What does it mean to only go 20% in sparring ?

[WillieWild114]

What does it mean when a sparring partner says lets go at a 20% instensity

[crimsonfalcon07]

That means technical sparring. You reserve the power, and sometimes the speed, but not the skill. Takes a lot more skill to land a punch with speed but not actually do more than tap. Gives you the opportunity to try out more complicated things, or work on something that you might not be able to if you're working hard rounds. That sort of sparring is more common at the high levels of Muay Thai and MMA because you don't run as high a risk of injury and people are more willing to let go so you can work on skills like high level defense and counterpunching and timing more effectively.

I get the impression you're relatively new to boxing training, so if that's the case, I suggest you pick something specific you want to work on in each round. You can even tell your partner what you want to work on. The point of sparring isn't to beat the crap out of each other, it's to help each other get better and more prepared for what you will face in the ring. Newer fighters very rarely think to set goals for sparring. Might be something as simple as keeping the hands at the right level when you recoil, or working the body, or cutting off the ring, or trying to get angles, etc as you get more advanced. Maybe you keep getting hit by the same punch. Tell your partner that you keep getting hit by that punch and ask them to keep mixing it in so you get to see it more and can work on your defense and counters for it.

[Tails]

You don't close your fist as tight when you punch and you aren't putting your weight into your shots.

It's more to work on getting the footwork down for new setups and to shake off any rust until you start getting more sharp and crisp.