Difficulty keeping eyes on opponent when sparring and under fire

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stacrafty

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Hi

I'm doing this wimp to warrior course, have been doing it since Feb but its been delayed twice, so finally we are about to have our fights on the 4th Dec.

At city kickboxing though, its not really wimp to warrior, its more like "athletes with some existing fight experience learn MMA - to warrior". Most people in the class are athletic and many have previous combat sport experience.

Heck, I even have a blue belt in BJJ, but I hadn't trained in 10 years. I'm the oldest at 44 and not a big guy (5'7, 155lb) But am in pretty good shape, have lucky to have no injuries over a lifetime of sport (soccer, DH mountain biking, etc).

So in standup, I don't have much experience, its all been new. I find my movement is ok, but when I get rushed, I tuck my chin and have my hands up, which makes it hard to keep eyes on my opponent. Its getting better, usually way more comfortable with people my own size, but vs the big guys in my class and most of them are, i just cover up and kinda of sense where they are, throw an uppercut or something or push off and circle away - but usually get hit a few times. Everyone is pretty cool though, havent been hurt much in sparring.

So its in "walling" up, I lose line of sight, which means a retaliatory punch is usually thrown blind. Is not as bad vs opponents my own size, admittedly its a reflex based on intimidation factor sparring these much bigger opponents. And honestly, as athletic as I am think I am for a 44 year old, I'm not as fast, don't have the reaction times etc as these young guys.

Any advice?
 
stacrafty said:
Hi

I'm doing this wimp to warrior course, have been doing it since Feb but its been delayed twice, so finally we are about to have our fights on the 4th Dec.

At city kickboxing though, its not really wimp to warrior, its more like "athletes with some existing fight experience learn MMA - to warrior". Most people in the class are athletic and many have previous combat sport experience.

Heck, I even have a blue belt in BJJ, but I hadn't trained in 10 years. I'm the oldest at 44 and not a big guy (5'7, 155lb) But am in pretty good shape, have lucky to have no injuries over a lifetime of sport (soccer, DH mountain biking, etc).

So in standup, I don't have much experience, its all been new. I find my movement is ok, but when I get rushed, I tuck my chin and have my hands up, which makes it hard to keep eyes on my opponent. Its getting better, usually way more comfortable with people my own size, but vs the big guys in my class and most of them are, i just cover up and kinda of sense where they are, throw an uppercut or something or push off and circle away - but usually get hit a few times. Everyone is pretty cool though, havent been hurt much in sparring.

So its in "walling" up, I lose line of sight, which means a retaliatory punch is usually thrown blind. Is not as bad vs opponents my own size, admittedly its a reflex based on intimidation factor sparring these much bigger opponents. And honestly, as athletic as I am think I am for a 44 year old, I'm not as fast, don't have the reaction times etc as these young guys.

Any advice?
Click to expand...

You get used to it. It's just a conditioning thing, you slowly get conditioned to punches coming towards you and don't flinch, or close your eyes, or close your guard so much that you can't see. Only thing that fixes it is experience. The more you spar the more you'll get used to it and the less it will happen.
 
stacrafty said:
Hi

I'm doing this wimp to warrior course, have been doing it since Feb but its been delayed twice, so finally we are about to have our fights on the 4th Dec.

At city kickboxing though, its not really wimp to warrior, its more like "athletes with some existing fight experience learn MMA - to warrior". Most people in the class are athletic and many have previous combat sport experience.

Heck, I even have a blue belt in BJJ, but I hadn't trained in 10 years. I'm the oldest at 44 and not a big guy (5'7, 155lb) But am in pretty good shape, have lucky to have no injuries over a lifetime of sport (soccer, DH mountain biking, etc).

So in standup, I don't have much experience, its all been new. I find my movement is ok, but when I get rushed, I tuck my chin and have my hands up, which makes it hard to keep eyes on my opponent. Its getting better, usually way more comfortable with people my own size, but vs the big guys in my class and most of them are, i just cover up and kinda of sense where they are, throw an uppercut or something or push off and circle away - but usually get hit a few times. Everyone is pretty cool though, havent been hurt much in sparring.

So its in "walling" up, I lose line of sight, which means a retaliatory punch is usually thrown blind. Is not as bad vs opponents my own size, admittedly its a reflex based on intimidation factor sparring these much bigger opponents. And honestly, as athletic as I am think I am for a 44 year old, I'm not as fast, don't have the reaction times etc as these young guys.

Any advice?
Click to expand...
mate you stay the fuck in, are you that guy that kept running all over the place like mad to find out where to go that hooker talked about on his podcast? well even if you aren your a fucking sherdogger, live by the sword die by the sword. You really do have to just spar, and if its something you've never done you wont be very comfortable or have much stamina. Put it this way, as a scrub I'm only comfortable for about two minutes until my legs are cement
 
stacrafty said:
Hi

I'm doing this wimp to warrior course, have been doing it since Feb but its been delayed twice, so finally we are about to have our fights on the 4th Dec.

At city kickboxing though, its not really wimp to warrior, its more like "athletes with some existing fight experience learn MMA - to warrior". Most people in the class are athletic and many have previous combat sport experience.

Heck, I even have a blue belt in BJJ, but I hadn't trained in 10 years. I'm the oldest at 44 and not a big guy (5'7, 155lb) But am in pretty good shape, have lucky to have no injuries over a lifetime of sport (soccer, DH mountain biking, etc).

So in standup, I don't have much experience, its all been new. I find my movement is ok, but when I get rushed, I tuck my chin and have my hands up, which makes it hard to keep eyes on my opponent. Its getting better, usually way more comfortable with people my own size, but vs the big guys in my class and most of them are, i just cover up and kinda of sense where they are, throw an uppercut or something or push off and circle away - but usually get hit a few times. Everyone is pretty cool though, havent been hurt much in sparring.

So its in "walling" up, I lose line of sight, which means a retaliatory punch is usually thrown blind. Is not as bad vs opponents my own size, admittedly its a reflex based on intimidation factor sparring these much bigger opponents. And honestly, as athletic as I am think I am for a 44 year old, I'm not as fast, don't have the reaction times etc as these young guys.

Any advice?
Click to expand...

Good way to train that "non-flinching" :) attitude is to use fight ball (hope, it's a proper name of it, 'cause in Russia it has different meaning):
 
stacrafty said:
Hi

I'm doing this wimp to warrior course, have been doing it since Feb but its been delayed twice, so finally we are about to have our fights on the 4th Dec.

At city kickboxing though, its not really wimp to warrior, its more like "athletes with some existing fight experience learn MMA - to warrior". Most people in the class are athletic and many have previous combat sport experience.

Heck, I even have a blue belt in BJJ, but I hadn't trained in 10 years. I'm the oldest at 44 and not a big guy (5'7, 155lb) But am in pretty good shape, have lucky to have no injuries over a lifetime of sport (soccer, DH mountain biking, etc).

So in standup, I don't have much experience, its all been new. I find my movement is ok, but when I get rushed, I tuck my chin and have my hands up, which makes it hard to keep eyes on my opponent. Its getting better, usually way more comfortable with people my own size, but vs the big guys in my class and most of them are, i just cover up and kinda of sense where they are, throw an uppercut or something or push off and circle away - but usually get hit a few times. Everyone is pretty cool though, havent been hurt much in sparring.

So its in "walling" up, I lose line of sight, which means a retaliatory punch is usually thrown blind. Is not as bad vs opponents my own size, admittedly its a reflex based on intimidation factor sparring these much bigger opponents. And honestly, as athletic as I am think I am for a 44 year old, I'm not as fast, don't have the reaction times etc as these young guys.

Any advice?
Click to expand...

Keep your eyes open.

Might sound weird but people tend to close their eyes when covering up. Its s natural reaction to protect the eyes.
 
You're not supposed to be blind when you cover up. Keep your gloves on the sides of your head, not in front of your eyes.
 
JoshTehV said:
mate you stay the fuck in, are you that guy that kept running all over the place like mad to find out where to go that hooker talked about on his podcast? well even if you aren your a fucking sherdogger, live by the sword die by the sword. You really do have to just spar, and if its something you've never done you wont be very comfortable or have much stamina. Put it this way, as a scrub I'm only comfortable for about two minutes until my legs are cement
Click to expand...

haha nah not me, Dan hasn't taken any of our classes its Eugene and other coaches that do - pretty fn lucky to be coached by Eug tbh.. Had Brad Riddell coach and Volk did a guest appearance coaching one class.
Have barely missed any sparring sessions yet lol. I always turn up. But yeah, getting hit by bigger opponents tends to throw you off. The grappling sparring I'm fine with have done it heaps before.
 
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JoshTehV said:
mate you stay the fuck in, are you that guy that kept running all over the place like mad to find out where to go that hooker talked about on his podcast? well even if you aren your a fucking sherdogger, live by the sword die by the sword. You really do have to just spar, and if its something you've never done you wont be very comfortable or have much stamina. Put it this way, as a scrub I'm only comfortable for about two minutes until my legs are cement
Click to expand...
When I first started sparring my legs would give out before anything else, so bad so that I couldn't continue sparring lol. I think being tense has a lot to do with that. When you're relaxed you use so much less energy. And correct on the flinching, you just need to spar to get over that reflex.
 
This happens a lot with fighters who aren't comfortable counter-punching. When you're always looking for the shot, the eyes naturally stay on the opponent. But I see this happen most often when people are cornered and don't have confidence in their head-movement.

Experience is the best teacher. It sounds rough, but taking a few hits will quickly resolve the problem. I used to train with a guy who did this and I would just land some light hooks and uppercuts to keep him honest. I did that for a few weeks with little improvement. I had to take it up a notch and started landing hard, but that did work and he's now stopped doing it.

A simple short term solution is to keep moving laterally when cornered. Even if you take your eyes off the opponent for a moment, lateral movement with a high guard will protect you from most shots, but you know what they say about the punch you didn't see...
 
Woldog said:
You get used to it. It's just a conditioning thing, you slowly get conditioned to punches coming towards you and don't flinch, or close your eyes, or close your guard so much that you can't see. Only thing that fixes it is experience. The more you spar the more you'll get used to it and the less it will happen.
Click to expand...
In the process of learning remember to stay relaxed and keep your chin down.
 
j123 said:
How are you supposed to defend devastating eye pokes then?
Click to expand...
Nah bruh don't worry boxing and Thai makes the eyes invulnerable just bang brah even of they poke don't worry do some Krabi krabong eye protection drill you be good

 
TheMaster said:
Nah bruh don't worry boxing and Thai makes the eyes invulnerable just bang brah even of they poke don't worry do some Krabi krabong eye protection drill you be good

Click to expand...

is it true WC guys can pull your eye out before you even know it's happened. I saw it in a WC documentary movie called Black Dynamite.
 
Woldog said:
is it true WC guys can pull your eye out before you even know it's happened. I saw it in a WC documentary movie called Black Dynamite.
Click to expand...

Nah that was some Muay boran Krabi krabong stuff in Ong Bak you're mistaking plus some Russian Spetznaz Systema tactics can do it I heard.
 
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