How do you handle off days in sparring? I had a great day sparring 3 different people today, started off feeling great got into the zone and was in total control of my first couple of sparing partners, They were less experienced than me so nothing to write home about not wanting to sound big headed etc. However i decided to have a quick 3 rounds with another guy, he had 20lbs on me was much stronger but again less experienced and i should have been able to box his head off however i got sucked in to trying to be macho and stand a trade with him and he got the better off me, The frustrating thing is i knew EXACTLY what i did wrong and it was like there was a momentum that once i got sucked into fighting his fight i couldn't get back to my boxing. i know if i has stuck to my boxing i could have picked him apart easy but i got sucked into the wrong fight, Usually i can catch my self early from this happening and stop but sometimes i can't help but get sucked in and every time that happens it never turns out well. Can anybody relate?
I had the same thing on weds, everyone has done it. Never underestimate 20lbs also, that's a big difference. Consider it a lesson learned though. You probably learned more in that round than dominating the three fighters before. Fight your fight, not his. (Easy words to write though)
Sparring is not about winning but about learning. Sometimes it's good to test yourself at something you're not particularly good at so that you get some experience in that even if you look like **** while doing it. For example if you're otherwise more of a boxer it's good to just go out and brawl sometimes. I mean, what are you going to do when you'll fight someone who has the style to outbox you and you'll be the one who'll have to resort to brawling? That's why you need to have basic experience in as many different styles of boxing as you can.
It's your ego. I was sparring a guy who had maybe 40 lbs on me but was not as skilled as me. I was boxing his head off, but then my ego kicked in and I started to trade. I started taking silly shots, I would've still won the round but not in the fashion i'd liked to have. You might not think you have an ego, but everyone does, especially fighting someone who's not as good as you. It's all about controlling yourself. Then again, sparring is only for practice.
