Didnt Spar For 6 Months & I Now Suck Again!

**ChickenBeakFist** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 11:22am

Originally Posted by Nemesai

I've noticed a lot of people sparring at some goofy percentage on these boards.

If he's not trying to break my soul, I don't want to bother. It's in those moments that real fighters are developed. You pet a puppy (which I do with real puppies), he'll lick you in the mouth, you beat that dog (which I dont), he'll tear you apart. Which do you want to be in the ring?

YouTube - Sweep the Leg

**NoTeefa** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 12:19pm

I spar Muay Thai daily at thirty percent
I like it that way

**BOXMAN** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 1:17pm

Isn't all out sparring actual fighting? Don't think anyone can do that every day.

**BudoMonkey** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 1:24pm

Every bit you hold back cheats you and your partner.

I understand it's always going to be necessary to hold back to some degree as not to maim your fellow students, but let's keep it in minimal. Fight as hard as possible without risking serious injury. Otherwise, you step in the ring, take a couple of punches and you go "****! This isn't sparring at all!"

**ChickenBeakFist** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 1:31pm

Originally Posted by BudoMonkey

Every bit you hold back cheats you and your partner.

Of course. I think the people who are in disagreement are just saying that between this,

YouTube - 2 Step Sparring

and this,

YouTube - 300 Insane Fight Scene

there is an effective happy medium

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 5:42pm

Originally Posted by BudoMonkey

Every bit you hold back cheats you and your partner.

I understand it's always going to be necessary to hold back to some degree as not to maim your fellow students, but let's keep it in minimal. Fight as hard as possible without risking serious injury. Otherwise, you step in the ring, take a couple of punches and you go "****! This isn't sparring at all!"

If you're just going all out in your sparring you're not in the right mindset for sparring. Sparring is a learning environment where you're attempting to apply your techniques with active resistance. Not only is it foolish to spar 100% due to injury (which is especially stupid if you plan on competing in the near future since a flash KO puts you on a 90 day suspension from fighting, and competing with any kind of injury is obviously something you don't want), but you interfere with your ability to really evaluate what you're doing since your mind is preoccupied with "winning".

Stepping into an amateur/novice fight is where you learn how well you do in a fight. That's the point of real competition. Sparring 100% is something people do who are too afraid to really get in the ring and put it all out there. Will you be fully prepared when you step in the ring? No. You will never be entirely "ready" for it because no matter how hard you spar it is an entirely different experience from putting it all out there in competition in front of a crowd, ref, and judges with a stranger on the other side of the ring with the one goal in mind to do you harm.

**PizDoff** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 5:45pm

I think you need more work on your forms.

**sempaiman** · Posted On: 7/08/2008 8:43am

Originally Posted by BudoMonkey

Every bit you hold back cheats you and your partner.

...I tell that to all my girlfriends....

**BOXMAN** · Posted On: 7/08/2008 11:38am

So when a pro fighter beats the hell out of his partners and injuring them he is not cheating himself or his partner?

**Big_Boss** · Posted On: 7/08/2008 3:42pm

Originally Posted by KidSpatula

If you're just going all out in your sparring you're not in the right mindset for sparring. Sparring is a learning environment where you're attempting to apply your techniques with active resistance. Not only is it foolish to spar 100% due to injury (which is especially stupid if you plan on competing in the near future since a flash KO puts you on a 90 day suspension from fighting, and competing with any kind of injury is obviously something you don't want), but you interfere with your ability to really evaluate what you're doing since your mind is preoccupied with "winning".

Great post and I feel it summed up the definition of sparring vs fight to win debates.