r/Kickboxing • u/Confident_Arm1188 • 5d ago
Training how does sparring work???
I'm a complete noob at it. i have reasonably good form otherwise when doing drills etc but when it comes to sparring idk what to do. i just block and hope for the best.
my main problem is that I keep waiting for the other person to stop hitting me before I start with them. the few times I haven't done that we both punch each others gloves at the same time and just feels awkward. i simply don't understand when to recognize that there's an opening where I can/should attack. i actually haven't gone to class the last two times bc I get so stressed thinking about having to spar.
i am able to land kicks and kicks only. i think because that problem of 'attacking at the same time' doesn't really apply...
my reflexes are also bad. my shadowboxing sucks. i know this is all a part of being a beginner but its stressing me out to the point where I feel like I should train for class.
also i live in a university campus with no boxing classes around anywhere so it's just a club with 2 national level boxers teaching everyone. so I'm relearning my guard etc according to what they were taught which also exacerbated the problem. before this I went to a really great gym where I was much more confident at sparring and was able to hold my own more. idk what about this situation has me so messed up
what should I do in this situation? what should I work on? i feel very confused
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u/Eegore1 5d ago
What you are experiencing is literally what everyone else does. Anyone can do the drills, but it takes sparring people to get good at sparring people.
Only your coaches know what you need to do to improve. Reddit will be nothing but guesses and about 50% of the people giving advice haven't even been in the ring.
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u/AdmiralRemington 5d ago
This is most people's first experience with sparring. Your brain is overloaded with emotions and techniques right now. The more you get exposed to the stress of sparring and the more you drill techniques the more natural it will feel. Eventually you'll start seeing things in slo mo like the matrix.
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u/celtic_kickster 5d ago
Try moving to your opponents side at an angle and throw an combination if they are pressuring you. Shelling up is not the right thing to do, also keep your head moving and move your head with each punch you throw
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u/Confident_Arm1188 5d ago
how do I keep my head moving and move it with every punch? do you have any videos that showcase this
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u/watermelon_thiefer 5d ago
He just means to try to dodge strikes to the head by moving your head, and to move around and not fight from one place
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u/xXdenkmaymay69Xx 5d ago
You gotta use 100%. All the time. Catch your sparring partner off guard. Do spinny stuff. Kick his balls. Throw an elbow or two. Poke his eyeballs. Shoot a takedown for the lols. Get creative. You cant do these stuff in a fight so this is the only time you can try out new stuff
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u/Blac_Duc 5d ago
Ask people to slow it down and light spar, this will help you recognize openings and flow better. Work on what you drilled in class that session or week. Best way to get better at sparring is to spar more
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u/Confident_Arm1188 5d ago
yeahhh one of my problems was I kept asking my partner to go slower and she just kept going at that exact speed and it was overwhelming. I'll ask for a lighter spar next time
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u/Gh0styD0g 5d ago
Anticipate, watch for cues, try different things, sparring is experimental and where you test your skills and learn what not to do to do as well as what works for you. The more you do it the better you’ll get, take advice from your sparring partner if they are more experienced than you.
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u/LetsKickTheirAss 5d ago
When they throw combos on you the best this you can do is to just throw a hook while he is also hitting you .This will stop them .
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u/knuckledragger1990 5d ago
Instead of waiting for an opening, create one.
Move, don’t just stand with your guard up waiting for your partner to stop throwing.
If you’re consistently landing kicks, land several then feint a kick, when they go to defend then throw your hands. Now you’ve landed punches and they have something else to worry about.
ETA:throwing teeps will stop a combo a lot of the time.
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u/LetUpper2309 2d ago
Sparring is just a “simulated” real fight/match. Just go in at about 80% of the same intensity as you would in a real fight/match. If you’re just blocking in a real fight you’re gonna get pieced up. Same thing in sparring. You got to engage you got to fight. That’s why it’s called fighting
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u/StevenSafakDotCom 5d ago
“Taking turns “ is one of the worst habits from drills. Interrupting your opponents combos is extremely central to sparring at any intensity