I'd advise you to spar lightly. I'm an advocate of doing plenty of sparring and finding what works for you and what doesn't. You can spend 100 hours drilling a technique on pads but it's entirely differently using that technique in a live setting. That said, don't run before you can walk. Spar lightly and sensibly. Get used to the feeling of someone being across from you. Sparring in a controlled way will give you chance to get comfortable in a live setting and will aid your development.
This is excellent advice. Thanks MMT!
My comments are directed to Bikerguy.
You need to be aware that there are several different types of sparring and any good coach will be familiar with them. Technical sparring, conditioned sparring, 'partner pads' and 'open' sparring. The Cuban Amateur system which has produced many world and Olympic Champions emphasised Tech sparring and Conditioned spars. They also did masses of drills which were sparring related as well as simple striking and movement drills.
The British system which in recent years has produced Olympic and World Champions has a similar approach. Likewise the Irish.
Successful learning involves many hours of directed practice and no good coach will allow any beginner to do 'open' sparring until the basics are very well learned. Defensive skills are as important as offensive skills. If you don't move your feet and body (and head!) well, then you lack major defensive techniques. You absolutely have to feel confident that you can defend against basic punches before you progress in sparring. Thats where Tech and Conditioned sparring come in.
MMTwister is absolutely right about needing to get used to the fact that someone is doing their best to hit you, just as you are trying to hit them! If they have movement skills in terms of feet and body and you don't, then you won't even get in range to hit them unless they choose to let you. If they are sensible and responsible and the coach overseeing the spar is doing his/her job then they won't take advantage of you.
That's why it's always best to develop your sparring skills with more talented and experienced boxers. 2 unskilled novices together are an accident waiting to happen and neither will learn much!
And accidents DO happen, even to experienced boxers.
I had a detached retina sparring in my mid 50s in a great gym in a supervised spar with a friend who was a British Police Champion. We had both sparred 100s of rounds in that gym. I had both a basic and advanced Coaching qualification. He was a talented boxer. I was merely enthusiastic and fit and sparred a lot! It was a total accident (thumb in the eye) but I went blind in the eye and needed to have 2 operations and a lengthy recovery period before I got the sight back. Now in my 70s that eye is deteriorating and further surgery is unlikely to help.
Finally, always spar in a proper ring. That padded canvas is there to protect you if you go down and bang your head. People die all the time in street altercations where a momentary period of unconsciousness means the skull cracks against the pavement. An unpadded gym floor is as hard as the street. Drills can be done outside a ring. 'Open' sparring must always be in a proper ring.
Finally Learn skills, get in shape to move - and take the advice of your coach as to when you should get in the ring!
Hey bud. I am a middleweight boxer and boxing coach. I owned and ran two boxing gyms in Oregon before moving to Australia. I am head coach at City Gym in Adelaide now. I've done a lot of masters level boxing in the US, UK, and Australia. I am currently, in fact, on a fantastic voyage around the world. I have already hosted 3 boxing events in Europe and I'm now in the US. I just hosted boxing meets in NY and Boston and I'm now in Toms River, NJ where I will train with Darren Maciunski, former pro welterweight boxer and champ. I will then go to DC, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles to complete my FightOdyssey.
Enough about me. Now...YOU.
GO BOX. I'll be honest with you, since I am also of your age group...hell, I'm even older! When I train young guys I have them do drills and learn technique very well before they spar. They always want to spar immediately...they want to get in there and BOX. I don't blame them. But they MUST learn the basics first. Depending on the individual, I might have them train for several months before sparring. Sometimes less, though. I know some coaches who will not allow guys to spar for many months. But I know this...you learn by getting in the ring, gloves on, and boxing.
I think you should go ahead ad spar. You will find out what it is all about. That is the only way you will truly find out what it's like. If you were a young kid in your teens or 20s I would say train longer, be patient, then spar. But I say to you...go spar. Go BOX.
Hi guys. I like having this forum to pose questions to experienced boxers like you guys.
As a new boxer, I am still learning and still very new. However I feel things are progressing slowly and I want more physical interaction, more punching, more experience with guys who know how to fight, maybe learn more by being in it. My trainer says I am rushing things, that I don't have all the basics down yet. Maybe I am being impatient but I just wanna fight! Am I being irrational and just setting myself up for an ass-kicking before I have my defensive skills to an appropriate point that I could safely spar more aggressively? I don't mean to disrespect my trainer but he says I need at least 6 months of training and practice before even considering a full sparring match and I feel I am hungry and just getting crumbs. Maybe some of you guys can comment or share how you got into the sport and at what point you fought more aggressively. Let me know if I am being reckless or just have a healthy enthusiasm. Thanks.
MMTwister (23)
1/13/2017 9:44 AMI'd advise you to spar lightly. I'm an advocate of doing plenty of sparring and finding what works for you and what doesn't. You can spend 100 hours drilling a technique on pads but it's entirely differently using that technique in a live setting. That said, don't run before you can walk. Spar lightly and sensibly. Get used to the feeling of someone being across from you. Sparring in a controlled way will give you chance to get comfortable in a live setting and will aid your development.
boxjim12 (5)
1/15/2017 12:33 PM(In reply to this)
This is excellent advice. Thanks MMT!
My comments are directed to Bikerguy.
You need to be aware that there are several different types of sparring and any good coach will be familiar with them. Technical sparring, conditioned sparring, 'partner pads' and 'open' sparring. The Cuban Amateur system which has produced many world and Olympic Champions emphasised Tech sparring and Conditioned spars. They also did masses of drills which were sparring related as well as simple striking and movement drills.
The British system which in recent years has produced Olympic and World Champions has a similar approach. Likewise the Irish.
Successful learning involves many hours of directed practice and no good coach will allow any beginner to do 'open' sparring until the basics are very well learned. Defensive skills are as important as offensive skills. If you don't move your feet and body (and head!) well, then you lack major defensive techniques. You absolutely have to feel confident that you can defend against basic punches before you progress in sparring. Thats where Tech and Conditioned sparring come in.
MMTwister is absolutely right about needing to get used to the fact that someone is doing their best to hit you, just as you are trying to hit them! If they have movement skills in terms of feet and body and you don't, then you won't even get in range to hit them unless they choose to let you. If they are sensible and responsible and the coach overseeing the spar is doing his/her job then they won't take advantage of you.
That's why it's always best to develop your sparring skills with more talented and experienced boxers. 2 unskilled novices together are an accident waiting to happen and neither will learn much!
And accidents DO happen, even to experienced boxers.
I had a detached retina sparring in my mid 50s in a great gym in a supervised spar with a friend who was a British Police Champion. We had both sparred 100s of rounds in that gym. I had both a basic and advanced Coaching qualification. He was a talented boxer. I was merely enthusiastic and fit and sparred a lot! It was a total accident (thumb in the eye) but I went blind in the eye and needed to have 2 operations and a lengthy recovery period before I got the sight back. Now in my 70s that eye is deteriorating and further surgery is unlikely to help.
Finally, always spar in a proper ring. That padded canvas is there to protect you if you go down and bang your head. People die all the time in street altercations where a momentary period of unconsciousness means the skull cracks against the pavement. An unpadded gym floor is as hard as the street. Drills can be done outside a ring. 'Open' sparring must always be in a proper ring.
Finally Learn skills, get in shape to move - and take the advice of your coach as to when you should get in the ring!
HarborFighter (53 )
1/13/2017 3:13 AMHey bud. I am a middleweight boxer and boxing coach. I owned and ran two boxing gyms in Oregon before moving to Australia. I am head coach at City Gym in Adelaide now. I've done a lot of masters level boxing in the US, UK, and Australia. I am currently, in fact, on a fantastic voyage around the world. I have already hosted 3 boxing events in Europe and I'm now in the US. I just hosted boxing meets in NY and Boston and I'm now in Toms River, NJ where I will train with Darren Maciunski, former pro welterweight boxer and champ. I will then go to DC, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles to complete my FightOdyssey.
Enough about me. Now...YOU.
GO BOX. I'll be honest with you, since I am also of your age group...hell, I'm even older! When I train young guys I have them do drills and learn technique very well before they spar. They always want to spar immediately...they want to get in there and BOX. I don't blame them. But they MUST learn the basics first. Depending on the individual, I might have them train for several months before sparring. Sometimes less, though. I know some coaches who will not allow guys to spar for many months. But I know this...you learn by getting in the ring, gloves on, and boxing.
I think you should go ahead ad spar. You will find out what it is all about. That is the only way you will truly find out what it's like. If you were a young kid in your teens or 20s I would say train longer, be patient, then spar. But I say to you...go spar. Go BOX.
Bikerguy516 (35 )
1/13/2017 2:15 AMHi guys. I like having this forum to pose questions to experienced boxers like you guys.
As a new boxer, I am still learning and still very new. However I feel things are progressing slowly and I want more physical interaction, more punching, more experience with guys who know how to fight, maybe learn more by being in it. My trainer says I am rushing things, that I don't have all the basics down yet. Maybe I am being impatient but I just wanna fight! Am I being irrational and just setting myself up for an ass-kicking before I have my defensive skills to an appropriate point that I could safely spar more aggressively? I don't mean to disrespect my trainer but he says I need at least 6 months of training and practice before even considering a full sparring match and I feel I am hungry and just getting crumbs. Maybe some of you guys can comment or share how you got into the sport and at what point you fought more aggressively. Let me know if I am being reckless or just have a healthy enthusiasm. Thanks.