I am sparring again, and to be honest is the first time I felt I needed a tip from a bunch of different people. I am sparring someone that is a couple years older than me (16) and is much stronger than me for obvious reasons, but it my size. Lat time we sparred lets just say it didn't go my way. He has 4 years more experience than me, hits harder than me, spars more than me, and is more skilled than me because of experience. Last time I was pumping my jab, and double jabbing worked, my problem is that he learned what I will most likely do to him. I have a huge right, but it is jsut sparring and I don't want to use more than 70% of my power, and typicaly I only use 60%. So, any tips? PS I am very flat footed, and can't get onto my toes to move around and such.
I need tips for sparring
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Bill, when I was a kid and took up boxing a gym at a boys club it was a big gym and had a boxing team.
In fact, I continued to box for that club for a lot of years.
At the time it was the best boxing gym, and had the the best over all fighters in the state, and we near always took home the most trophies, and that club turned out a lot of pros from the amateur ranks, no world champions, but some who become contenders in different weight divisons in the 1950s and the 1960s.
The time in which I was there was in the 1960s, and in the early 1970s I started boxing for others clubs and at different gyms.
There was a lot of guys, of course, the boxing scene then was not like it is today.
Boxing was a by far more popular sport back in those days.
I never had any problem in getting sparring partners for there were so many at the gym back in those days.
Trainers were always careful to evenly match sparring partners at the gym.
They would not put a by far more experienced and older kid out there in the ring with a much younger and less experienced kid. They would always evenly match as close a possible in sparring.
There were exceptions but that's usually the way it was back then.
As I grew older, and as a middleweight there were times when I would spar with guys below as well as above my weight class.
This can be good to do some times, especially if there are at times a lack of sparring partners.
But I never had any trouble getting sparring partners back in those days.
I think at your age and where you at now, your trainer should more evenly match you with sparring partners, this will help you to develop better as a boxer.
Nobody should be putting you out there sparring with some kid who is older and more experienced than you are unless of course, this is the only sparring partner available for you to spar with.
Another reason for this is because you want to get out there and to really mix it up out there in the ring a lot often times just like its as real fight.
Why that is important is because what you practice or get into the habit of practicing in sparring in the ring at the gym, is what your going to do in a contest or real fight.
If you get into the habit of holding back you are likely to do that not really even meaning to in a real fight.
But of course, if there is the problem of there being a lack of suitable sparring partners for you at the gym you are training at. Naturally, you have to take what's available to you.
When I was boxing at the gym I sparred every day. At the end of my daily workouts I would get in the ring and to spar a few rounds, and I never did that no less than five days a week at the gym.
If possible, you need to be sparring every day, and the more you spar the more you'll learn how to fight and what works best for you. Your trainer needs to watch you and to show you what your doing right and what your doing wrong, and what you should be doing, and also why you should do it.
This is the sign of a good trainer. He not only tells you what to do, but also why you should do it.
JC
In fact, I continued to box for that club for a lot of years.
At the time it was the best boxing gym, and had the the best over all fighters in the state, and we near always took home the most trophies, and that club turned out a lot of pros from the amateur ranks, no world champions, but some who become contenders in different weight divisons in the 1950s and the 1960s.
The time in which I was there was in the 1960s, and in the early 1970s I started boxing for others clubs and at different gyms.
There was a lot of guys, of course, the boxing scene then was not like it is today.
Boxing was a by far more popular sport back in those days.
I never had any problem in getting sparring partners for there were so many at the gym back in those days.
Trainers were always careful to evenly match sparring partners at the gym.
They would not put a by far more experienced and older kid out there in the ring with a much younger and less experienced kid. They would always evenly match as close a possible in sparring.
There were exceptions but that's usually the way it was back then.
As I grew older, and as a middleweight there were times when I would spar with guys below as well as above my weight class.
This can be good to do some times, especially if there are at times a lack of sparring partners.
But I never had any trouble getting sparring partners back in those days.
I think at your age and where you at now, your trainer should more evenly match you with sparring partners, this will help you to develop better as a boxer.
Nobody should be putting you out there sparring with some kid who is older and more experienced than you are unless of course, this is the only sparring partner available for you to spar with.
Another reason for this is because you want to get out there and to really mix it up out there in the ring a lot often times just like its as real fight.
Why that is important is because what you practice or get into the habit of practicing in sparring in the ring at the gym, is what your going to do in a contest or real fight.
If you get into the habit of holding back you are likely to do that not really even meaning to in a real fight.
But of course, if there is the problem of there being a lack of suitable sparring partners for you at the gym you are training at. Naturally, you have to take what's available to you.
When I was boxing at the gym I sparred every day. At the end of my daily workouts I would get in the ring and to spar a few rounds, and I never did that no less than five days a week at the gym.
If possible, you need to be sparring every day, and the more you spar the more you'll learn how to fight and what works best for you. Your trainer needs to watch you and to show you what your doing right and what your doing wrong, and what you should be doing, and also why you should do it.
This is the sign of a good trainer. He not only tells you what to do, but also why you should do it.
JC
About the evenly matched part, the sad part is, he is the closest to my weight and experience. I lost about 5 future and about to be sparring partners that were my age, size, and experience within the first 10 months!!!JCC said:
The lack of sparring you've been doing is understandable. But better of course, if you sparred daily. The last thing you should be doing at the end of your workout at the gym before hitting the showers is getting out there in the ring and sparring a few rounds if possible.bill1234 said:
JC
Well, the sparring didn't happen, I sparred a different person. The 16 year old wanted to spar someone else, so I got to spar someone my height about 5' but weighed about 130 lbs of flab and fat, and I way about 90 lbs of no fat. The person I ended up sparring had less experience, so the trainers told me to take it easy on him, so I did. I would simply flick my jab out and keep him away. He hits hard, but not in the way where when you get hit it hurts, he had the kind of punch that pushes you back and turns your head to the side when you get hit. I have a bigger right then he does (we are both right handed), but I was mainly on defence backing up (on purpose) they told me to go easy and I did. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being as hard as I can hit I hit him about a 7 with my jab, and a 5-6 with my right. On a scale of 1-10 on how much I could have hit him, 10 being every time he was open I hit him, I took it real easy and only about a 4-6. At the end of the first round, when the bell ending the round rang, he hit me with a good right to the nose. My nose is slightly swollen and sore. I went out for round 2, jabed him a bunch, and that was it.
Sparring...
Hey Bill1234
Sorry to hear you can't find an even match when it comes to sparring. Training down is almost worse than training up (as in, I'd rather fight someone better than me and give it my all, than fight someone less experienced than me and have to hold back).
Which brings me to my quesion for you: Your 16 year old counterpart, if he's better than you, bigger than you, etc...why hold back to 70%? I'd let him have it if I were you. If he's that much more expereinced, then he should be able to handle your best, right? Sparring or not, if this kid's better than you, and holding back is only getting you tagged with unneccessary shots, then you should really let him know what you're capable of. Even if you just blast him with that big right hand once, just to put him in his place, you know?
Well good luck to you, one way or the other.
Hey Bill1234
Sorry to hear you can't find an even match when it comes to sparring. Training down is almost worse than training up (as in, I'd rather fight someone better than me and give it my all, than fight someone less experienced than me and have to hold back).
Which brings me to my quesion for you: Your 16 year old counterpart, if he's better than you, bigger than you, etc...why hold back to 70%? I'd let him have it if I were you. If he's that much more expereinced, then he should be able to handle your best, right? Sparring or not, if this kid's better than you, and holding back is only getting you tagged with unneccessary shots, then you should really let him know what you're capable of. Even if you just blast him with that big right hand once, just to put him in his place, you know?
Well good luck to you, one way or the other.
It happened yesterday (tuesday 1/9/07), they told me to take easy because it was his first time sparring, but just today I found out that the day before we sparred he told everyone he was going to kick my @$$, and now I am pissed and I will wack him around.kami22 said:
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Even if your not going against better opposition in your sparring sessions, it is helpful to get some looks from different fighters. One of the Pros in my gym finds it helpful to get in there from time to time with the younger guys, because he sees punches from different angles than hes used to. Your not always going to be fighting a well trained, conventional boxer so every bit of sparring you can get helps. Twice a week is usually pretty good for sparring. You dont need to be in there 4 or 5 days out of the week unless your training for a fight and need the work.
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Oh and about getting the kid back, all you need to do is stay focused in there, and instead of letting him off easy all the time, stick a stiff jab or right in there from time to time to keep him grounded. This is boxing not tiddly-winks after all.
Well, even once a week would be better than not sparring at all.Captainobvious99 said:
Sparring is practicing, and the more practice the better you'll be. But you never want to go to extremes in any thing.
Even if your not in training for a fight. If your going to the gym daily, five days a week or whatever? If possible its good to get in a few rounds sparring at the gym as often as you do go to the gym to work out. I always did. But if you can't always get a sparring partner. Then just do what you are able to do. Even if you sparred once a week it would be better than not sparring at all.
JC
The trick I have found is find the weak spots on your sparring partner,and then use that area on your next opponent. Also, divide your training time wisely. As you are only a kid, you will not have much time per week so divide it into road running, field running( if possible), sparring, weights and the pads,bags and speed ball and remember to keep fit by doing othrsports, learn from where you are going wrong, eat well and most of all, have fun. Also watch classic fighters in your weight battle it out on DVD or video or whatever and take example of what they are doing and use this to help you in thering and copy some teqniques. GoodLuck!
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I agree with you on thatJCC said:
bill you say your kinda flat footed, you need to improve your footwork if your in against stronger guy's, get on your ropes and toes. the only way to improve is practice. but beleive me it will come with time ive no doubt if you dedicate yourself enough. you say your right hand is strong well when your sparring with these guy's i would hit them with a full blooded shot to the gut them work up top in and out one two's jab jab then back to the gut.
my trainer once told me its good to spar all types f people. peolpe more experienced, less experienced, and evenly experienced with you.
you benefit from all of these things in different ways, no matter who you spar you can always benefit. i usually spar people better than me, a few pros but mostly experienced amatuers.
i also move with girls on my team who are more experienced, but for obvious reasons i must go a bit easy on them. i get a lot of work like this and maybe once in a while ill get someone on my level to go to war with.
i like to spar as much as possible because i fnid it fun, and its the best way to train =]
my opinion on your situation (though its probably very old by now) is to take what comes to you and make the best of it, you can use this for anything in life. have fun, keep safe and work hard
you benefit from all of these things in different ways, no matter who you spar you can always benefit. i usually spar people better than me, a few pros but mostly experienced amatuers.
i also move with girls on my team who are more experienced, but for obvious reasons i must go a bit easy on them. i get a lot of work like this and maybe once in a while ill get someone on my level to go to war with.
i like to spar as much as possible because i fnid it fun, and its the best way to train =]
my opinion on your situation (though its probably very old by now) is to take what comes to you and make the best of it, you can use this for anything in life. have fun, keep safe and work hard
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