first sparring match

[Chad Armstrong]

i have my first sparring mnatch tomorrow, i have no training other than what i have done myself and i am facing a guy who trains at a gym and is quite a bit stronger than me, so wish me luck, and any tips before tomorrow would be appreciated

wish me luck!

Chad.

[MAMA_Boy]

This may be a little long winded, but...

First thing that you should realize is that sparring isn't a competition. Some people may think it is, but as you get more experienced you start to use the valuable time to work on your weakpoints. Examples: footwork, head movement, distance, guarding up. Unless you have both already agreed that it is a competition, then I would definitely run the same thing by him. It is the best time to work on your actual fighting skills without having to worry about your opponent trying to take your face of.

Work on keeping your chin tucked and your elbows in. A big mistake for most beginners is to let your elbows flare out and leave your body (and sometimes your face) exposed.

Footwork is essential. It is the transportation system of the body. If you want to hit him, you have to be close enough and in the right position. If you don't want him to hit you, well, you get the point.

Headmovement is another big thing. You don't always have to move your body to get out of the way of a punch. Instead, try moving your head just a few inches to the side and slipping his straights. Sounds easy, and it is until you accidentally slip a hook. Heh.

Realize that you cannot get into a boxing match without getting hit. It just isn't possible. All of the greatest fighters were hit during their fights. Getting hit isn't as bad as your mind and body make it out to be. In fact, after the first few hits, your body accepts it and starts to relax. I like to let my "opponent" hit me a few times just to keep me from flinching. Which brings me to the next piece of advice.

Don't flinch! The best boxers never blink, even when hit in the face. Of course that is a bit embellished, but the point is to never take your eyes off of your "opponent." Flinching is a big no-no. Try your hardest to not let it happen. Instead of shying away from a hit, either block or parry it, or let it hit you.

Anyways, there is a little start for you. Good luck.

[Chad Armstrong]

thanks for the advice, i will let you all know how it goes

[hEmPY]

My first sparing was, I was like let's roll, BAM!! I woke up, what the fukk? I think it was left hook, Im taking hits, then I counter with jab (fail), left hook (fail) left hook again BINGO! guy takes the hit and closes eyes for a second. Then he just swings w/ his left, hook-backfist-hook-backfist-etc. coach stops it. it was bout 45-60 seconds. It was good, not as good as I thought though, but it was good.

[hEmPY]

Common people. I wanna hear everyone's story.

[Chad Armstrong]

well the results r in, i was beaten. but he was a cheap fighter. i had him dazed first round (almost knocked him out) with a huge left hook, but it wasnt enough the basterd came back knocked me to the ground and started pounding me on the ground, it went back and forth for bout 10 min then he hit me and tripped me and one punched my nose and my head smashed the concrete.
i have a broken nose and concussion.
he has a broken nose.

their it is, my first fight

[Tom Yum]

Did you remember to reset the alarm and change your underwear when you woke up... ?

[Enzo566]

well i Do light sparring all the time....just because im a beginnner and im kinda shy when i get in the ring i guess.

But like last week i did an actual like sparring match with more full contact i guess.

I was facing some dude who was like twice my size and my weight class(doesnt really make that much sense i know).

Bottom line is i got a few good hits in but it didnt effect him at all. he just stood there, and then as i was throwin this one jab i kinda leaned into it, well he threw a straight..BAM nose started bleeding like crazy.

That was it, Not that cool

[MAMA_Boy]

I thought you said this was a sparring match? That doesn't count as sparring...

You're lucky you weren't injured more seriously. I guess I should have put in my post that beginners seem to want to actually fight instead of practice.

[Enzo566]

no no no lol i didnt want to fight him, he was like dont worry ill go easy on you, Cause i was trainging with these guys at my gym that one day cause there was no one else to train with plus i think training with someone better helps u get better.

So i thought we were taking it easy, but i guess not lol. I guess i gotta watch who i try and spar with.

And For the record... i dont like fighting, i get all locked up when i get in the ring, so stop making me soung like some ccrazy asshole

[hEmPY]

well the results r in, i was beaten. but he was a cheap fighter. i had him dazed first round (almost knocked him out) with a huge left hook, but it wasnt enough the basterd came back knocked me to the ground and started pounding me on the ground, it went back and forth for bout 10 min then he hit me and tripped me and one punched my nose and my head smashed the concrete.
i have a broken nose and concussion.
he has a broken nose.

their it is, my first fight

tell me, was the coach watchin, or it was some kind of street fight w/ gloves on?

[Enzo566]

yeah what the hell, when i sparred, it was in a ring, with huge gloves and mouth gaurd not on concrete where we could "smash each other"

[Chad Armstrong]

ya the guy i was supposed to be sparring is the type of guy that if you hit him really hard, he'll flip and start goin all out. thjats what happened i hit him with a huge left hook then a straigt right and knocked him to the ground then he got up and started flailin.

[Rebar Tao]

Chad

Glad you got to the gym. That's kind of rough, first time out. I figured a broken nose once or twice a year is OK, but right away, that's a meat grinder. Did your nose stop bleeding OK, or did you have to wait hours in the emergency room? They're always crowded in Chicago it seems, and just one doctor.

John

[Chad Armstrong]

ya it stopped bleeding after bout 20min, i had one hell of a headache, all he was throwin was hay makers man, but i was bobbin and weavin throughout the whole thing, dodged quite a few of em 2.