Ok
Ive been boxing for about a month and a half, coming up to 2 months, and they want me to get a mouthguard for sparring.
is it normal to be worried; firstly i wear braces (im 15) so im worried about damage to them, even with mouthguard. secondally, im worried about just being humiliated by someone better than me, because the only other boys around my size (im 6ft 1, 74kg) are fairly experienced.

EDIT (24/3)
Sparred today. was pretty nervous. got in with a guy who was taller than me and has been boxing for 6 months (but isnt really that good). i wasted energy moving too much at first, but in the second round i did better; and landed a few semi-good shots in the 3rd. I got one nice straight right on him, got between his gloves (he lowers his hands too much).
Thanks for all the encouragement. they said i may be sparring on wednesday again

Hey Harry.

Firstly, anyone who takes advantage of you in your first spar is an asshole. It's extremely faux-pas and it won't happen. If it does - you have every right to be pissed off.

As for wearing braces - they will be ok under your gum shield.

Just go in, be confident and enjoy yourself.

your first spar will only be a round or so i would think. and you will be watched closely IF you are in with anyone who know what they are doing. so you wont get a beating. just chill and get those legs moving!

Nothing to be worried about, explain to your partner you are only beginning and after you get hit once the jitters are over for sure. Than after your first session you will know whether or not you are a boxer.

good luck

It is natural man. You'll get a little nervous everytime for a little while.

Your are going to get really nervous because you are going to see the guy you are sparring, and you will see he is much much better than you and you are gonna worry he gonna whoop up on you a bit.

Then you will realize why..... you'll be with someone who is much better because they can have control. You'll work and love it.

Just be mindful to work on what you have learned. You aren't fighting, you are practicing.

You'll be fine.

Hey Harry.

Firstly, anyone who takes advantage of you in your first spar is an asshole. It's extremely faux-pas and it won't happen. If it does - you have every right to be pissed off.

As for wearing braces - they will be ok under your gum shield.

Just go in, be confident and enjoy yourself.


the only time i get pissed of if when i knew if i put more effort in i could of done better.

just try your best

when u fight somebody who has few experience with sparring just like u, u will get more of a beating then when u fight some one who is more experienced. It usualy becomes a slugfest when 2 guys who don't have much experience spar with each other.

I sparred after 2 weeks :lol1: You'll be aite. You will only be allowed to throw jabs or just left hands or just not throw and work on defence. It won't be a real spar trust me. But, if it is once ya get hit on the nose and ya eyes water thats when you know you can fight or not.

Good luck tell us how it went!

thanks guys - really appreciate it.
unrelated by the way, in amature 16 year old fights, wat is the likelihood of KO?
does it happen much?

Stay calm is the key, thats all I gotta say.

Ayo verse wheres dem vids at?

jberg lol u worried about being koed? lol listen calm down man its jus sparring and i see u wana fight amatuer so jus go through with it if u get knocked down then get bak up.

thanks guys - really appreciate it.
unrelated by the way, in amature 16 year old fights, wat is the likelihood of KO?
does it happen much?
LOL No Ko man..just go easy

If you are goin easy he will not start blasting you, dictate the pace.

thanks guys - really appreciate it.
unrelated by the way, in amature 16 year old fights, wat is the likelihood of KO?
does it happen much?

Fights that end within the distance often do so because the referee steps in to stop it. If a fighter takes a decent shot he is more likely to get a standing 8 count than anything else.

If possible find out when boxers from your gym are having an amateur fight and go along to watch.

Try not to worry. Everyone gets nervous, but like most things once you do it you'll look back and wonder what you were so worried about.

Also remember that your coach won't put you in for an amateur fight if you aren't ready.

Remember, courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is being scared shitless and stepping through the ropes anyway.

Just keep your gloves up and have absolute, unwavering faith in everything you've been taught at your gym. It will save your ass. Don't think that you know better than your trainer. You don't. There's a reason you do drills. Use 'em.

And if you decide, after sparring, that this isn't your game, there's no shame in that. You did it. Just getting in there is more than most people will ever do.

Let us know how it goes.

I think you are better off sparring with a more experianced dude. Hes gonna know how to hold back. the dude would have to be a complete asshole to knock you out.

I just started sparring about 6 months ago and I think the biggest thing for me was simply relaxing. My nerves completely drained me. I couldnt hardly go 2 rounds and I was in good shape. the second time I got in the ring I did 6 rounds no problem. just relax and trust that they are not just feeding you to the wolves.

thanks everyone, i should be sparring on monday or wednesday
by the way im NOT worried about knockout in sparring, i was just asking about general amature youth boxing, if or how often KOs happen.
i think i know who the guy is, hes a bit taller than me, but ive got a more muscular build then him. should be fun :) im way less worried now.

thanks everyone, i should be sparring on monday or wednesday
by the way im NOT worried about knockout in sparring, i was just asking about general amature youth boxing, if or how often KOs happen.
i think i know who the guy is, hes a bit taller than me, but ive got a more muscular build then him. should be fun :) im way less worried now.

No one goes for a knockout in the amateurs it is worth as much a jab in terms of points. Just bragging rights at the end of the day.

Odds are you're the one throwing punches adn that guy will only walk around and work on defense. you should just keep calm and don't try throwing big looping bombs or do anythign your trainer hasn't taught you.

Good luck! tell us how it goes.

just remember that the guy youre fighting is most likely going at about 40% for you. so you should be going harder, but also dont be blasting bombs either. this always happens to me. im going light because the guys a begginner, and they start blasting bombs on you. you can defend them easily etc because they cant punch properly are slow etc. but this is boxing and you can always get caught. so sometimes if they do that i will go harder on them. just remember to stay calm and work on your technique more then power etc.

maan..first time i sparred, i got blasted..dude was hittin me after they told him to stop..that ass hole...but i worked harder and got him back the next time..i was too nervous and scared..what vers said, just relax

the tips i can give you from the first time i sparred:

1. Relax - i know you will be nervous i was but if you dont relax you will flinch when punches are thrown at you and you wont breath properly. I was didnt breath at all first round and i was absolutly ****ed.

2. Go in throw a combination then move out and breath!!! I made the mistake of goin in throwin combinations then standing there and gettin hit unnecessarily.

3. Listen to everything the trainer says he is there to help you.

one thing you will notice is when you finish sparring for the very first time in front of the other lads at the gym who prob didnt think you were good enough to box when you first walked in - you will feel like youve gt the biggest dick in the world. my confidence was sky high and i was unstoppable for the rest of the week. ITS THE BEST FEELING EVER. i did 3 two minute rounds and i really felt like id achieved summit.

thanks
i should be sparring this afternoon :D
wish me luck

thanks
i should be sparring this afternoon :D
wish me luck

Good luck!

Don't worry about being nervous. Try to relax as much as you can but remember that everyone is nervous, even your sparing partner. You should be proud of the fact you stepped into the ring as it shows you have courage.

It's practice. This is where you want to have your flaws exposed so that you and your trainer will know what to work on.