I'm closing my eyes on the sparring.

You'll just have to make yourself leave your eyes open. Tell yourself that it's going to be much worse if you close them. You won't be able to see the punches coming and the guy will hit you more. Make yourself open your eyes wider when you are being hit, one trainer I knew called it the "scared man look." He taught that fighters should force their eyes wide open (like a man who has been scared) so that they could see punches coming from all directions when they were under fire. Don't get discouraged, you'll learn to leave them open.

I don't know any secret methods for making a person keep their eyes open, it's just discipline. Keeping the eyes open and learning to relax in the ring are probably two of the hardest basics for boxers to learn.

 

Just drill it.

With a partner get them to throw 1-2 (jab-right hand) at you. You slip/slip both punches and don't throw anything back. You do this for a whole round. Over time you get used to looking at the punch or staring it down as it travels towards you.

As you get better you start switching up the drill, 1-2-3 with the left hook etc. Ideally you want to get to a point where you put your hands behind your back and do a full round just slipping and avoiding punches with head movement and shoulder placement (e.g. RJJ vs Glen Kelly KO - that's the stance I mean, like a rooster). Its 3 mins with any punch the opponent wants to throw at you. When doing this drill the partner doesn't throw with power, only straight at the face. It's a defensive drill only, no egos. Also no crowding the opponent, make those punches long and obvious to simulate someone on the outside throwing at you.

Its a simple drill but I've seen really good amateurs do this at such a high level and so fast. That confidence and rhythm guys get on the backfoot comes a lot from this and sparring. If you don't get hit a lot you will become more confident and that also flows into your offense as you aren't afraid to throw. Like Mike Tyson used to say "confidence breeds success and success breeds confidence".

 

try this -

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I think it will come with experience, being punched isn’t something anyone is comfortable with instantly

If you still have this a couple months on and you spar consistently then it’s somehong I’d directly try improve (in all honesty I don’t know how) but if you’re relatively new to sparring then it should sort itself out as you get more confident

 

That you are aware of it is haft the battle! Now just try to keep them open and eventually they'll be.

 

I used to do that a lot accept I'd look down too but just honestly you've more chance alippin or defend on the shot if you just let the punch come at you you'll get used to it but then again I'm more of walking forward comin at you style.

 

You just have to try. Just keep at it.
There's no trick to not being afraid of getting hit. Just practice.
The other option i'm afraid, is to just find another sport. Sounds terrible, but it's really that simple.

We had a kid who was so athletlcally strong when doing pads, and drills. But kept closing his eyes. By his third concussion in a year, he gave up. A lot of guys who couldnt make it at boxing usually end up doing Jiu Jitsu.

 

I am agree. U need just try to focus. And continue practice. Ask a coach for some advise. Try to do what he says. Maybe it will help you.

 

Closing your eyes is much the same as holding your breath, you gotta get comfortable and not feel overwhelmed, but you also can't "tune out" to the point that it doesn't matter if you blink or not

Get a person to just TAP you or make a sound when they see you blink, to keep you on the ball (if youve got a friend to train with)
And reward yourself when you don't blink

This should NOT be a big problem, you just drill it out
Anything less is pure laziness imo