VIDEO: Sparring.

[!! Shawn]

I watched the whole thing, some of it I liked, some of it I didn't.

I liked the parrying with the right hand, working the jab, & being relaxed.

I didn't like the sheer amount of circling at the beginning (too much). Didn't like the way you crossed your feet when circling (asking for trouble). Really didn't like how you'd do head movement & then trip over yourself getting on your bicycle. If you're going to use head movement at least close in & tag a little bit, tie up, or angle off - way too many times you'd slip a punch or two and then hop straight back.

I know you wanted to help Luke, but you didn't even stick around in the pocket long enough to let him score. Way too much retreating straight back; which made the spar look even lighter than it probably was.

Some of these habits you would sometimes not do, but it was enough to be noticeable.

Great post, but I think you are misunderstanding what the purpose of the sparring was.

It was my goal to help Luke relax and be able to see punches coming more easily.

I had no intention of sticking around and letting him score. Luke does not need help finding openings or learning to punch in combinations, he is already quite good at it, but he gets tense, and sometimes he becomes so focused on looking for openings, that he doesn't see some of the punches coming. I was trying to help him with that.

It was also my second time sparring in over 9 months, 1st time in over 6 months due to medical problems. There are few little rusty spots I need to work on, one of them is moving after head movement, although the part you are talking about where I nearly fell over, was because I blocked a left hook from Luke that pushed me off balance when I was coming out of the deep squat.

My footwork in general has suffered as a result of not being able to spar. My balance is not as good, my pivots are off. I looked awkward doing some moves that I use to look much more fluid doing.

Its also true that I made the sparring look lighter than it was. I was holding back on my punches, to help Luke relax, but Luke's punches were quite a bit stiffer than they look on camera.

I guess you can't really tell how hard a punch is if you don't see it hit hitting anything.

[Nacho_Analstain]

How many fights do you have and how many Wins/Losses?

...........................

[Pork Chop]

Part of my comment was that tensing up can come from not having a lot of confidence.
If you let him score on the inside- assuming he slips your punches, it'll let him know that if he evades the punches & gets to the inside that there's a "pot of gold" waiting for him.
He'll be more motivated than just sitting on the outside of his range & dodging your shots.
Plus I think it would give him better habits - use the defense to have better offense.
But that's just my opinion.
Like I said, I'm a firm believer that any punch slipped should be used to close distance & hit.

[P4PKING_2008]

...........................

Hes been asked that numerous times in this thread. He hasn't had any fights. Or is not allowed to because hes lost so many. Prove me wrong.

[Darkstranger]

Hes been asked that numerous times in this thread. He hasn't had any fights. Or is not allowed to because hes lost so many. Prove me wrong.

Indeed! I'm awaiting an answer to this myself.

He sometimes reminds me of Audley Harrison sometimes the way he answers posts. Has an answer for everything.

[danny stash]

Indeed! I'm awaiting an answer to this myself.

He sometimes reminds me of Audley Harrison sometimes the way he answers posts. Has an answer for everything.

HAHAA

Its so true this kid is in his own dream world.

Shawn aka "delusions of grandeur"

[!! Shawn]

Part of my comment was that tensing up can come from not having a lot of confidence.
If you let him score on the inside- assuming he slips your punches, it'll let him know that if he evades the punches & gets to the inside that there's a "pot of gold" waiting for him.
He'll be more motivated than just sitting on the outside of his range & dodging your shots.
Plus I think it would give him better habits - use the defense to have better offense.
But that's just my opinion.
Like I said, I'm a firm believer that any punch slipped should be used to close distance & hit.

I understand what you are saying, but I wasn't trying to build his confidence, he doesn't have any confidence problems at all, he just gets a little to tense in the heat of battle.

If I was his only sparring partner I would let him find me every once in a while, but there are plenty of people he spars with that he absolutely dominates. In fact, I think he has gotten the best of everyone in our gym with the exception of myself and Dorian.

I am going to work with him on his head movement because I feel it is a little excessive, and he has a tendency to do it to the point of predictability.

I didn't show the rounds were I was throwing punches at Luke helping him with his defense, but he pretty predictably slipped right then left and rolled under so I would just throw a Jab Right hand, then a weak left hook to disguise the fact that I was stepping back to hit him square in the forehead with a right uppercut as he tried to roll under the left hook.

I am also helping him properly catch and parry jabs. A LOT of people do it wrong, they try to slap it down and if its ******ed easy to feint their hand out of position and drill home a left hook, so I am teaching him when and were to use the different kinds of catches and parries.

Catching and Parrying has always been my strong point. I can move my head really well now, and slip and use my legs for defense, but I use to be a strictly block and catch and parry guy.

I still have a tendency to do that a bit I mainly block parry or catch anything to do with the left hand.

I am not sure if it is because I am a natural southpaw that the motion is so comfortable for me, with the left handed baseball glove and all, but it is, and I use it to the best of my ability, and try to help anyone I can with it too.

[!! Shawn]

Indeed! I'm awaiting an answer to this myself.

He sometimes reminds me of Audley Harrison sometimes the way he answers posts. Has an answer for everything.

If you really want to know, I will pm you, but with the exception of scanning my passbook, which I have no intention of making it public record, nobody on this forum will believe anything I say, so I am just going to leave them hanging.

[Darkstranger]

Hes been asked that numerous times in this thread. He hasn't had any fights. Or is not allowed to because hes lost so many. Prove me wrong.

If you really want to know, I will pm you, but with the exception of scanning my passbook, which I have no intention of making it public record, nobody on this forum will believe anything I say, so I am just going to leave them hanging.

Nah, in fact don't worry about it mate, I can't be arsed!

[sterling]

lol the next charlie Z