What's the best way to deal with jerks while sparring?

**Tommy_Griff** · Posted On: 3/22/2011 10:28pm

A few weeks back I sparred this guy at my muay thai gym. We'd sparred previously a few months back, but without kicks because he didn't have shin guards yet. His technique completely changed during the most recent time we sparred. He just seemed fixated on knocking my head off this time around, complete with haymaker after haymaker. I came out of it alright since they were all pretty telegraphed, but it surprised the hell out of me when he launched the first haymaker because I saw a few months back that he did indeed know how to punch and now this time he just full on tried to slug me. Two questions:

1) Do any of you guys have stories similar to this?

2) How did you deal with it/ How should someone deal with it?

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 3/22/2011 10:33pm

I'd love to hear his side of the story because, you guys were sparring. You said that you were surprised and he probably thought he saw a flaw in your defense. You really didn't explain why he is a dick.

Also, don't put that in your title again.

**Tommy_Griff** · Posted On: 3/22/2011 10:42pm

Fair enough, I'll remember not to put that in my title in future threads. It's one thing to throw a haymaker once if you see a flaw, but every punch he threw at me for two minutes straight were haymakers. I'd love to hear his side of the story too, but I didn't ask and he shows up irregularly at the gym.

***TaeBo_Master*** · Posted On: 3/22/2011 10:48pm

Originally Posted by It is Fake

I'd love to hear his side of the story because, you guys were sparring. You said that you were surprised and he probably thought he saw a flaw in your defense. You really didn't explain why he is a dick.

Also, don't put that in your title again.

Also, what were the "terms" of the sparring? Was it a full-contact, competitive match or more of a "learning" situation? In the first, your opponent essentially has free reign to exploit whatever strategy he wishes and any holes in your strategy that he feels he can exploit. In the second, it is more of a dick move.

As for suggestions, there is always the option of speaking up. When you're in class, in theory you're all there to learn, and both partners in a sparring match should have at least some level of respect for that. Another option is to turn the tables. Find the hole in his strategy and exploit it in return.

**Tommy_Griff** · Posted On: 3/22/2011 10:55pm

It was pure learning experience. If it were full contact competitive spar I wouldn't have cared and just welcomed his openings every time he threw one of those hits. Sorry it didn't occur to me to say that, I'm tired and am not exactly at 100% in terms of thinking. And I wasn't really left with any chance to get a word in, I wasn't really joking with the haymaker after haymaker comment. Although I was quite surprised he wasn't gasping for air despite doing all that.

**alex** · Posted On: 3/23/2011 3:43am

i get this from new guys sometimes (im not particularly big, very, white, and rock the glasses) but generally, ill just wallop the **** out of them and then in between rounds tell them that if they try it again, i WILL put them down. works a charm.

if youre new, well, i dunno. train 8 hours a day and then fucking demolish his ass every time you spar. make it so he avoids you, and jumps whenever someone approaches him from behind, such is his fear of your psychotic fury.

**Tom Kagan** · Posted On: 3/23/2011 6:31am

Best way? Don't play with them anymore.

My personal way? Stop the live session and exclaim "wow,that's an excellent strategy/technique/method/etc. Can you show me what you're doing?". Then, as I'm following their instruction during demo and drill, perform at full power, speed, and intensity while repeatedly asking "is this the right way?"

**Prince Vlad** · Posted On: 3/23/2011 7:27am

Just tell him you want to bang away at 80% and ask him to leave out the haymakers. If you don't point it out to him then how's he to know that he's going to hard for a friendly spar.

**Furnace** · Posted On: 3/23/2011 7:45am

I've had this happen to me a few times, and others have already correctly said it will depend on the situation.

If both of us are getting ready for a fight, or have agreed to go heavy - we go heavy and that's that.
If it's a technical sparring session, then I'd politely ask him/her to ease off when they land a real heavy shot - if they persist, then I'll stop and refuse to spar with them.