“When should I start sparring in boxing?” – this question comes to your mind frequently.
You have been practicing boxing for a period, and now you want to join the sparring battles to test your skills and figure out how it feels to be in a battle.
Here, let our article reveal the signs that it’s your time for sparring.
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What Benefits Will You Gain From Sparring?
We all know that it is good to start sparring as soon as you are ready because you will obtain numerous benefits. Here, let’s have a glimpse of some of these advantages.
Improve Your Techniques
First, practice sparring enables you to shorten the time of thinking about what you should do in the match.
For instance, when witnessing your opponent’s attack, you can quickly decide how to defend and how to fight back in seconds.
You also get a great chance to test any technique you have learned or the fighting ideas you have thought about.
Through sparring, you figure out which techniques/ideas work so that you can use them more effectively in real boxing matches.
Teach You How To React In Certain Situations
What should you do when your opponent presses you in the corner?
Well, if you are an amateur, you might not know how to react in a bad case like this one, right?
That’s why you need to join sparring matches to test different approaches and eventually find out how to overcome these challenges.
Boost Your Self-confidence
Besides, sparring is a way to boost your confidence, especially when you feel a little afraid of being punched.
The truth is that you definitely get several punches during sparring. And the more you take, the sooner you realize they aren’t such big deals. The only thing that matters is how to defend and fight back.
Bring A Lot Of Fun
Along with these advantages, sparring also brings a lot of fun. It is such a great time to deeply engage in this sport and enjoy it with all your mind.
When Should I Start Sparring In Boxing? – 3 Signs Showing You Are Ready For Sparring
It usually takes at least two months for an amateur to spar for the first time. However, if you want to start earlier, you can check out the three signs below to see if you are able to have your first battle.
#1. Your Body Is Fit, And You Are Good At The Basic Boxing Skills
Fit Body
The first thing to check is whether your body is fit enough for sparring. It is also essential to test your physical condition before every sparring match.
Footwork
Asides from the good physical condition, you have to be good at some basic skills so you can protect yourself and fight back during sparring.
Among the skills, footwork is the most fundamental one as it enables you to close the distance on your opponent to hit them yet quickly move away to avoid their attacks.
The Jab
As boxing is a combat sport, you need to learn how to throw solid jabs properly. If you can’t do this well, you might end up getting many jabs from your opponent and struggle to fight back.
It is also essential for you to learn how to use your jabs as your defenses to keep a distance from your opponent and move backward safely.
Keep a Solid Guard
It is nearly impossible to dodge all the punches from your opponent, right?
For this reason, you need to learn some boxing guard types so that you can avoid and block punches to protect your body, especially your ribs and liver.
Head Movement
If you want to defend well, you need to spend time practicing head movement.
Once you can move your head (your opponent’s target) well, you let your hands be free instead of using them to protect your head all the time. In this way, you can counter immediately on any combinations he/she throws.
#2. Your Mental Health Is Pretty Strong
Overcome Your Fear
Before sparring, you might feel a little afraid of being punched, right? It is your natural response, so don’t feel shy about it.
Instead of feeling bad about your fear, you can learn to overcome it and calm your mind.
Here is a tip for you: whenever you feel afraid, recall the reasons you started learning boxing and how many challenges you have overcome while practicing.
Once you stick to your motivation, you will fully concentrate on your match and overcome your fear.
Accept That Anything Can Happen
We all wish to have a great sparring time with plenty of good experience. However, sometimes the bad things, such as getting punched right onto your face, just come.
And you can hardly predict what will happen in the game. All we can do is to prepare for the bad things and stay positive, even when we have bad experiences.
#3. Your Coach Or Instructor Allows You To Join Sparring Matches
If you have the two mentioned signs above, it is time to meet your coach and ask him to join a squaring match. If he permits you, then congratulations, you can prepare for your first sparring match.
In case he says “no” to you, politely ask him for the reasons and instructions on practicing the skills you are not good at. Be patient, and keep on improving your skills.
We ensure that the time for your first sparring match will come soon.
How To Have An Awesome Sparring Experience? – 6 Easy Tips To Follow
What should you do to have an awesome sparring match? Here are the tips for your first sparring.
Choose Opponent Carefully, Especially In The Beginning
The ugly truth is that some boxers are aggressive, and they enjoy beating up other players, especially the beginners.
It will be such a nightmare when meeting one of these violent boxers in your first sparring match, right? Thus, you need to be careful when choosing your opponents.
Set The Intensity
It is essential to set the “strength limit” for a sparring session before getting started. You can suggest an intensity percentage, such as 50%, to your partner and negotiate for the level both of you feel comfortable.
By setting arrangements on a suitable level of intensity, you guys can keep the sparring battle under control and prevent the bad experience while fighting.
Get Your Body And Mind Warm Up Before Sparring Sessions
We all know that it is a must to warm up your body before every sparring session to perform best and avoid injuries.
What’s about the mind?
It is essential to clear your mind before getting in the game carefully. Because if you step into the ring with a clouded mind, you will likely make critical mistakes and lose the game within a short time.
Use The Right Equipment
If you want to stay safe after squirting, make sure you equip yourself with the right equipment. Gloves, wrap, mouth guard, shoes – are the must-to-have equipment that you need to use.
For light squaring, you don’t need to wear headgear. But if you and your partners are about to fight harder, it would be best to headgear to avoid cuts and bruises.
Learn From Your Opponent
If you take sparring seriously, you need to learn your opponents to know their strengths and weaknesses.
Pay close attention to your opponents, and try to answer the questions such as what fighter-type he is, which punch type he usually uses for attacking, and so on.
Understanding your opponents is the first step to create a successful strategy during the battle.
Listen to Your Coach
A good coach is the one who listens, watches, and teaches us boxing, so he understands our strengths and weaknesses pretty well.
Thus, it would be best if you follow his advice or instruction for better performance in the battles.
If you feel a little challenging to hear his voice during the fight, spend time practicing catching their commands and following them in the battle.
Enjoy The Process
Lastly, don’t forget to enjoy the process of learning. In the end, sparring is just a way to practice and improve your boxing ability.
Thus, you should spar with all your might and focus on making progress. By enjoying the process, your sparring time will be so delightful.
>Read also: Focus mitt drills for beginners.
Conclusion
“When should I start sparring in boxing?” – now you know the answer to this question, right?
If you are about to jump in the ring and take on your first opponent, we hope you will have great experiences and continuously improve your skills.
If you are not, don’t feel bad. Go back to practicing, and work even harder. This way, you will be able to join sparring matches in no time.
With a passion for combat sports and a wealth of experience, Mike Colon stands as a seasoned figure in the world of martial arts, hailing from the vibrant city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Mike has honed the skills of numerous fighters, guiding them through the intricacies of the sweet science of Boxing and the multifaceted challenges of MMA.