can u gauge someone's skillset/exp/ability from sparring w/them

[devante]

i asked this in the grappling forum and decided to post here; when sparring w/someone can u get a good feel for someone's skillset, level of skill, ability and experience after going in some hard/mid level sparring.

what do u look for to determine if someone has legit standup skills/exp (i.e. hands..footwork..how they react when hit, if they have correct def reaction to attacks, feints, etc)

can u gauge exp level, or tell their background, style

when i have sparred people standing, usually they can tell i have some exp; they say i move in a very awkward but educated manner, that when i get hit i react w/some amount of control and exp, i show some education in my off/def...MY execution isn't fluid or smooth. But it is educated and has some basis of direction. They don't feel i have the precision smoothness or wherewithal that comes w/a real striker or a good striker; but coming from someone w/out a legit or long term background, i def have a base of skill/knowledge.

so can u guys break it down y/n

 

[Vector_X]

you can certainly gauge someones ability by sparring with them especially towards the extremes of great or horrible. Style is a little different as I've really only trained Muay Thai and some Kenpo, but I can notice if they are using something I am familiar with.

 

[Gregster]

i asked this in the grappling forum and decided to post here; when sparring w/someone can u get a good feel for someone's skillset, level of skill, ability and experience after going in some hard/mid level sparring.

Absolutely. In fact, I can't imagine a better venue for determining those things. I'd liken it to playing golf: just because you can crush 300-yards drives down at the driving rage doesn't mean you're gonna be Tiger Woods when you step onto the course.

Sparring is the "practical application" portion of training, where you go to apply what you've learned while also developing attributes that all the drills and padwork in the world won't foster, such as instinct and physical/mental toughness. I know that back when I trained formally (and sparred a lot) I could figure out very quickly whether the guy I was sparring was any good or not.

what do u look for to determine if someone has legit standup skills/exp (i.e. hands..footwork..how they react when hit, if they have correct def reaction to attacks, feints, etc)

I seem to recall that getting my ass kicked was a good yardstick for that.

But there's almost no end to the things someone will do wrong or not at all which will speak volumes about their skills, including clumsy footwork, sloppy technique, and poor defense. Timidity is another good measure; in my experience, sparring novices tend to be scared of getting hit and wind up trying to win (or at least defend) by throwing ineffectual strikes. This is evidenced by the practice of closing, throwing one strike, then backing off.

I also recall at least one other troublesome symptom of a poorly-trained fighter I learned to dread: getting kicked in the nuts. Spastic noobs with poor technique have a tendency to get flustered or flip out, causing them to throw spastic kicks which in my experience made it seem like my scrotum was some sort of a foot magnet.

 

[Brent Schermerhorn]

I think for the MOST part you can tell...shit man i think you can tell even from going through a hard training sesion with someone. Sure some guys are beast during training and then buckle in the ring but i dont think it's common.
The reason i say most is that i've seen some guys that look awkward but go into a ring and it works well for them and that's at the pro level. I think most of those people already have the basics/traditional down though they have just added their personal "flare" or style to fighting. I've seen some crazy shit in Japan and its usually from guys that have been doing it the longest. If you didnt already know about them and you walked into a gym you would probably think something along the lines of "what is that?, get that fool out of the ring" LOL

 

[devante]

I think for the MOST part you can tell...shit man i think you can tell even from going through a hard training sesion with someone. Sure some guys are beast during training and then buckle in the ring but i dont think it's common.
The reason i say most is that i've seen some guys that look awkward but go into a ring and it works well for them and that's at the pro level. I think most of those people already have the basics/traditional down though they have just added their personal "flare" or style to fighting. I've seen some crazy shit in Japan and its usually from guys that have been doing it the longest. If you didnt already know about them and you walked into a gym you would probably think something along the lines of "what is that?, get that fool out of the ring" LOL

which is y i made the post, cus someone could be aesthetically unpleasing; but landing shots on u, and slipping or countering urs...but look nuts

i mean i would think getting in w/someone is the best gauge of if they are skilled, how skilled or even if they are familiar; cus a guy who is at least aware is much diff than a guy who has no real idea or familiarity w/sparring.

 

[devante]

Absolutely. In fact, I can't imagine a better venue for determining those things. I'd liken it to playing golf: just because you can crush 300-yards drives down at the driving rage doesn't mean you're gonna be Tiger Woods when you step onto the course.

Sparring is the "practical application" portion of training, where you go to apply what you've learned while also developing attributes that all the drills and padwork in the world won't foster, such as instinct and physical/mental toughness. I know that back when I trained formally (and sparred a lot) I could figure out very quickly whether the guy I was sparring was any good or not.



I seem to recall that getting my ass kicked was a good yardstick for that.

But there's almost no end to the things someone will do wrong or not at all which will speak volumes about their skills, including clumsy footwork, sloppy technique, and poor defense. Timidity is another good measure; in my experience, sparring novices tend to be scared of getting hit and wind up trying to win (or at least defend) by throwing ineffectual strikes. This is evidenced by the practice of closing, throwing one strike, then backing off.
I also recall at least one other troublesome symptom of a poorly-trained fighter I learned to dread: getting kicked in the nuts. Spastic noobs with poor technique have a tendency to get flustered or flip out, causing them to throw spastic kicks which in my experience made it seem like my scrotum was some sort of a foot magnet.

i do this at times to cause my opp to not be able to set their feet, an i potshot or hit them w/a 1/2 and get out; much like hopkins did to marvin eastman and wninky right.. force them to be off balance and overcommit by using ur footwork, an taking away their ability to settle in for punches or eff get off w/combos cus they are constantly having to readjust their feet and reset the dist/range.

good for shutting off the jab, and limiting opp to put strikes together and not allowing ur opp to get in a rhythm

 

[taurus23uk]

You can tell by their rythm and balance. If they are on balance all the time and seem comfortable then they usually have some experience. Flash kicks look fancy but it is often someone good at touch contact with limited full contact experience.
Generally if the ymake you cautious or even nervous then they are worth respecting.

 

[fightingrabbit]

which is y i made the post, cus someone could be aesthetically unpleasing; but landing shots on u, and slipping or countering urs...but look nuts

i mean i would think getting in w/someone is the best gauge of if they are skilled, how skilled or even if they are familiar; cus a guy who is at least aware is much diff than a guy who has no real idea or familiarity w/sparring.

lol, i think i look real pretty on the bag, but when i hit the ring, my technique is always a little off. I think its also due to the gloves. Its real easy to look nice, shadowboxing with just wraps, throwing speedy jabs and whatnot, but once those gloves get on. whole nother story.

But yeah, i think gregster stated it already but, you can usually tell by their footwork and the way they carry their arms.

 

[BorrowDolla]

I wouldn't worry about evaluating their standup skillset too much in a fight. I'd be too busy trying to establish that persons rythm, throwing feints and getting a feel for them.

 

[BorrowDolla]

I wouldn't worry about evaluating their standup skillset too much in a fight. I'd be too busy trying to establish that persons rythm, throwing feints and getting a feel for them.

 

[Tim Chan]

to a certain point. fighting and sparring is different so someone may not really be trying hard while sparring or sloppy, but still hard to deal with in a fight.

 

[Gavin Smith]

To a certain extent you can, you can definitely tell the difference between some one who's really good and someone who's crap, the people in the middle can sometimes be misleading though.
You might get a guy who seems really technically skilled in sparring but when in the high pressure situation of a fight their skills go to shit, and on the other hand you sometimes get a guy who seems a bit sloppy in sparring and when they get in a fight they really sharpen up and raise their game

 

[devante]

it was just a question if u could gauge it, like a guy like chris leben is terrible tech; but just by watching him, i can tell he has a certain amount of exp and skill. His application or execution is poor and he often has to depend on his chin; to keep him in the fight long enough to get work done and he leans on his power to make the most of the one or two shots he can get in.

now looking at him most say he is garbage; an just a tough hard hitting guy, but u can't be just tough and strong an land shots or ko people. THere has to be some education, maybe not college degree; but definite basic education.

even a person who may in fact be a crappy striker can still be educated, an have some sort of skill; the question is to what degree his skill is at.

i have sparred people w/no real training; but could tell they had some kind of familiarity in the ring..

 

[Dog Soldier]

You will have the occasional guy whose technique isn't quite up to snuff but whose timing is dead on just as you have people with great technique who don't quite seem to connect but both of those are rare and thus noteworthy when you see them.

 

[KidKimura]

You can usually tell alot about someones background when u spar with them. Theres been guys that have showed up at my gym claiming to have years of kickboxing experienced only to be shown up once it gets to sparring, likewise, I've seen people show up that I didn't see as being too special that have ended up kickin my ass all over the place. Untill u stick the gloves on and trade with someone, you never know

 

[MMAftfw**]

You can to an extent. Just remember though while someone is sparring they are still holding back so dont make a 100% assumption just try to guage a general area.