Safe sparring

[dudeguyman]

So in light of recent events I have become unable to spar for who knows how long. I just know it's gonna be a while. I used to think you should spar every class, which for me would be something like four days a week. I also thought I was sparring light when perhaps I was not. So blah blah blah obligatory sherdoggers aren't pussys and we have hard sparring for breakfast eight days a week. What constitutes light sparring, and what constitutes hard sparring? Since even light knocks to the head, often enough, can lead to concussions, what is the best ratio of sparring to how often you go into the gym for both good improvement and health? What are the pitfalls to avoid and why? Discuss.

 

[ctrlaltdelete]

Throwing with speed but not with power. Touching the opponent without putting your weight into punches.

Do you record yourself sparring? Maybe seeing how you spar will give you perspective on if you are going too hard.

 

[FierceRedBelt]

I prefer to spar on the third Sunday of the year of the rat every other century. Just uppercuts and spinning shit.

 

[DoctorTaco]

I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["hard sparring"], and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that.[4]

- United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart

 

[dudeguyman]

I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["hard sparring"], and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that.[4]

- United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart

I'm sorry, what?

 

[dudeguyman]

Throwing with speed but not with power. Touching the opponent without putting your weight into punches.
Do you record yourself sparring? Maybe seeing how you spar will give you perspective on if you are going too hard.

I don't have any videos of me sparring. I'll make some to show you guys someday, but if I ever want to spar again it's probably gonna be a long ass time before I do that. In the meantime I'm switching gyms and looking for some competent padholders, to save my chin. Sounds like I was doing the opposite of what you were saying. I always put weight into my strikes and slowed my strikes down to lighten them up.
<{CMPALM}>

 

[biscuitsbrah]

I have light, medium, and hard.
Light I am pulling my punches
Medium I am letting them all the way through
Hard I am trying to hurt my partner

 

[DoctorTaco]

I'm sorry, what?

wat?

 

[dudeguyman]

wat?

You gave me a link to the supreme Court or some shit. Lol

 

[DoctorTaco]

You gave me a link to the supreme Court or some shit. Lol

read it more carefully

 

[FightGuyOpenMind]

So in light of recent events I have become unable to spar for who knows how long. I just know it's gonna be a while. I used to think you should spar every class, which for me would be something like four days a week. I also thought I was sparring light when perhaps I was not. So blah blah blah obligatory sherdoggers aren't pussys and we have hard sparring for breakfast eight days a week. What constitutes light sparring, and what constitutes hard sparring? Since even light knocks to the head, often enough, can lead to concussions, what is the best ratio of sparring to how often you go into the gym for both good improvement and health? What are the pitfalls to avoid and why? Discuss.

No blows to the head are healthy. Not a single one. Four days a week? I'm assuming you're striking…..that is insane. Goodness, do you have a fight coming up? Even pro boxers may spar 2 hard sessions a week. Keith Thurman (WBA Boxing Champ) said his camp consists of sparring on Tuesdays, and Thursdays. At my gym we use to have official sparring days on Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Now we don't have an "official" day, people fit in when they want based on their schedule. Saturday is a good day for people to be around to work with.

Anyways, hard sparring is when you're using all of your abilities. Light sparring involves you guys working on just landing your shots, or performing specific strategies. Just being in front of each other, shots not really thrown with conviction. No follow ups on shots. If you hit a guy hard, let him regain himself, don't go for the finish like an actual fight.

I think you need to watch your mileage. Work on your shadowboxing, heavy bag, speed bag, double end, mittwork etc etc...….but don't go crazy with sparring. Try making smart use of sparring---perhaps have friends video tape. Study tape. See what you want to work on, and put it into your bag work, and shadowboxing. Sparring just to spar is on a regular basis is not beneficial, and can burn you out or injure your body/brain.

James Toney, retired boxing great, would spar for everything to include conditioning. Rumor is he didn't even too much run to get in shape, he just sparred. I respect him, and his legacy. He is a legend in boxing, but listen to an interview of him talking recently. That is what overdoing it in sparring gets you. Good luck. Train smart.

 

[Sinister]

There aren't many thread ideas I've not done an in-depth thread on:

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/levels-of-sparring-visual-aids.2688481/

 

[dudeguyman]

read it more carefully

 

[dudeguyman]

There aren't many thread ideas I've not done an in-depth thread on:

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/levels-of-sparring-visual-aids.2688481/

Ah, from the looks of that, I've never sparred light even once. Mostly moderate sparring from the ways they are described, and I'll admit I've never been taught enough defense to warrant going so hard.

 

[FightGuyOpenMind]

There aren't many thread ideas I've not done an in-depth thread on:

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/levels-of-sparring-visual-aids.2688481/

Awesome visuals!! I'm studying them myself.

The tall lanky guy in the second to the last video clearly established the pace from the onset. You'll have guys who will do this. It's one thing to determine what you intend to do it's another thing to determine what another guy intends to do.

@dudeguyman Usually if a guy hits you hard then you know what you're in for. Different emotions, and motivations are going in the gym. My body language may say "work on stuff", but then when they try to get you out of there it obviously has to change. Personally, I think it be wise to either know your sparring partners or establish what the intent is before going in. Nothing more disrespectful than trying to work on some stuff, and then a guy tries to floor you. Foul play.

You're more than likely to get a hard spar when there is a crowd present in the gym, or sad to say---women. They may not be consciously doing it, but many lack the maturity to control themselves with eyes watching; especially women. Check your surroundings before you spar.

Skill level will also determine the pace.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!
Don't fight at the other guy's pace. This will more than likely tire you out. If he is going hard, there are things you can do to control him. From Judo, and wrestling experience I know how to have someone hold my body weight in a clinch.

You can tire out that steam they have if they want to be an asshole with you. Or keep them at the end of the jab, get to close then check hook.
Since you're sparring so much, learn head movement. Protect the brain.

 

[RightToBareKnuckles]

View attachment 441065

i'm pretty sure it's a reference to some case about defining what constitutes "porn", and that phrase "i know it when i see it" is sorta famous, at least in legal circles.

from my minimal experience sparring, one thing i found helpful in light sparring is to sort of think of it as a game of tag. don't walk though jabs and eat crosses just because it's light and you can. think of any 'touch' as potentially hurting you if it was full contact

 

[j123]

I spar once a week on average, sometimes I can't make the time due to work and end up twice a month. Oddly those days I do "quite well".

Really it depends on your exp. and type. If you're very green like how I was at first, I needed to spar 4-5 days a week so I could get used to the whole arrangement. Getting hit at the time was an issue for me, and the frequency of sparring helped put things to normal. That was really a stupid time of mine when I look back, had gotten my leg shot to shit where I could barely walk, thought I had a tear but didn't, yet I still had to spar or I would be cut from the camp....Don't do that.

From your footwork vid and how you write about inquires on the forum, I have a feeling you're very stiff. Flow spar more on your off time, get a friend at the gym and flow spar before classes. Do about 5-10min of it, you'll get looser and it would help you throw more of what you should in combinations.

Sparring is just a place to experiment what you've been working on, and have it in a live environment, its not an actual fight. So many people have burnt themselves out in the gym, we all have a shelf-life for this, make it count and put it in the ring or cage, not the practice room.

 

[dudeguyman]

I spar once a week on average, sometimes I can't make the time due to work and end up twice a month. Oddly those days I do "quite well".

Really it depends on your exp. and type. If you're very green like how I was at first, I needed to spar 4-5 days a week so I could get used to the whole arrangement. Getting hit at the time was an issue for me, and the frequency of sparring helped put things to normal. That was really a stupid time of mine when I look back, had gotten my leg shot to shit where I could barely walk, thought I had a tear but didn't, yet I still had to spar or I would be cut from the camp....Don't do that.

From your footwork vid and how you write about inquires on the forum, I have a feeling you're very stiff. Flow spar more on your off time, get a friend at the gym and flow spar before classes. Do about 5-10min of it, you'll get looser and it would help you throw more of what you should in combinations.

Sparring is just a place to experiment what you've been working on, and have it in a live environment, its not an actual fight. So many people have burnt themselves out in the gym, we all have a shelf-life for this, make it count and put it in the ring or cage, not the practice room.

At this point I'm probably too used to sparring, even if I'm not too good on the technical side. It really sounds like I've been overdoing it with the sparring for years.
<mma2>
Appreciate the feedback. Also I think a contributor to the poor footwork aside from not being taught it was that I've been sparring on thick judo mats. The whole damn floor is judo mats.

 

[j123]

At this point I'm probably too used to sparring, even if I'm not too good on the technical side. It really sounds like I've been overdoing it with the sparring for years.
<mma2>
Appreciate the feedback. Also I think a contributor to the poor footwork aside from not being taught it was that I've been sparring on thick judo mats. The whole damn floor is judo mats.

That's fine, most gyms use puzzle mats anyways, you don't need Zebra mats to get good on footwork.

Find the right partners to spar with, and keep things normal. If you're constantly in gym wars you won't be trying out new material you should be doing because well you're just trying to survive against blows.

You need to do more drills imo. Drills are very like sparring when you get to do them normally. Stuff like, your partner is on offense, and you're on nothing but defense. Defense as in block, evade, parry, counter with a combination, but no initiating offense on your end. Do that for a round, and switch. It will feel very like sparring, if you do it on a shorter round, it'll be intense as well. Do more of those

You mentioned you went to a new gym so its a good start, maybe the peeps there aren't so gungho about winning in the practice room.

 

[William Huggins]

Throwing with speed but not with power. Touching the opponent without putting your weight into punches.

Do you record yourself sparring? Maybe seeing how you spar will give you perspective on if you are going too hard.

Whilst it's important to throw with speed, you need to be wary of the gym spaz..........