Boxers only- how long before you started sparring?

Day 1 at my first gym there was light sparring. Full sparring arrived about a year later in my second gym, after I had improved my technique and learned important lessons without being hurt badly.
 
Sinister said:
No one should be sparring until they've demonstrated (either through drills or controlled sparring...meaning select punches at a time) that they can competently defend themselves. Any less time than that is too soon and all most will learn is how to accept getting beaten up better.
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preach
 
Kamehameha said:
it all depends. It's a mistake though to start right away, b/c u won't learn anything except on how to get beat up. We have goofs who come to my dad's boxing class at our local Golds Gym, do a few, then think they're ready to go to the boxing club and spar, only to get ripped apart. Some people are naturals and can start sparring early (as in a month or so) but most people need more than that to get ready. So, so many people think they look good on the bags or mitts, then start to cry when they're getting hit back.

lots of coaches suck, so they'll put anyone in right away as either fresh meat for their veterans or b/c they're just stupid.
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LOL. That was certainly my experience. And I was not even pushed into sparring quickly. I have a D-1 wrestling background so when I started with the bags and mitts, I picked things up quickly. I felt like I was ready after 10 days LOL. After a month I was needling the coach every practice and it was still another month before he let me in there. And even then he told me it was too soon for me and he was right.

What my coach saw that I did not was poor footwork, worse than poor head movement, and fucking T-REX arms that make Sean Sherk look like a knuckle dragger. I got pieced up by a graceful lanky kid 15-20 lbs lighter than me who was going at best 50%. I wish I had a video of that. I bet I did not get a glove within 6 inches of his face for 2 rounds out of an anticipated 3 . The coach gave me the chance to bow out of the 3rd round and I took it.
 
SKD said:
I started after three lessons, I asked around the gym and they said if he feels I'm ready then I can spar.

I sparred against a guy with about 4 years experience but he went real easy. Good experience. I think it was the fact that we were going to spar lightly which let me start early.
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that's usually the best way to start. most experienced fighters are pretty decent to start sparring with.
 
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