I just recently got some headgear and 14 oz gloves to spar with my friend, who happens to be the same weight as I. First off, man it's a blast, there are really few activities that are comparable. But the thing is, he has a good 5 inches of reach on me, and everytime I press the attack, my fists just whiz right past his head. The only time I can really clock him good is if I let him come to me and then try my best to hit him with a good, short counter-punch. I try to keep him at bay with my jab and then put some combinations together, but it's hard to get inside to the range I need, and instead I find myself being stuck on the outside eating shots. That and the fact that I am not so accustomed to getting hit yet, I tend to turtle up, or even turn my head to the side in an attempt to protect myself. I would really like to work on it and develop some strong, basic tecnique for dealing with these factors. Any tips?
Sparred for the first time today...
- Thread starter NHB.SQ87
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Do you have actually any formal training?
If yes then you're not supposed to just spar somebody as a beginner without supervision and your coach decides when it is best for you to start sparring.
If not then you're not supposed to just spar somebody not knowing what the hell you are doing there, join a gym wait till your coach decides when it is best for you to start sparring.
If yes then you're not supposed to just spar somebody as a beginner without supervision and your coach decides when it is best for you to start sparring.
If not then you're not supposed to just spar somebody not knowing what the hell you are doing there, join a gym wait till your coach decides when it is best for you to start sparring.
No formal training at all. But the thing is I am actually bodybuilding right now, the sparring is just a weekly thing I use to stay in decent cardiovascular shape. I don't feel I need to join a class to learn a bit about striking, it's mostly just something we do for fun. The worst that's going to happen is I get knocked out, which I already have been plenty of times outside of fighting, and it's not not a huge concern of mine. Although I do appriciate the advice.
Smw
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It sounds like you need to work on your defensive skill set. I see a lot of first timers turtling up on instinct but with practice you can counter this. Instead of turtling utilize your head movement, and foot work to get out of the way of punches. Stay relaxed under fire and you will think clearer and burn less energy. Remember to keep breathing when you get hit.
Offensively if the counter punch is working then keep using it. Get that jab out there but don't just trade it with him. Mix it up, create some angles and don't let him get a read on you. If you are continually getting hit by the jab try slipping right and throwing a jab under his punch.
Offensively if the counter punch is working then keep using it. Get that jab out there but don't just trade it with him. Mix it up, create some angles and don't let him get a read on you. If you are continually getting hit by the jab try slipping right and throwing a jab under his punch.
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you can spar "easy" without hurting eachother at all and still have a very good workout. Punching as hard as you can doesnt do much other then "hurt" eachother. im just kinda telling you this because you seem to have a "i dont care if i get knocked out, thats the worst that can happen" attitude.
Id suggest working your footwork more but if you dont have training its hard to explian. you dont want to turtle and cover your vision while being attacked, nor do you want to turn your head because you will eat hooks. id suggest taking a basic class or two somewhere so you get some idea rather then back yard brawling with your buddy. try doubling up on your jab to get inside, something i use a lot on taller people.
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im glad they spared you.
Hit-or-be-hit
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i love sparring
however i think it's harder fighting some1 shorter then me then taller then me.
Good thing about fighting most people is im a south paw so that helps
however i think it's harder fighting some1 shorter then me then taller then me.
Good thing about fighting most people is im a south paw so that helps
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... i usualy realize im sparing a southpaw when i get a shin in the jaw or a hook in the side of the face. Now i stand back and check before i begin because the first couple times i got tagged hard
Hit-or-be-hit
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i've never gone against a southpaw. So im kinda not sure how i'll do against one.
I would probably not know what 2 do. IDK
I imagine if that happened i would switch back and forth. Cuz im left handed but right footed. So i mean if i swith 2 regular. THe person is gonna be eating a lot of roundhouse kicks. Plus then my jab will be strong. But the bad thing is it would be confusing.
I would probably not know what 2 do. IDK
I imagine if that happened i would switch back and forth. Cuz im left handed but right footed. So i mean if i swith 2 regular. THe person is gonna be eating a lot of roundhouse kicks. Plus then my jab will be strong. But the bad thing is it would be confusing.
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I'm sorry, but how old are you? You are not typing a text message on a cell phone. Reading messages typed like that make you seem either very uneducated, a teenage girl, or a very young boy.
Sparring can be the best thing or the worst thing. It's important that you spar only when you're ready for it. Your coach should know when you're ready. Just don't be too eager to do it when you're a beginner. Unless your skills are developed somewhat, you'll just throw all the training out the window and start punching wildly out of desperation. Sparring right away in the first couple of weeks of training is like learning to swim and being thrown into the deep end on the first day. But when you are ready for it, sparring is where you will really learn how to fight and it's a very positive experience. But be patient. I remember a long time ago when I was first learning about boxing, this psycho coach had us sparring on the first day! And of course, I sucked and it was very discouraging. What the hell did this idiot think would happen? I was untrained. I left that gym after 1 day. The next gym I went to and am still going to, had a very good coach who did things slowly and properly. Just something to keep in mind. Sparring is excellent but only when you're ready for it.
Thanks for the advice guys. I definetly need to work on my defence arsenal and how I slip unches, footwork, angles, ect. The thing that erks me though is that I would train full time, it's just that I'm a pretty small dude and would like to put on some strength and size through weight lifting before doing so. Eventually I will take a classes.
gracie_barra**
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dont be a retard; join a gym.
B
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Where the hell is your common sense. How can you expect to improve without a coach watching you and guiding you in the right direction? Sounds like a schoolyard haymaker fest to me, join a club, get some formal training then ask again how you could improve.
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"Sparring" with no previous training with your friends is only going to give you bad habits you will have to unlearn if you join a real gym. With no supervision you will increase your chances of getting hurt as well. Getting knocked out isn't the only injury striking has. You can get fucked up hands and wrists, broken noses, cuts, bruises, etc. All that shit about slipping and footwork won't matter if you don't have somebody to properly teach you.
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Then you're not sparring. You're just two dipshits beating each other up in the yard.
I think you are missing the point. We do it for FUN. I'm not as Semper Fi about the whole thing as you probably are. I do it just to duke it out a little and for some cardiovascular benefit, If I wanted to compete of course I would join a gym, it's just not one of my goals right now. And if I eventually have to unlearn some of the things I used to do then that's not such a huge deal.
