Sparring videos

**HeraldOfTheFrog** · Posted On: 6/25/2008 12:14am

I’ve been training in Muay Thai for about a year now, but I haven’t done a lot of sparring. So I started inviting my friends over to mix it up on the weekends. Some of them are from the gym, and some of them are college or high school buddies that have trained in another striking art. I have videos of just about all of the match-ups, but most of my friends have /not/ cleared me to post them on youtube.

My sparring partner from this past weekend, however, has given me the go-ahead, so I’d like to take the opportunity to ask the Strikeistan community what they think of my stand up. Namely, what should I focus on improving? I’m the pasty white nerd in the videos.

YouTube - Sparring 6/22/08 Round 1

YouTube - Sparring 6/22/08 Round 2

**Anna Kovacs** · Posted On: 6/25/2008 12:44am

Your shoulders are to hunched, your hands are to high, your elbows are flared basically, you're not relaxed at all.

see how your friend is mobile and relaxed? Be more like him.

You dont have to hold your jab hand at your belly button and your right at your nipple. But this is the way you need to relax

Stand in fight stance, make sure you're balanced and mobile with your feet but let you arms completely relax at your sides. Now, lift your arms only from your elbows, your left will probably wind up at about your shoulder level and your right will wind up more towards your chin.

Dont lift your shoulders, dont duck your head.

Look more like that. I am completely relaxed and ready to fire anything. I dont have too adjust the height of my hands or alignment of my shoulders to punch because everything is. in line already.

WARNING: Face obscured because i look like crap because i havent done my hair and my face is still swollen from having my nose bone broken and rebuilt. But hopefully you can see what i mean by relax.

As soon as you can RELAX, then you can work on everything else.

Your sparring partner looks pretty good though, try and imitate him more.

**Scott Larson** · Posted On: 6/25/2008 1:02am

You landed a few nice shots when you were in position, but it didn't happen very often because your opponent was outmaneuvering you.

I think with a real focus on footwork, you would make big improvements.

That, and of course, what Anna said.

**G-Off** · Posted On: 6/25/2008 1:11am

Your hands have a tendency to flail out when you kick. Hand opposite the kick leg should stay in a shield position with your fist by your temple, and the other arm should swing back opposite the motion your kick makes.

**Sang** · Posted On: 6/25/2008 3:33am

Try using the teep (front kick) a bit if you can. I fight a lot like your friend with an emphasis on mobility, and there is nothing i hate more than someone jamming me with a teep when i'm closing distance to punch or while throwing a kick.

Since you seem to be able to throw highkicks i'll give you one of my favorites, teep off the front leg then bring your foot down and to the left to setup a highkick. It works pretty well since people often look at feet movement to predict roundhouse kicks and often move in right after being pushed back by a teep.

***WhiteShark*** · Posted On: 6/25/2008 6:27am

Lose the Muay Thai march. It only works if your opponent is going to use it too and run right into you. I learned this the hard way by losing a fight without actually getting hurt at all. Evasive boxing-like footwork will eat you up as long as you are taking the tiny little Muay Thai steps. If you just watch from the waist down it looks like you guys are doing two totally different activities.