need serious help

[kadafee]

i started boxing about 10 months ago and it was all going fine until i had to spar for the first time, i was scared to hit the other guy because i thought if i hit him his gonna hit me back even harder, so i got my ass kicked, anyway since then i got put off of sparring, i sparred other less experienced people but when i have to step into the ring with the 1st guy i sparred with, i start making excuses such as forgot my gumshield and start feeling sick and sometimes remember what happend, anyways its been 6 or 7 months since that and started sparring again but still before i get into the ring i feel nervous and sort of sick/choking but when i get in it all goes away, but i will need to step up my opposition at sometime and cant go on like this, so what should i do? i think i should step into the ring and face my fears.

also another problem i have is when i sparring im doing ok but when the other guy starts pputting pressure on me or starts doing combos and backs me up to the ropes or corner i sort of start panicking and try to block it by turning around.

any help would be grately apreciated i know my problem is more mental than physical.

[Sweat]

i started boxing about 10 months ago and it was all going fine until i had to spar for the first time, i was scared to hit the other guy because i thought if i hit him his gonna hit me back even harder, so i got my ass kicked, anyway since then i got put off of sparring, i sparred other less experienced people but when i have to step into the ring with the 1st guy i sparred with, i start making excuses such as forgot my gumshield and start feeling sick and sometimes remember what happend, anyways its been 6 or 7 months since that and started sparring again but still before i get into the ring i feel nervous and sort of sick/choking but when i get in it all goes away, but i will need to step up my opposition at sometime and cant go on like this, so what should i do? i think i should step into the ring and face my fears.

also another problem i have is when i sparring im doing ok but when the other guy starts pputting pressure on me or starts doing combos and backs me up to the ropes or corner i sort of start panicking and try to block it by turning around.

any help would be grately apreciated i know my problem is more mental than physical.

[Evil_Meat]

you have a good point there

[Super_Lightweight]

You need ring experience. I started out the same way. Now I am much better and am 5-3 in the amatuers. Just stick with it. Please, do these things as they will help:

1) Breathe. Always breathe. Make yourself breathe. many forget to do this in a fight.

2) Relax. Force yourself to relax and FACE your opponent. You cannot have good defense if you are turned around. Block the punches, keep your guard high and tuck your chin and remain calm as you do this. When you get tagged it will not have as much of an effect.

3) Perhaps most important...throw combos. Do not throw just one shot at a time. Put a 1-2-3 on him, 2-3-2's and 3-2-3's. These combos work well. you will see that if one or two shots miss, at least the other(s) will hit. Something almost always lands in a combo. Breathe as you throw.

Never ever forget to breathe. Keep your composure. This will be easier with more experience.

[fraidycat]

Check my username. Dude, you sound like me a year ago.

What's the saying? "Everything in boxing is backwards."

You'd think that, if you hit someone hard, he'll hit you back harder. Usually, not so. If you hit someone hard, you'll immediately find them hitting you LESS. They'll take fewer chances. Believe me. The first time I really unloaded on someone who was tuning me up, I realized that he changed his approach radically. He did NOT want to get hit like that again. It was a mammoth turning point in the development of my personality, as well.

This is a sport; the guy you're fighting should be decent and responsive. If he's swinging too hard, TELL HIM and he'll back off. If he doesn't back off, let the other guys in your gym know -- don't complain or be a *****, just mention it in passing as you're packing up, "Man, that guy just wouldn't ease up no matter how many times I told him." Someone tougher than him will take issue with that bull**** and will tune the guy's attitude accordingly a few sparring lessons from now. At least, that's how it works at my gym.

Also, when someone comes in swinging hard, they often don't mean anything by it. I had to get over a serious set of issues about wanting to be liked, always. When someone would hit me, or even poke fun at me, I took it really badly; I always thought, "Why does this guy want to hurt me?" This exploded in the gym: the first time I got hit really hard, I threw up, then went outside and cried. (It was not one of my prouder moments.) The dude came outside and asked me if I was OK. He then told me, "I wouldn't have hit you that hard if I didn't think you was man enough to take it." Unless your opponent is just being an *******, it's a mark of honor when someone comes in swinging to put you away. It means they're either scared of you, or they think you're tough enough to take the best shots they've got.

Oh, yeah. I also take a couple of fruit-flavored Tums before I go to the gym, and I keep a roll in my bag and pop a couple if I get feeling weird before sparring. It really does help.

[+= El Jefe=+]

funny thing the hardest i get hit, the more pumped up i get in sparring...

[The Raging Bull]

funny thing the hardest i get hit, the more pumped up i get in sparring...

This is exactly how I get when I spar. If the guy hits you harder than you feel he should be in sparring, hit him back harder. He'll soon stop if you have any power.

This is boxing, don't be scared to hit him otherwise you are just going to get your ass handed to you constantly.

[MickyHatton]

Set yourself some reachable goals first pal.

Focus each time you spar on two fundamentals, for example:

1. Going forward concentrate on your jab and keep it pumping, head to body, this will keep your opponent off balance and build your confidence.
2. With your defence concentrate on a high guard and low tucked in chin and keep on the move to stop your opponent setting down on his punches.

Work at that with small variations until you build some confidence then take small steps and add perhaps head movement and a straight right to the mix etc etc.

You will be hit that's the sport but the trick is to build up your tolerance and confidence and things should become easier, if not.....

[+= El Jefe=+]

Set yourself some reachable goals first pal.

Focus each time you spar on two fundamentals, for example:

1. Going forward concentrate on your jab and keep it pumping, head to body, this will keep your opponent off balance and build your confidence.
2. With your defence concentrate on a high guard and low tucked in chin and keep on the move to stop your opponent setting down on his punches.

Work at that with small variations until you build some confidence then take small steps and add perhaps head movement and a straight right to the mix etc etc.

You will be hit that's the sport but the trick is to build up your tolerance and confidence and things should become easier, if not.....

you forgot
rule #1
DO NOT STEP STRAIGHT BACK, move back sideways, believe me it will save yoru life..

[kadafee]

i have improved abit since i first sparred, when im in the ring i do ok but its just before getting in the ring i panick but once im in there i cant feel a thing