Advice for toughening myself for hard sparring?

[LLTF]

I've been training for a few months and copped a couple of smashings in sparring. I've got a decent base level of fitness, but I find that when I get in there with the more experienced boys, the fighters that I get a high level of anxiety beforehand and lock up a bit when they hit me with some good intense shots. I'm not complaining or looking for sympathy, I'm just asking for some advice please from more experienced people. How can I toughen myself up so I don't defeat my own mind and clam up when I'm in there? I asked my mate that is taller and heavier than me by about 15-20 kilos for sparring tomorrow, I want to go around 5 solid rounds with him and see if I can bang it out.

Any advice on how I can just toughen up mentally and stop being intimidated by bigger and more experienced guys? I've been told I have some talent for the sport so I'd like to be a bit more serious about it. Just putting it out there and seeing what people think. I get a bit of inspiration from reading that Fenech used to have wars in the gym with Jeff Harding, and he was a lot bigger than Fenech. Would never compare myself to those guys at all but not sure what to believe, I've read mixed opinions online, some say you should spar the bigger guys and some say don't spar bigger guys, you've got nothing to prove to people twice your weight.

No idea what to believe, there are so many opinions in this sport.

[Redd Foxx]

Work on your defense. If you're taking punishment then it's only natural that you are freezing up. Banging it out isn't particularly smart or healthy so don't make that your goal. Work defensive drills, over and over. Once you get your defensive reflexes sharpened, you will be able to take less punishment. When you're not froze up you'll be giving more output, which in turn helps you get hit less too.

[DinoCop]

find a cliff by seaside and throw yourself to the rocks 3 times a week. This will roughen your ribs as well as your chin.
And working on defensive techniques that suits you most (slip, cover, roll, or slap) could help as well, you get toughen up in time.
Oh by the way, don't try to condition your head by getting hit like some idiots do and it just doesn't get conditioned., we need our braincells.

[djif]

1. move
2. don't take punishment on a regular basis. All that have to do - prove yourself you can take a beating. Cause it can happen with you in your further 'career'.
No need to stand with bigger guys every training day.

[Prince Madison]

do what margarito used to do and get someone to hit you with a stick

[LLTF]

do what margarito used to do and get someone to hit you with a stick

Hahahaha, not too sure about this one mate.

[Ray Corso]

Your most important spar sessions at the beginning should be with someone your own size (weight) and your experience. Thats how to gauge your growth and have a good experience. Sparring with heavier partners who are "banging" you around is always counter productive as a "beginner".
You have nothing to prove because your not on any level yet!
Try locating a trainer who has experience with developing young fighters.
Ray

[AddiX]

Accept that your going to get hit, and remember and trust your technique.

As a beginner that's really the only advice you need.

Az a beginner you also shouldn't feel the need to go all out, and your opponent shouldn't be going all out. If your getting crushed out there and the trainer is letting this happen, get out of that gym.

There is a certain amount of toughness you need to show, but as a beginner you should never feel like your fighting for your life.

[LLTF]

Good afternoon guys. So I just got back from the gym and my mate that I was going to train with never showed up, but one of the other boys from the gym showed up and we got talking and he seemed pretty cool, we did about 4 or 5 rounds of partner drills and defense work and got some cardio in which was great. He's heavier than me but same amount of experience so I'll try to get some sparring in him in a fortnight when I see my trainer next. Didn't want to spar without any coach there to watch us as I want it all to be safe, just in case someone gets dropped or gets upset or something.

Anyways just posting letting you know how it went. Had a good session but mate didn't turn up so couldn't get any sparring in.

Thanks all for your advice, I'll certainly take it in and use it to make myself better when I spar next, appreciate all of your help

[WarVeteranO01]

I've been training for a few months and copped a couple of smashings in sparring. I've got a decent base level of fitness, but I find that when I get in there with the more experienced boys, the fighters that I get a high level of anxiety beforehand and lock up a bit when they hit me with some good intense shots. I'm not complaining or looking for sympathy, I'm just asking for some advice please from more experienced people. How can I toughen myself up so I don't defeat my own mind and clam up when I'm in there? I asked my mate that is taller and heavier than me by about 15-20 kilos for sparring tomorrow, I want to go around 5 solid rounds with him and see if I can bang it out.

Any advice on how I can just toughen up mentally and stop being intimidated by bigger and more experienced guys? I've been told I have some talent for the sport so I'd like to be a bit more serious about it. Just putting it out there and seeing what people think. I get a bit of inspiration from reading that Fenech used to have wars in the gym with Jeff Harding, and he was a lot bigger than Fenech. Would never compare myself to those guys at all but not sure what to believe, I've read mixed opinions online, some say you should spar the bigger guys and some say don't spar bigger guys, you've got nothing to prove to people twice your weight.

No idea what to believe, there are so many opinions in this sport.

Honestly man there will ALWAYS be some level of anxiety no matter what skillset or size of guy you fight or spar, thats one of the reasons why a fighter (boxer or MMA) have a lil bit of crazy in them lol BUT to be honest the best way to toughen yourself up is to do it. You get better at fighting by fighting, of course training will get you in there but you have to do it a lot in order to feel comfortable and get used to it. If you look at some of the most relaxed boxers in history for example James Toney, the guy fought all the time, its really all he did and he went up from MW to HW. He was a tough guy and very relaxed in the ring, size skill and experience never really bothered him win or lose, it was just another fight. Of course in sparring there is no real winner or loser except for gym bragging but like Addix said, except you are going to get hit and accept any can whoop you on any given day, but again that mentality will come the more you fight.