I plan on joining a boxing gym and getting extremely skillful at the sport. At the same time I don't want to get hit in the head too much for something I'm not getting paid for therefore is it okay to ask trainers and sparring partners to ease down on the force when punching to the head? Secondly, I also want to do Judo and plan on doing it 1 day per week. Has anyone ever attempted this? Is it a good idea? No stupid sarcastic replies when one tries (and fails) to be smart and funny please.
Yes, you can ask them to take it easy. Why bother getting "extremely skillful" at a sport you're not interested in competing in? If you do want to compete, get used to being hit hard. Getting punched in the head happens a lot in the sport of boxing. MMA fighters do far more than boxing and judo. Easily doable.
Sparring partners generally match power for power in your own club, not always the same rule when visiting other gyms.
Dude, getting hit with a boxing glove normally feels A LOT like getting hit with a pillow. Remember pillow fighters from childhood? Gives me a very similar feeling. Very very rarely will you ever get caught with something that HURTS. Maybe once or twice a sparring session will you even get a "clean" punch landed on you..
Let me guess, you get to use power shots on your opponents though, huh? In reality, when you get to a certain level, sparring should not be about landing power shots. It should be about counterpunching, defense, and strategy. You shouldn't be looking to hurt your opponent; however, I understand through experience that in some gyms, sparring is an all out war. That's not how it should be.
You will probably be put i there with someone like yourself (newbie) and as soon as one of you lands a little jab on the nose you will want to smash your skulls in. Newbies can never have 'controlled' sparring. My best advise is that, dont rush to jump in there right away, get fit first and make sure you stay calm when you are in the ring.
