Yesterday I had my first real sparring session. Not sure if I wanna spar again.

[WarVeteranO01]

Just quit being a boxer in general, you're just pathetic.

Dude, boxing is brutal. I have kids that fight, & occasionally we spar kids with lil to no experience. Some cry, some dont. The ones that impress me most are the 1s that cry & comeback. Grant it boxing isnt for every1 but boxing isnt a bar fight, practice makes perfect, PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, & SPIRITUALLY.

[GhostofDempsey]

I have been training amateurs on and off for the last 20+ years. I can tell you that the majority of the time, when someone spars for the first time we never see them again. Especially if they got a bloody nose or busted lip for their best efforts. Boxing in the ring isn't for everyone. However, a good coach will know when you are ready to spar and he will make sure that you are matched with someone either equal in skill or if that person has more experience, they will carry you through the rounds so you can learn. Sparring isn't supposed to be all out head-hunting and hay-makers in the beginning. Sparring helps you learn and take your skills to the next level. It is easy to discourage a young fighter-to-be if you beat the snot out of him in his first sparring session. That shouldn't happen.

[WarVeteranO01]

I've been training for a few months and doing some joke sparring sessions with one friend, but now things got more serious and yesterday I had to spar for real.

I'm 5'9'' and walking around at 142 now. I have good reach, at least 70'' but maybe more. I was put to spar with a guy that was almost 5'11'' and arms slightly larger than mine. I think he walks around 145. He had some sparring experience, I hadn't.

So it was a fair sparring. The thing is, I love to train boxing, but I'm not sure if I love sparring.

I just sparred two minutes, with a 10 seconds break in the middle. I was hit in the head twice, hit in the forehead once, hit in the right eye once, and hit in the mouth once. I hit him a few times too.

Yesterday when I went to sleep, I felt pain in my forehead, pain in my head, pain in my eye. I put some ice, and I still feel some pain, which I think will take some days to heal. I guess this is normal. I think it's too brutal, not sure I wanna take punish to be honest. I might not spar again.

I started good, I caught him so nice with an overhead right (Maidana's like), just in the cheek, and I almost score a KD. I didn't throw it with full force that's why he didn't go down. But that's when he put some ****ing angry look on his face and started throwing more at me, and at some point I entered in survival mode and lost my stance and didn't know what the **** I was doing. Then I tried some jabs to the body. At that point I realized that I didn't actually want to hit his head, because I didn't wanna hurt him, another reason why I think maybe sparring is not for me. But he had no problem in hitting me a few times in the head and after that second minute I had blood in my mouth and said I'm done.

Then my friend also sparred for the first time, and he was going forward like Porter, but throwing no punches, so he got worked easily. He had no pain on his head, just pain on his jaw because he was caught there a few times.

So, my thoughts are:
1) I don't wanna get hurt to be honest. I don't want permanent brain damage.
2) I feel like I don't wanna hurt the guy at some point. I want to control the strength I put into my punches but at some point you can't control it right?

Very important point. None of us were using protecting head gear. Yes, that was some savage shit I guess, but our trainner doesn't give a **** about that and just wants us to get used to it.

Do you think I should train in another place? Or should I just quit sparring?

This passed weekend I had to watch my oldest take an ass whooping sparring. He didnt quit, although I seen he wanted to and he was good and pissed after at me BUT I will say this, he said hes now going to train harder and he wants to go back and spar that kid in a couple weeks. IMO, that made me realize HES A FIGHTER. How good yet? IDK. But if you are going to second guess yourself, Id say leave the sparring alone and box to stay healthy and to defend yourself if needed.

[bigjavi973]

I started good, I caught him so nice with an overhead right (Maidana's like), just in the cheek, and I almost score a KD. I didn't throw it with full force that's why he didn't go down

[Ray Corso]

I have been training amateurs on and off for the last 20+ years. I can tell you that the majority of the time, when someone spars for the first time we never see them again. Especially if they got a bloody nose or busted lip for their best efforts. Boxing in the ring isn't for everyone. However, a good coach will know when you are ready to spar and he will make sure that you are matched with someone either equal in skill or if that person has more experience, they will carry you through the rounds so you can learn. Sparring isn't supposed to be all out head-hunting and hay-makers in the beginning. Sparring helps you learn and take your skills to the next level. It is easy to discourage a young fighter-to-be if you beat the snot out of him in his first sparring session. That shouldn't happen.


This has validity, no one should get hurt in their FIRST session. Anyone who allows that to happen is a fool and has no clue about teaching boxing.

Ray