throw jabs for some rounds if he thinks there's something you need to work on in that department. But within those limitations, you should fucking go to the max of your lung capabilities....if it's jabs then i guess you've got more energy from not throwing the right and combos so you better double, triple, quadruple them up and throw hard... or you may have a facial injury that needs to heal immediately before a fight so the coach may have you go all body shots for like 4 rounds--go hard as you would in a fight for each round.... also it makes more sense to spar hard for 4 rounds than conserve your energy to get through 8....you've got to get used to amateur boxing's pace. You don't have 4,6, 8, or 10 three minute rounds to set up strategy and work so you better work your technique to a pinpoint and do it while sparring hard, otherwise you'll just be a dear in headlights come fight time.
I pretty much agree. Again, I have little experience in a boxing gym, so I can only assume his coach knows what's up. As I think about it, there's hardly a day that goes by, but what I don't do some type of sparring (usually grappling), but Saturday's are kind of like game day. Thanks for the advice.
I disagree with both of you about sparring. I have been an amatuer boxer on and off for about 3 almost 4 years now, and it is completely unnecessary to engage in gym wars daily. Sparring is for technique, you shouldnt try to kill the other guy. All speed. And sure its okay to let the intensity of the sparring rise in spurts, but you should always be holding back. Now if somebody is popping you hard, then fine pop them hard back, but thats not the point.
It's about getting used to the idea that someone is throwing hard at you and getting used to that idea long before you're even in a fight, otherwise your technique goes out the window. Nobody's going to get ko'd in sparring when guys of equal size and ability are going at it, and if there is a a huge difference in experience/ability then one guy's going to carry the other anyway and work on his jab, distance, or a specific part of his game that he's set on improving on WHILE carrying the lesser guy....you can't do that if you just go and try to drop the newbie every time because you will and you'll learn nothing from it. Then of course there's the safety harness of a coach for noobs in case they're taking too much. But point being, hitting the bag, jumping rope, running are all things that get you in shape. Sparring is the act that puts theory into practice and what actually allows you to improve your technique, demeanor, and all around game for the real show, and the more you do it the better, within reason.
