Question for BB or Grey...

the flinch reaction will never fully go away. It's natural human instinct. But to make it less severe, it takes years of regular sparring

 

for flinching http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=378552&highlight=tennis

this drill for seeing punches which you described is good, we do it on trainings, just keep up with good work!

 

This is the biggest problem when teaching beginners to defend. Try three shot drill , as described on other threads you may get what your looking for from there. You need to ask yourself why you are flinching? What is causing the confusion?

 

That is a good place to start, getting used to punches coming at you. Remember to keep your right (or, left, if your are a southpaw) hand close when blocking/catching/parrying. Don't reach out. You always want to roll a bit when you block a punch with your elbows, or gloves.

 

I've been thinking on this...When I'm working with somebody, I don't spend a whole lot of time on defense, as a thing on it's own. I try real hard to integrate it into part of the whole, because it isn't separate, it is an integral part of how everything flows together. In my mind, it is the second most essential part, after proper punching technique. So I always work in counters, especially with the lead hand. I think that, maybe, when you approach it that way, that you don't think of it as "Here comes a punch, please don't hit me". Rather, it becomes an opportunity to exploit.
This starts, as I say all the time, when you shadow box and hit the heavy bag, in everything you do. Picture that punch coming at you, defend against it, and counter it. All the time. You are conditioning that reaction at every point of your training by keeping your mind alert and involved. Then, when somebody punches at you for real, that response is there, and you fine-tune it (not create it) in sparring.
A simple drill. Have your friend jab at you. As he does, slide your left foot left just a hair, pivot in that direction, and jab. Now, you are going to catch his jab in the palm of your right glove, right? But if you stand and do it, his punch lands fist, lessening yours. That tiny pivot gets yours there first, and there is no time to flinch. You can come up with similar type drills for literally every punch and situation.

 

I have this problem. I've sparred several time already and I have a hard time to make it go away. Coach told me to shadowbox a lot more and practice more on the bag, and make sure that I open my eyes/look in the mirror.

(a bit to my consternation. I find shadowboxing to be relatively boring and repetitive, but it seems that repetition is the key in this case)

 

Try doing it with the Eyes shut, much better way to do it :good

 

:good

 

Eyes slow movement down, and distract the Body, from natural movement and the two fastest receptors in the senses for speed. Touch and Feel, plus they are, the eyes looking at whats happened, History. Touch and Feel are now, they are the early warning system to Do.

 

Ok, I understand better now.Made some research as well, I'll definetely try it out. :thumbsup

 

If its a message for BB or Grey then ****ing pm them instead. Annoying when people start threads directed to a single guy, its a public forum.