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Sparring If you’re 40 or over do you spar?
- Thread starter Mider2009
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Spar til you die baby! Just don’t blast each other in the head.
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37 I wanna spar now lol. Huge factor is gym culture aka your partnes sparing. etiquette and communication over it. I'll probably take anything that doesn't cross the line. However you can talk about your wishes. Usually gyms also got low key groups who go super light and just train for fun to be in shape.
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I'm almost old enough to spar with Jake Paul.
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Had a guy in MT gym who was 65 and sparred
I'm 66 and still spar in boxing and karate (pads). Go easy and focus on technical and spar mostly with pros and ex-pros. However, going easy is probably not helping me much become a better boxer: just for fitness. One of our guys in his 50s has developed an eye issue and has switched just to body punching. Did a master boxing tournament when I was 56. Saw two 74 year olds competing. However they had been competing against each other several times before as no other competitors. If you are careful and belong to a good gym that cares about their boxers, I say go for it. I have been with my gym for 20 years however but sadly just lost the gym owner and my trainer to pancreas cancer just before Christmas. He was in great shape, early 50s, ate good but was gone in 5 weeks after his diagnosis. Pray for him
Last edited:
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It's gotta be controlled sparring from here on for me, with training partners who've got my back.
That, and not training when injured
That, and not training when injured
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One of the best guys in our gym, Rashad Ganaway, is 41. He's still an active Pro and can still humble the younguns.
I'm 46 and my goal for this year is to get back into sparring shape.
I'm 46 and my goal for this year is to get back into sparring shape.
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- Sep 26, 2005
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Just turned 46. I try to spar 2 times a week. But its mostly thai style sparring. Not really going hard to the head. But body shots are fair play. And low kick being moderate. For some strange reasons i was born with the "death touch" in my right leg. And moderate power in anything else. So i never ever kick hard. You can fuck up a kne or leg with a low kick.
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2005
- Messages
- 28,356
- Reaction score
- 11,217
Just turned 46. I try to spar 2 times a week. But its mostly thai style sparring. Not really going hard to the head. But body shots are fair play. And low kick being moderate. For some strange reasons i was born with the "death touch" in my right leg. And moderate power in anything else. So i never ever kick hard. You can fuck up a kne or leg with a low kick.
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41 but I spar on a weekly basis. Mostly at 50-75% speed, maybe a little more intense with some guys that I've trained with for years.
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- Jan 25, 2009
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In my experience as a week end white collar warrior dad that spars moderately a couple of times per month, its possible but your style needs to be adapted. For example you are not going to outmanoeuvre a quick and in shape 25 yo at range. They are much more mobile and explosive than you.
What I discovered for me personally is that I had much more success in close range and when pressuring them but I have to take the initiative otherwise I get pieced up.
Also, I realised that older men can be much stronger than younger men even if they lost their speed edge. For those of us who did standing grappling, use your notions of balance and control to bully younger apanyents around. Typically, a 25 yo kickboxer will struggle in the clinch vs a 45 yo judoka. And I am not even talking about throwing and sweeping but merely blocking and offbalancing (what Beterbiev does where you can see he completely ragdolls apanyents in the clinch).
Lastly, in my personal experience, while speed goes to shit, reflexes remain MUCH longer. This is very helpful when you learn to fight in the pocket and when breaking the distance with a good guard. You don‘t need to get hit.
So all in all, in my case, the above helped me. I spar in hobbyist circles but this has been enough to usually stay on the front foot and sap the energy of younger apanyents who are then forced to evade the whole round.
What I discovered for me personally is that I had much more success in close range and when pressuring them but I have to take the initiative otherwise I get pieced up.
Also, I realised that older men can be much stronger than younger men even if they lost their speed edge. For those of us who did standing grappling, use your notions of balance and control to bully younger apanyents around. Typically, a 25 yo kickboxer will struggle in the clinch vs a 45 yo judoka. And I am not even talking about throwing and sweeping but merely blocking and offbalancing (what Beterbiev does where you can see he completely ragdolls apanyents in the clinch).
Lastly, in my personal experience, while speed goes to shit, reflexes remain MUCH longer. This is very helpful when you learn to fight in the pocket and when breaking the distance with a good guard. You don‘t need to get hit.
So all in all, in my case, the above helped me. I spar in hobbyist circles but this has been enough to usually stay on the front foot and sap the energy of younger apanyents who are then forced to evade the whole round.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2009
- Messages
- 27,265
- Reaction score
- 16,460
In my experience as a week end white collar warrior dad that spars moderately a couple of times per month, its possible but your style needs to be adapted. For example you are not going to outmanoeuvre a quick and in shape 25 yo at range. They are much more mobile and explosive than you.
What I discovered for me personally is that I had much more success in close range and when pressuring them but I have to take the initiative otherwise I get pieced up.
Also, I realised that older men can be much stronger than younger men even if they lost their speed edge. For those of us who did standing grappling, use your notions of balance and control to bully younger apanyents around. Typically, a 25 yo kickboxer will struggle in the clinch vs a 45 yo judoka. And I am not even talking about throwing and sweeping but merely blocking and offbalancing (what Beterbiev does where you can see he completely ragdolls apanyents in the clinch).
Lastly, in my personal experience, while speed goes to shit, reflexes remain MUCH longer. This is very helpful when you learn to fight in the pocket and when breaking the distance with a good guard. You don‘t need to get hit.
So all in all, in my case, the above helped me. I spar in hobbyist circles but this has been enough to usually stay on the front foot and sap the energy of younger apanyents who are then forced to evade the whole round.
What I discovered for me personally is that I had much more success in close range and when pressuring them but I have to take the initiative otherwise I get pieced up.
Also, I realised that older men can be much stronger than younger men even if they lost their speed edge. For those of us who did standing grappling, use your notions of balance and control to bully younger apanyents around. Typically, a 25 yo kickboxer will struggle in the clinch vs a 45 yo judoka. And I am not even talking about throwing and sweeping but merely blocking and offbalancing (what Beterbiev does where you can see he completely ragdolls apanyents in the clinch).
Lastly, in my personal experience, while speed goes to shit, reflexes remain MUCH longer. This is very helpful when you learn to fight in the pocket and when breaking the distance with a good guard. You don‘t need to get hit.
So all in all, in my case, the above helped me. I spar in hobbyist circles but this has been enough to usually stay on the front foot and sap the energy of younger apanyents who are then forced to evade the whole round.
