ok, so tonight was my first REAL sparring session and i have to say it was a real wake up call. I took up boxing 2 months ago in America trained 3 or 4 times a week and had sparred in two control sparring sessions although i think 20 seconds at the end of each of them it was all in, i was told by the trainer i looked very good for a beginner and when i came home i joined the college boxing club.The trainer here id say thought the same i looked pretty decent shadow boxing, hitting the bag etc so he had me spar tonight. Anyway i think i thought i was Floyd Mayweather when i went into the ring against a guy who had fought 6 or 7 fights and he whooped me gave me a nice bloody nose! Looking back on it i dont know what i was thinking, i didnt have a tight guard up, he was very quick, and was first every time almost to throw the punches in, gave me a a few good whacks.Towards the end i think i was losing my composer and was swingin at him with out great effect. The trainer obviously saw he was too good for me and after the first round switched him with a complete beginner who i felt i could have whacked around in the same way i was been but didnt. Anyway the experience was a complete wake up call, i know what i did wrong, 1.chin was down but my left hand guard was very loose and im in no way experienced enough at all to have it like that.should have been very high. 2.i was half relcutant to hit the guy at the start and he clobbered me nicely in return. 3.i think i was afraid of the counter jab so i didnt really use my jab and he was quick. 4.was too flat footed and didnt move enough Basicly i was rubbish, and im not posting this because of any ego,this guy had 6 or 7 fights so im gonna take it that hes probably sparred a hell of alot,just cant beleive my naiviety! But the biggest problem i had was i was closing my eyes everytime i got hit and that allowed him to get a few combos in, i just want to spar more and get better.. by the way this website is brillant so many people with alot of knowledge on boxing i just want improve and get better any help or thoughts? i know this is a total ramble by the way so appreciate any help.
Honestly its hard to tell becuase I dont see any video of this, just keep sparring listen to your coach you will get better, remember everybody takes beatings in the early going this is how you get better as long as your trainer isnt sending you in there to get beat up, there has to be a learning curve to it....
To be honest you've pretty much answered your question yourself. You know exactly where you went wrong and you've already accepted this experience for what it was, a wake up call. don't make the same mistakes again next time. work on your confidence more, just ****ing go for it. your gonna get hit hard but so what? you know you can take it. you said yourself he gave you a few good whacks and your fine aint ya? You'll be sound mate. believe in yourself and put what you've learnt into practice. good luck :good
Same thing practically happened to me last week. I took an overhand right on the nose and yes blood was flowing out. But I sparred the same guy the next day, did better, and I sparred today and it's a lot less nerve racking as it was. Just keep on going and fight the fear and nerves and things will get better.
I don't like trainers that throw people in there with too much too soon. If it was your first time sparring, he should have told the other guy that. To be honest. the other guy doesn't not sound too experienced either. He may have a little bit of experience fighting, but not helping others learn. There's no reason to be giving newcomers bloody noses. Even if he was not told that you were new, he should realize that you are in out of your league within a short while and pulled back. I always have students spar with me first; and only with me. I'll progressively get harder on them over the weeks as they improve. Then I'll let them get in with other people after they are more accustomed to sparring.
very true JLH. I began at one club and got several bloody noses without learning anything. Then I switched to a place where an experienced boxer would teach me as we sparred and I improved a lot. Jack J- you've been at it for two months! It's going to take time to know the sport! Stick in there.
Sounds like your a good coach! The trainer i have here at home, is vastly experienced but is half assed at times, he gets paid for his coaching but often it appears hes only there for the money. My trainer in America was excellent and he was gradually bringing me into the sparring but of course then i went home! The trainer thought i looked good and if you looked at me and the other guy sparring, outside the ring wed be the same but inside the ring it was a different storey and of course his way more experience of sparring and fighting showed. I wasnt nervous at all in the ring, i went in there with my head up my hole thinking i was great this will be easy, because i think technique wise im pretty well drilled. However combat wise i wasnt drilled for at all, i noticed myself once i got in there i went in cautious and your man clobbered me, he was first to hit me everytime and i ended up loosing my composure. Maybe the guy cuda gone easier on me but i think its probably better he didnt because he knocked some sense into me. next time: High guard moving forward,good head movement and i wont be thinking about gettin hit because im gonna try and be first every time :fire Anything else to add? cover up my nose maybe :yep I kept closing my eyes when i got hit?? how do i correct that? Thanks for the replies people
Alot of coaches are out for the money, not many want to fight anyways, they think they do until they spar, then usally they leave, Coaches get in the habit of assuming most will do that, so they dont give you much time or attention.... I never allow sparring until I know my fighter has an idea of what it is he is doing and why, the key is also can he take care of himself can he move around with ring awareness, does he know how to move his feet? and move his head? does he keep his hands up.... Basicly i dont and wont put you in unless I beleive your ready..... usally about three or four months in the gym and then we start Soft Sparring..... nothing all out..... not until you have been there for about six months consistant and your showing that your learning....
Wow, that's a slow but steady pace. I started sparring my 2nd week in and got busted up my first time, did ok the 2nd time with the guy that busted my nose, and hurt a super HW with a left hook and moved and jabbed and adjusted after taking some shots the 2nd session also and this week(my 3rd sparring session) I sparred against a guy fighting tomorrow, a southpaw, I did well, I hit him with lead right hands, left hooks, knocked his headgear sideways with a right hook, I think he "won" the session but I learned a lot. The southpaw told me afterwards "You're pretty good for the time you've been here" My problem so far is I'm always looking for single shots and not doubling up my jab like I should be and I still have the closing eye habit when getting pressured with punches. Actually my trainer said yesterday we're going to try for a fight on November 21. I'm going to work hard and focus for this next month, I'm just a little surprised how fast I'm being moved and if it's a good thing?
But its effective, the key is teaching, I want these guys to learn I dont want to just toss them in there with out them having an idea what they are doing and why.... sparring can crush confidence and if a sparring session goes sour due to you rushing someone in there to spar you may never see them back at your club....
For those of you interested (or not) i just thought id post how i got on sparring for the second time full on. Was against another beginner he was a good lot bigger then me, i felt in the first round i started off slow, he caut me with a good jab that got my nose bleeding slightly, however second round i got him with a one two combo his nose started to really bleed, and the third i again got the better of him,just hitting him and moving, over hand rights were getting him frustrated. I enjoyed the sparring and wanted to keep going, my defense was a bit better really need to stop gettin hit on the nose, need to improve that, but i suppose the more i spar the better il get. For the record, i would definitly agree with Bazooka, i liked it better in the states i was been introduced to sparring gradually, you become more confident sparring and its a better way of learning imo. Save the bloofy noses but i suppose its all experience.
Side to side head movement will help reduce the bloody noses, you can also pick off the jab every now and then but be sure to shoot your jab when you do...... Congrats on the good work sounds like you were a bit more relaxed in there this time round....:good
