I had my first sparring session a while back and i was so nervous (although i felt calm,i was even thinking of other fighters 1st sparring which i know i shouldn't have) that i couldnt even see the punches coming and every time i got hit i would turn to my right and then get an uppercut to the nose.... how do i stop this please help>? and any other advice would help alot too.thnx
Its a natural instinct. Everyone goes through it. It goes away with ring experience and as you become more comfortable in there.
Practice slipping/ducking drills. Have a partner paw at your head (not hard) and move side to side to slip the punches (using footwork and relaxed side to side movement). Also similar drills where you duck under in a u-motion. This is boxing 101. Your coach should have had you doing this long before you began sparring. Like Slacker said, it's a natural instinct - you can really only get over it with practice and repetition to eventually get used to seeing punches coming. I'd be surprised if your coach did not pick up on your habit, and try to correct it by doing slipping drills. Are you in a real gym with a real coach? (by that I mean, not a backyard boxer)
Yeah, this plus time working on it will help you get better. It becomes a real pain of a habit with headgear on, too.
Hi.Thanks for the feedback, im in a real gym, i will ask about drills i can do to try and help this. Thanks guys.
ive done this for the longest time atsch took me a couple months at a real boxing gym to get me to stop this habit. Once you learn the basics and are on the way to really mastering it, you can never master the basics btw imo just get good at it. You'll eventually get the confidence to not turn away and use footwork/headmovement/blocking to defend.
i think everyone begins with this bad habit too due to them being not used to taking punches/afraid or nervous of the incoming punches. Beginners who first start to spar are naturally more tense and nervous which causes them to jerk away from the punches and turn their head behind lol. if you want to remove this habit you got to tell yourself not to be afraid of the incoming punches, stay very calm and keep your eyes open, mind alert and look out for the punches. If you see them coming, slip/weave WHILE LOOKING at your opponent. of course, the calmness has to come from experience, so as cliche as it sounds, practice makes perfect!
Here is a mildly useful drill. Bas assumes that someone is going to only be thrwoing straights, which is of course stupid.. but hey.. What I do think is useful here are: 1. You will get used to predicting punches 2. You will gain confidence in your blocking ability 3. You can mix in some body shots and have an entire blocking drill. 4. You could mix in the occasional clinch and practice that also.
