I have a boxing match July 12th

[Dahntay23]

I have trained M.M.A. for 9 months. At my gym it's mostly BJJ (submission wrestling) based. We have a few solid wrestlers that went to state in high school, but nobody in my gym posesses a solid and funde****lly sound boxing assett. We have some guys, as well as myself that have great kicks and try to incorporate it with some hand strikes, but then again all we know is like the basic stances and how to throw a jab, cross, hook, upper cuts, and putting them into proper combinations. It's very basic since we lack solid stand up fighters. We only use strikes in our gym to set up a take down or a kick. For instance. I'll throw a jab, then step out at an angle with my front foot then throw a kick so I can step out of the pocket when i throw my kick so i don't get hit with a punch. Well one of my good friends dad has like a mediocre amature boxing record of 1-2, back in his day, and my friend claims that he's automatically good just because his dad was and taught him stuff. So we are going to spar. 3, 90s rounds. i want to test me stand up and get the better of him. Since i lack solid boxing skills can you guys revise a strategy for me. Safety first. We will be fighting in a ring with headgear and mouth pieces, etc. He's a lil bigger than me but everything else is even. We are both 6'0 180-190 so i assume reach wont be a factor. However, i am alot more agile and quicker so i want to use those advantages. I was thinking since im quicker that i should move around alot and circle away from his right hand and keep a distance and utilize my jab and rely on counters since i think i can beat him to the punch.
Thoughts?

 

[Fzubek]

Im assuming your gyms have mirrors. Heres what I would practice, something basic but effective.

Jab in front of the mirror for a while. Remember to keep your shoulder up, chin tucked, as you jab.

Then practice Jabbing as you pivot to you're right. And once the pivot is complete fire a right hand.

This is a nice strategy against someone who might not be so good at boxing, it keeps you away from the potentially wild right, and allows you to throw a right hand from an angle.

 

[MC Paul Barman]

Dahntay23,
great to hear. Good luck with the match!!

I came from a wrestling background to boxing towards the end of high school and going into college.
The one thing I needed to work on was my cardio and endurance. I had good endurance from wrestling, but boxing was a beast of a different nature. My 1st few times out sparring I would barely be able to keep my arms up past 4 minutes.
I think it was a combination of keeping my arms too tense in a guard position and just the continual throwing of punches.
Whatever it was, within a few minutes those arms were dangling down... my offense was whittled down to an occassional jab I would throw from my hip... I would only be able to whip it out.
Needless to say I got beat.

 

[Fzubek]

Dahntay23,
great to hear. Good luck with the match!!

I came from a wrestling background to boxing towards the end of high school and going into college.
The one thing I needed to work on was my cardio and endurance. I had good endurance from wrestling, but boxing was a beast of a different nature. My 1st few times out sparring I would barely be able to keep my arms up past 4 minutes.
I think it was a combination of keeping my arms too tense in a guard position and just the continual throwing of punches.
Whatever it was, within a few minutes those arms were dangling down... my offense was whittled down to an occassional jab I would throw from my hip... I would only be able to whip it out.
Needless to say I got beat.

Haha funny you say that.

We have a young guy at our gym who started with us about 8 months ago. He too was a high school wrestler and his cardio is PHENOMENAL! Haha plus his explosiveness is just raw, and he said it is ebcause of his wrestling background.

 

[roadwarrior357]

It is mostly impossible to come up with a strategy for two fighters that you have never seen.

Remember this though, just because you are quicker does not mean you should play defensie all the time and move around the ring. That will tire you out quick. It takes the beginer more energy to defend and counter than it does to attack.

I don't know if cardio will be a problem if you are only going 3 rounds at 90 seconds each. That is not a lot of time. You say you are quicker and can beat him to the punch, so you should do just that. In that short of a round I would attack first. Don't play the counter game if you are quicker, make him defend.

A few of my recomendations for beginers:
Don't be afraid to get hit. many beginers dance around the ring trying not to get hit...and in the process get hit and do no hitting of their own.

Throw combonations of 2 or 3 punches, then defend or get some spacing. Many beginers try to throw either 1 punch, or way too many and leave themselves open after the 3rd or 4th punch.

Throw a few body shots. Many beginers don't expect these punches. But be careful, it is easy to leave your face open to a counter punch at first.

So as a review here is my strategy for you in a nutshell (given you are a beginer and are sparring such short rounds)

1.) Do not dance around the ring trying to play defense and avoid boxing.
2.) Be aggressive and force him to defend.
3.) Throw punches in groups of not more than 4. 1, 2, 3 or at most 4 punches, then regroup.
4.) Throw at least some punches to the body.
5.) If he charges in, do not back pedal....punch him!!!!...he will think twice about coming in next time.


Good Luck!!! Let us know how you do.

 

[Zodiak_Killer]

When your new its really hard to defend. It takes a lot of time in the ring to learn how to effectively defend. Likely you won't be able too.
Best thing to do is to be aggressive and keep your opponent on his back foot as much as possible. And remember. Your not Roy Jones, your going to get hit. Instead of sitting there thinking why you got hit, or the best way not to get hit, just hit him back. A lot of beginers focus on how not to get hit instead of how to hit back. I thinks thats one of the biggest difference between beginers and experienced fighters. just accept the fact that your going to get hit before you enter the ring.