Can U tell anything 'bout a green kid 1st time he spars?

I think you'l find natural movement, reactions, game theory and psychological determination are good things to see in a green kid but the real gems are found over a long time period. Which can be inherent in a complete dud of a first timer.

This is a quite n insightful thread though. thanks j.g

 

I'd be surprised myself jg, however kids with some degree of a sports background will have a number of boxing traits already.

With the desire to fight like you mentioned, I agree it can't be taught but it's something not all civilised men are initially well acquinted with, the trainer and nature of the boxing workout can introduce a young fella with his primal instincts but not necessarily the first few sparring sessions.

 

Thats pretty general John. The gyms are filled with tough kids that can get punched in the face and comeback, but what seperates what Ive seen in young fighters who are boxing for their first few times, are some of the subtle movements and reactions to an opponent, almost like a natural timing factor. Ive seen it from the beginning and it almost always translates into a fighter moving along quicker.
As far as punching power, Ive sparred 13 year olds that punched harder than 25 year olds, power is a natural gift, but it doesnt necessarily translate into a successful fighter if hes getting pounded by a well schooled technician.

 

Just out of curiosity, how did everyone's first sparring session go?

My first one started out as I planned and as I figured, my 2nd one ended up pretty bad and far worse than the first.

The first time I sparred it was against a kid who had been boxing for around 2 years or so and was a bit bigger than me. The agreement was he was going to work with me and basically give me an introduction into boxing (without trying to kill me) just to see where I was skill wise. He did just that, I ate stiff 1-2s the entire time as I trudged forwards trying to jab with him or get inside to hook his ribs, which I noticed were frequently open as I came in. He didn't go all out on me, but he let me know who was boss.

The next time I walked in the gym they worked on some mistakes that I made and set it up for me to spar the same kid a week later. The next week me and the kid got in the ring again, and I figured he'd do the same as last time, but I was horribly mistaken. Right from the moment we tapped gloves he started pounding on me and trying to punch a hole in my head. I was new to boxing, but it took me all of about 4 punches to figure out he was throwing as hard as he could and trying to knock me out. The only way I've ever been able to fight is moving forward and slugging it out, no matter who it is. This was no exception, but it hardly worked to my favor. I moved forward whilst my head was snapped back repeatedly and my punches continued to fall short or go soaring over his head. I only went 2 rounds with him, but found out more about myself from that session than I had from the first. I found out 1) I can take a punch. 2) I was willing to try and duke it out even though I was heavily out gunned. and 3) What is is like to be on the receiving end of a beating.

The next time I walked into the gym the trainers were surprised to see me because most people quit after things like that happen, they arrange beatings like that on purpose to see who really wants to box and who is just there for the heck of it.

 

This is the problem. I dont think its necessarily a good thing to throw a kid in with someone who is going to pound them. I worked with a lot of young amatuers in Dundees Training Center. I was the one who usually got in with them their first time, just so I could get them used to throwing punches moving around and getting hit. There was no need in my mind to put someone through the meatgrinder their first time out to see if they could take it. That came later when they were better equipped. Besides I wasn't interested in running kids off. We wanted young kids to come in and have fun and enjoy boxing. Not all of them were going to be pros or even amatuers, but they wanted to spar and do it all. Plus the gym had to be supported for the pros so we needed members.
The gym I came from I cant tell you how many kids came in, worked out for a month or two, sparred once, got the crap kicked out of them, and never came back.
That was my experience. I worked out for about three months, worked out with pros, I was sure I was ready to go three rounds. The old man who ran my gym told me when you go in, youre going to finish three rounds no matter what happens. I just laughed as I was doing triple the rounds of gym work no problem. I sparred with an experienced guy, I was exhausted after the first round and got the crap kicked out of me for the remaining two. So much so that it felt like my cheeks were up around my ears the next day. I came back discouraged, but also determined to learn how to hold my own but it wasnt necessary.

 

You nailed it JG.

I'll take dramatic license and add in "The Graziano Factor." Alot of kids willing to walk into a boxing gym in the first place are or were street fighters. Thus they have a faint idea about fighting hard, about stress, about bad intentions, about pride.

The critical difference between street fights and sparring is stamina. Street fights, like MMA, get tangled up. There's rest time there. They also get broken up before 10 rounds have elapsed.

I trained out of the Boston YMCA on Huntington Ave and these were the guys who'd step clumsily into the ring and start swinging for the hills on more seasoned guys. Sometime in round 2 the seasoned guy would start shooting more than just a controlling jab and then its goodbye gusto and hello bloody beak. The new guy would be done in by the end of the round. If they came out for round 3, you'd raise in eyebrow. Most didn't.

I wasn't allowed to spar on my first day. The trainer had a conscience. So I watched. 'After-hours' though was a different story altogether. It was then that a few rogue trainers came in and set up smokers on the sly. One night, I ended up fighting this kid from East Boston named Tony. He had size on me and could punch like hell. He hit me with a shot and my shoe laces fell off. He hit me with another and I thought I saw Elvis in the ring. I handled him once I started turning him and countering. Stopped him actually in the third. I felt like Attila the Hun.

There was another guy, though, a heavyweight whose name I forgot. I handled him the first round with speed and such, but then in the second he landed a right and I got mad and the street came out and there I am -all 154 pounds of me -trading shots with 220 lbs. He landed a left hook to my side and I went "oooo" and dropped my elbow to nurse it. Alas, it was a trap. He doubled the left hook on my now-exposed head and down I went. I thought the roof fell on me. Then came the 'black lights.' It was like being in a dark room with cameras flashing all around. Someone who wasn't there said "get up!" -it sounded like Mickey Goldberg.

Anyway, I got up and did 2 more rounds and gave a good account of myself. So they told me the next day. You see, I don't remember. I don't remember the rest of the fight, changing my clothes, leaving the YMCA, paying the toll to get on the orange line, ---I don't remember a damn thing until the train arrived at Forest Hills Station later that night.

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