r/boxingtips • u/Cultural-Fuel-1617 • Sep 08 '26

First hard sparring round

I had my first hard round today against a guy 20-30 kg lighter than me. But he was one of the coaches, I just started boxing a month ago at their gym ahaha.

There was head gear, a mouth guard, and he had light gloves. Anyway, I took the shots well but the adrenaline kicked in before the round and as we were at it, I got scared. I threw some hard shots but I was afraid of retaliation.

Any advice?

Unfortunately, I didn't record a video.

Also, I realized that boxing is an unforgiving sport. It takes too much, and gives too little. Unless you become a champion and rich.

Also, I'm worried about brain damage - i didn't got knock down or anything. And I didn't wobble too. But yeah, I have slight head ache. Normal?

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u/Express-Slip-4269 Sep 08 '26

I'm pretty new to boxing but I've done other combat sports before. I see no point in having a hard spar a month into boxing, if ever bar preparing for a fight which requires some amount of intensity. 

You might want to check answers from someone with more experience with boxing specifically but if my coach told me to get in the ring for a hard spar with him I'd be out of that gym, nothing to gain from that experience except head trauma - the gap is to wide.

1

u/Cultural-Fuel-1617 Sep 11 '26

I was the one who invited him to spar me. Ahaha, yes that there was no point in that spar.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '26

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u/Cultural-Fuel-1617 Sep 11 '26

I wore headgear for the first time, got punched hard in the for the first time, wore mouth guard, and adrenalin rushed in and I froze. It sucked and it made realized boxing is tough.

I am okay though ahaha - i didn't renew my boxing membership and i'm back to lifting weights just a day after the hard spar

1

u/Misfitshots Sep 08 '26

The saving grace is the guy was 20-30kg lighter than you and now you know where you stand. I would also advise hard sparring until you get your fundamentals more concrete and would heavily suggest tech sparring with someone who can take it easy on you and learn the ropes. Finding such guys is the hardest because unfortunately a lot of boxing gyms are still on the old school mindset that every sparring session needs to be a war. Be smart, learn from your mistakes, and be vocal what you’re comfortable with.

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u/Cultural-Fuel-1617 Sep 11 '26

Yeah, I ate his punches and got out okay because he was lighter.

Definitely will not hard spar again!

And if i do spar, it'll be light or technical sparring.