Nervous and A Bit Scared In Sparring

[EdWins]

I don't train at a gym or anything but my dad did teach me how to box when I was younger and I'd box with friends/family in front of him, and the problem I used to have (and still do I think) is I never look my opponent in the eyes... I never understood why it was so critical either but he used to shout at me to look my opponent in the eyes and not at their gloves lol.

[baya]

You sound like your ready to quit! When you add excuses to a negative approach to anything your gonna fail, the fact that you doubted yourself makes it ok in your mind. Maybe you should stop wasting your trainers time and bringing down the vibe in the gym, just leave.
Your asking questions that you already have the answers to you just want people here to pat your shoulder because your trainer probably stopped.
Listen young man if you want to do this then stop BSing and get to it. Either be a positive energy in the gym or become a punching bag with legs or leave.
Sounds like your trainer is trying to get you motivated by putting someone taller than you in with you to change the landscape. Why not put some respect in line toward your trainer and give him a chance to get you going. If you can't do that then your not the right combination to form a team. Either way its on you, stop over thinking and get doing. When you begin to train as a boxer its pretty much ALL physical, the mental side grows as your knowledge grows. Right now you know very little so get physical and BE Physical!! If you can't get physical then boxing isn't for you. Ray.

wow, you don't sound like an @sshole at all.

[chico 305]

I don't train at a gym or anything but my dad did teach me how to box when I was younger and I'd box with friends/family in front of him, and the problem I used to have (and still do I think) is I never look my opponent in the eyes... I never understood why it was so critical either but he used to shout at me to look my opponent in the eyes and not at their gloves lol.

u shudnt look into your opponents eyes, a smart fighter can feint u just by his eyes...

try and look at your opponents upper chest, the shoulders move before the punch/

[DIB42]

wow, you don't sound like an @sshole at all.

I think Ray was giving him some tough love...

[Alx.]

you feel the punches after sparring anyway

inside the ring i'm so focused when i get hit i dont even feel the pain, except for body shots those hurt like ****

[Barn]

you feel the punches after sparring anyway

inside the ring i'm so focused when i get hit i dont even feel the pain, except for body shots those hurt like ****

They make you so tired. Taking them initially is alright I find. Then the pain sets in a second or two after when you try and move and it turns out you can't.

[Prov0]

Just give it time you'll get used to it ,everyone is nervous at first ,ust try to Relax in there

[adrock1234]

Hello,

I've been boxing for a little bit now and had/have a few issues starting sparring. I'm not great but getting better, and these might help you:

- Have a game plan (mentioned in the link someone posted)

Doesn't mean know every step you're going to make but each time I step in the ring/spar I pick two-three things I'm going to work on when an event happens. E.g tonight for me it's going to be:
* shell to side-step to body shots,
* try circling right (but a bit back like Pacquaio to avoid power hand)
* don't be so peek a boo/defensive all the time but take that position when needed

- Watch heaps of good fights

I think you learn a lot from watching different styles, approaches, stances, striking style, strategies and it helps to answer our question "Yeah I can hit focus mitts like a champ but I'm in the ring, now what?"

I think there is a lot of variation even in pro boxers in things apparently as simple as jab-style and you have to find out what works for you. Don't do this by getting your head punched in trying all sorts of madness. Emulate those way better than us.

- Spar in a controlled environment

I don't know your situation but the fact that you haven't sparred much and both your partner was unloading "power shots" and your trainer cracked it at you doesn't sound like a recipe for confidence.

Find someone who is also learning and ask them to work with you outside of class/training (or however your gym runs). Go through exercises that build your fighting skills. Such as:
* glove tapping
* one defends, one attacks for a round
* one arm sparring
**** light controlled sparring
etc

I used to flinch a lot mostly due to 'too-hard' sparring. You can't get comfortable in your defence that way as a beginner.

- Shadowboxing

Oddly, a few gyms I've been to don't do this as part of training yet all the really good guys I speak to say it's essential for their progress. Don't know if you do it or not but I find it MASSIVELY helpful in so many ways including overcoming roadblocks.

For you, find some space and work through this problem: Imagine in front of you some guy is going to town on you (see him in front of you doing it), you're on your heels, he's cutting off your escape, pushing you against the ropes. How do you defeat these tactics? Does he square up in combos and you can sting him with straight shots while keeping your defence tight, is he heavy on his feet and you can side step, is his range much better than yours and you have to in-fight...

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Well I def wrote too much there so sorry.

[big paulie]

Relaxation is the last thing you'll pick up in boxing, it cant be taught but you will be told it a thousand times by your coaches, it comes with time and many rounds of sparring. When confident and relaxed you will be faster, better defensively and have more stamina

[Rockin']

Every man is a bit nervous and scared when stepping into the ring exchange, it's natural. For me I would always change my train of thougt when gloving up. Taking that fear and nervousness and changing it into rage and hard hitting aggression when the bell rings. I just know that if at any moment I am hgitting him hard is a moment that I know I'm not getting hit hard. It's like a light switch now, I can instantly turn it on and cause some havoc or I could instantly turn it off when I like. The champions are the ones who learn to make those emotions work for them, because everybody has them. Just keep stepping up, in time hopefully you'll see the light.........Rockin'