First Full Contact Spar Last Night

**PizDoff** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 11:07am

Originally Posted by Vector

"Last night we did stand up for the first time. We didn't use headgear and used MMA gloves. "

I know a lot of folks on here have different opinions on headgear, but using MMA (4 or 5 oz) gloves for your first standup, and going full speed, sound like real alarm bells based on my experience. Maybe that is the "new" training method, but sounds very risky for a new guy. We do spar this way, but only the fighters with some fairly extensive striking experience. I'm suprised that somebody didn't get clocked.

Originally Posted by Ming Loyalist

ok, first thing, that wasn't "full contact" that was just sparring. maybe it was hard sparring.

to your questions:

1) more sparring. it gets easier
2) more sparring. you start to get used to it.
3) don't worry about it, they should be watching out, and smacking you around without doing any serious damage (although **** happens of course.)
4) learn to check leg kicks.

:ohyea7qh:
I'd like to echo the concern regarding a beginner sparring with MMA gloves. There is a higher chance of injury especially if people cannnot control their power.

WhiteShark had a good thread on blocking leg kicks but I can't seem to find it right now.......

**JRS** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 11:13am

Yep, all i can say is repitition is the key and learning from your mistakes and looking at how the different fighters fight.

Right you have two things to work on straight away. (1) checking a kick and; (2) working of the jab.

(1) Probably best to seek instruction from your coach as to mechanics. Once you start blocking a couple of kicks, you'll be surpised how many "keen" kickers back off. As stated above a as you check the kick, kick your oppnent with the same leg you blocked with. (2) where possible i tend to catch the jab with the back hand and counter straight away with a jab or if quick enough with a 1,2. when catching be careful not to reach out to catch the jab. if you do it a couple of times they make fake the jab and hit you with a left hook. Or you could slip the jab to the inside and use an upercut. just be careful as you may eat a right hand for your troubles. Just a few examples.

I always try and hit back and never let someone hit me for free :-).

Food for thought and sorry for the rushed explantion.

Again, though dont beat yourself up this was your first time and you'll get better each time.

Cheers.

**arkanscott** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 12:02pm

Good advice...what do ya'll think about closing range to negate the kicks. I'm fairly short (5'11") and heavy (220 lbs) and strong. I have a good jab, so my naturally tendecny my whole life has been that of a boxer. My body is more of a Tyson/Frazier type (except without all that speeed, anger and natural talent to go with it). I was thinking about, in addition to learning to check, negate the kicks by using pressure tactics ala Frazier. I know once I get inside, I'll get to learn about the wonderful world of knees, but I think with my body type, I'm foolish to spend much of a fight within kicking range.

**arkanscott** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 12:13pm

Originally Posted by PizDoff

:ohyea7qh:
I'd like to echo the concern regarding a beginner sparring with MMA gloves. There is a higher chance of injury especially if people cannnot control their power.

WhiteShark had a good thread on blocking leg kicks but I can't seem to find it right now.......

Don't think I'm not concerned as well. But again, this is this guys M.O. He is a hardass. Furthermore, it is an MMA gym. The sparring session was really a ground and pound drill. We began in a free standing phase and could not go for a takedown until we landed 10 blows. Once on the ground, we could not go for a submission until we landed 10 blows. We were told not to rough each other up and to pull punches/kicks. The MMA gloves would allow this while the 16oz sparring gloves would not.

After fighting the guy with my own skill set he said he wanted to see me fight standup only against his two long time students.

There really isn't another gym where I live and this guy's fight team dominates everyone in the region.

Is it a bitch move to say, "I'm not comfortable with that, lets use 16oz gloves until I get better."?

JP · Posted On: 10/04/2007 12:13pm

Originally Posted by arkanscott

Good advice...what do ya'll think about closing range to negate the kicks. I'm fairly short (5'11") and heavy (220 lbs) and strong. I have a good jab, so my naturally tendecny my whole life has been that of a boxer. My body is more of a Tyson/Frazier type (except without all that speeed, anger and natural talent to go with it). I was thinking about, in addition to learning to check, negate the kicks by using pressure tactics ala Frazier. I know once I get inside, I'll get to learn about the wonderful world of knees, but I think with my body type, I'm foolish to spend much of a fight within kicking range.

Also, bear in mind that you're fairly new at this and you're in the mixer with some of his better fighters as you said.

That being said, if they really are his better fighters than at the moment its gonna be hard to do things like control the range of the fight because these guys are gonna have better ring craft than you. This is really the growing pains portion of learning but often this initial period you'll see a jump in improvement in you stick with it.

But I also have to agree with a bunch of other people that 4 oz gloves are a bit much if you guys are going full. There's a fine line between hardass and dumbass and with gloves that small you might as well be going bare-knuckle. Do you feel safe in the classes? I mean, hell, I've broken my eye socket with 7 oz gloves.

And finally, a rough school is often a good thing. You learn a lot and rarely have to worry about the contact level being too much because everybody there knows what to expect.

And last thing before I shut the hell up.

Did you sit out?
Did you stop training?
Did you cry for your mother, curl up in a ball and start chanting there's no place like home?

Then you didn't quit. Go a little easier on yourself.

P.S. Its not a bitch move to ask for 16oz gloves.

**arkanscott** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 12:19pm

Originally Posted by JP

Also, bear in mind that you're fairly new at this and you're in the mixer with some of his better fighters as you said.

That being said, if they really are his better fighters than at the moment its gonna be hard to do things like control the range of the fight because these guys are gonna have better ring craft than you. This is really the growing pains portion of learning but often this initial period you'll see a jump in improvement in you stick with it.

But I also have to agree with a bunch of other people that 4 oz gloves are a bit much if you guys are going full. There's a fine line between hardass and dumbass and with gloves that small you might as well be going bare-knuckle. Do you feel safe in the classes? I mean, hell, I've broken my eye socket with 7 oz gloves.

And finally, a rough school is often a good thing. You learn a lot and rarely have to worry about the contact level being too much because everybody there knows what to expect.

And last thing before I shut the hell up.

Did you sit out?
Did you stop training?
Did you cry for your mother, curl up in a ball and start chanting there's no place like home?

Then you didn't quit. Go a little easier on yourself.

LOL, no, I didn't sit out.

I stopped training at the end of the class, but am going back either tonight or Monday.

I didn't cry for my mother nor curl up in a ball. I did start chanting "there is no contact in golf....learn golf" but that was only to myself.

Apprecite the advice.

***WhiteShark*** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 12:23pm

I bet you didn't ride off into the sunset the first time you tried to ride a bike did you? Just get back on and try some more. Your first time sparring for real doesn't mean ****. Six months from now if you are still having the same feelings ask you coach.

JP · Posted On: 10/04/2007 12:29pm

Originally Posted by arkanscott

LOL, no, I didn't sit out.

I stopped training at the end of the class, but am going back either tonight or Monday.

I didn't cry for my mother nor curl up in a ball. I did start chanting "there is no contact in golf....learn golf" but that was only to myself.

Apprecite the advice.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.

You say that now, but guys that are into **** like punching each other in the face for fun usually find a way to make perfectly innocuous stuff hazardas. For instance the first time somebody let you get behind the wheel in one of those little carts I bet you have to fight the urge to run down some of the other players while hanging out the side swinging your nine iron and screaming:

"I'M LANCELOT, BITCHES!"

**juszczec** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 12:59pm

I don't run an MMA gym nor do I train MMA.

We do karate and jujutsu. When we spar, I let people can mix punching(hooks and uppercuts too), kicking(leg kicks too),submissions, ground and pound, takedows, elbows, knees, headbutts - whatever they want. (One guy drops shoulders on people and it bounces your head off the floor surprisingly well.)

The two people sparring can set the level of contact between themselves. Everyone fights with contact - its just a difference between hard and harder.

I say all this because, although I can't call it MMA, its more than point sparring.

I think 4oz gloves is asking to get cut. I strongly encourage my folks to wear something with more padding.

**arkanscott** · Posted On: 10/04/2007 2:03pm

Originally Posted by JP

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.

You say that now, but guys that are into **** like punching each other in the face for fun usually find a way to make perfectly innocuous stuff hazardas. For instance the first time somebody let you get behind the wheel in one of those little carts I bet you have to fight the urge to run down some of the other players while hanging out the side swinging your nine iron and screaming:

"I'M LANCELOT, BITCHES!"

That might the funniest thing I've read today.