First Kickboxing Match

**Akurra** · Posted On: 9/07/2006 2:18pm

Hey all, its been a while I know.

On september 23rd, I'll be fighting in my very first ISKA sanctioned amateur muay thai match. Rules allow for knees to the body, but not to the head, and no elbows. I have some questions.

First of all, I've only been training MT for about 3 months, 2 classes a week. I only just started sparring a week ago. I recently (on teusday) sparred a guy from another gym who's been training for a little over a year and I was completely demolished. The only thing I really had was a good right leg kick and a good jab. All my other punches felt slow and "sticky" (as in not crisp.) Apparently my guard is wide open to face/head shots. I know at this point asking on a mssg board what I can do to improve my hand speed or my defence or my timing or distance is pointless.

I would like to know what kind of experience I should expect my oponent to have, considering he'll only have one or maybe 2 fights under his belt at most, mostly if he'll have more, less, or about the same experience as the guy I fought against. Also if any of our more experienced kickboxers have any tips before I get in there, I'd appreciate it.

**Anna Kovacs** · Posted On: 9/07/2006 2:23pm

3 months seems rather quick to jump in the ring, especially since you just started sparring.

Do you know anything about your opponent?

Anyways, if your clinch work is better then theres then use it, if not and you just want to stay out and kick and punch then whenever you get in a clinch situation lock your arms around their hips or the small of their back and crush them into you, the ref will break the clinch and put you back at your preferred range.

Try not to kill yourself in the first round. Amateur kickboxers tend to come out all guns blazing, if you can save most of your energy for the 2nd and third round then that's great.

if you're not doing anything throw a jab or kick, you donty necessarily have to hit them but stay active and the judges will take note of it. Unless you're a good counter hitter then try and keep moving forward because if you're backing up it looks bad unless your obviously wining the exchanges.

Also, consider pulling out of this fight and waiting a few more months till you have a little more at your disposal then one kick and one punch.

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 9/07/2006 2:23pm

I'd recommend cancelling on this fight. With the miniscule amount of time you've had training you're really not going to get much out of this.

**Anna Kovacs** · Posted On: 9/07/2006 2:27pm

PS: The first time I ever sparred with kidspatula, she had been training about as often as you, she'd been in three months, twice a week, except for the last month where she went in every day.

She was horrible, utterly horrible.

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 9/07/2006 2:30pm

This is true. I'd just started sparring a few weeks prior and I knew **** all about fighting. I didn't have my first fight until I'd been training for a little over a year and I honestly still was not really ready to be fighting.

**Akurra** · Posted On: 9/07/2006 2:35pm

I appreciate the advice Anna, and I especially found this:

"Anyways, if your clinch work is better then theres then use it, if not and you just want to stay out and kick and punch then whenever you get in a clinch situation lock your arms around their hips or the small of their back and crush them into you, the ref will break the clinch and put you back at your preferred range."

very helpful, as I don't have a good clinch at all. Or at least it felt that way against the one guy i sparred.

I've taken to doing my jumproping, shadowboxing, and bagwork as well as some drills with my mouthpiece in, as I found breathing with that thing is quite difficult. I don't know if that'll make a big difference or not...

Also, from what you are saying, I'm going to assume that most of the people I'd be fighting will have more experience than me. Any idea how much more?

I really dont' want to pull out of this fight, but I'll ask my coach again if he feels that I'm ready based on what he's seen of me the past couple of weeks.

**Akurra** · Posted On: 9/07/2006 2:37pm

"PS: The first time I ever sparred with kidspatula, she had been training about as often as you, she'd been in three months, twice a week, except for the last month where she went in every day."

That makes me feel a little better

" I didn't have my first fight until I'd been training for a little over a year and I honestly still was not really ready to be fighting."

That one, not so much ;) I'll be sure to have a serious talk with my coach, although he has said he'll try and find someone with a similar skill level.

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 9/07/2006 2:39pm

Most people train for at least 6 months to a year, 3-5 times a week, before they do their first fight. Often times longer (one of the fighters at my first school trained for 2 years before he did his first fight).