Body Sparring Tips

I’ve been going to a boxing gym for the last 5 months and we regularly do body sparring.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for body sparring? When you and your sparring partner are both knowingly aiming only below the neck I find punches are pretty easy to block and likewise it’s difficult to get shots past their guard other than a sharp jab.

I also find difficulty getting the same power I get on a heavy bag and I’m not sure why yet. Sometimes I find myself with my balance leaning forward as we trip on each other’s toes a bit.

I try to keep a high guard and keep my eyes up when I’m blocking with my elbows so I don’t pick up any bad habits for later but I just don’t feel I have many ideas when the sparring partner is stood there covering up his body and you can’t mix it up with head shots.

Any tips? Thanks.

You have to get past the notion that the holes are there from the outset; if you are fighting a good fighter or even an average one they should be out of range or able to defend a first shot and maybe a second, and a third (and so on). You have to make a fighter act or react, usually more than once, before an opening develops.

Establish a pattern with your jab or a 1-2 and then break it, change levels, punch a glove a shoulder or an elbow, alter your angle by moving your feet and your torso. Most importantly put punches together. Make sure you develop some dependable counters. Openings are almost always created when your opponent punches.

For instance you may double jab to close the gap and get in range, throw a 2 that will likely be blocked come back with a left hook to the head, he raises his glove slightly to catch the hook and you cut it short, pull it back and land the left hook to the body, maybe he even gets that one with the elbow but you drive a right upper cut through the hole created by the hook to the body.

Boxing is like music in that the discordant note can be very displeasing.

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Originally Posted by Gocougars3

You have to get past the notion that the holes are there from the outset; if you are fighting a good fighter or even an average one they should be out of range or able to defend a first shot and maybe a second, and a third (and so on). You have to make a fighter act or react, usually more than once, before an opening develops.

Establish a pattern with your jab or a 1-2 and then break it, change levels, punch a glove a shoulder or an elbow, alter your angle by moving your feet and your torso. Most importantly put punches together. Make sure you develop some dependable counters. Openings are almost always created when your opponent punches.

For instance you may double jab to close the gap and get in range, throw a 2 that will likely be blocked come back with a left hook to the head, he raises his glove slightly to catch the hook and you cut it short, pull it back and land the left hook to the body, maybe he even gets that one with the elbow but you drive a right upper cut through the hole created by the hook to the body.

Boxing is like music in that the discordant note can be very displeasing.

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Thanks gocourgars

I changed some things at sparring yesterday, taking into account some of your points and some of my own thoughts and it was pretty succesfful.

For a start I gave up trying to put a lot of power into my jab unless it was from long range. When I’m close up and punching downwards it takes too much effort and dosen’t feel strong. Instead I used the jab to set up a left or right 2nd punch and concentrated on getting big rotation, sitting on my punches and using more hooks. I also tried stepping my leading foot diagonally forwards and outwards when throwing the jab to try and have it well placed for a stong left hook to follow up.

I think I had the most success with using the jab to one side of the chest, followed by a hard straight right to the solar plexus (which was usually already covered by the arms but the force knocked their blance and sometimes twisted them) and then a 3rd punch with either hand to whatever I could see was open, using either a hook to the ribs (either side) or upper cut with either hand to the solar plexus.

Punching to the chest and shoulders was more effective than I thought. I don’t think it hurts but it seemed to disrupt them.

From reading another post of this forum I also tried to parry down a few body shots and immediately counter with a sharp straight punch or uppercut to the solar plexus. This worked well on the bigger guys and those who were tired.

I haven’t really tried feigning punches yet but I might have a go at that next.

I did damage my arm a bit with a right hook. I presume it connected with an outstrecthed elbow which brought the target closer than I was expecting. I rotated fully but my hook wasn’t tense yet as I wasn’t expecting the impact and it kind of bent it back or hyperextended it backwards. I’m gonna have a week off as the shoulder pain kept waking me last night.

Loving this forum. Thanks guys.

forget the body too much aim for the arms - bicepts, shoulders

it wrecks after a bit and youll get your opennings

we do body sparring a fair bit

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Originally Posted by remac

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocougars3

You have to get past the notion that the holes are there from the outset; if you are fighting a good fighter or even an average one they should be out of range or able to defend a first shot and maybe a second, and a third (and so on). You have to make a fighter act or react, usually more than once, before an opening develops.

Establish a pattern with your jab or a 1-2 and then break it, change levels, punch a glove a shoulder or an elbow, alter your angle by moving your feet and your torso. Most importantly put punches together. Make sure you develop some dependable counters. Openings are almost always created when your opponent punches.

For instance you may double jab to close the gap and get in range, throw a 2 that will likely be blocked come back with a left hook to the head, he raises his glove slightly to catch the hook and you cut it short, pull it back and land the left hook to the body, maybe he even gets that one with the elbow but you drive a right upper cut through the hole created by the hook to the body.

Boxing is like music in that the discordant note can be very displeasing.

---

Thanks gocourgars

I changed some things at sparring yesterday, taking into account some of your points and some of my own thoughts and it was pretty succesfful.

For a start I gave up trying to put a lot of power into my jab unless it was from long range. When I’m close up and punching downwards it takes too much effort and dosen’t feel strong. Instead I used the jab to set up a left or right 2nd punch and concentrated on getting big rotation, sitting on my punches and using more hooks. I also tried stepping my leading foot diagonally forwards and outwards when throwing the jab to try and have it well placed for a stong left hook to follow up.

I think I had the most success with using the jab to one side of the chest, followed by a hard straight right to the solar plexus (which was usually already covered by the arms but the force knocked their blance and sometimes twisted them) and then a 3rd punch with either hand to whatever I could see was open, using either a hook to the ribs (either side) or upper cut with either hand to the solar plexus.

Punching to the chest and shoulders was more effective than I thought. I don’t think it hurts but it seemed to disrupt them.

From reading another post of this forum I also tried to parry down a few body shots and immediately counter with a sharp straight punch or uppercut to the solar plexus. This worked well on the bigger guys and those who were tired.

I haven’t really tried feigning punches yet but I might have a go at that next.

I did damage my arm a bit with a right hook. I presume it connected with an outstrecthed elbow which brought the target closer than I was expecting. I rotated fully but my hook wasn’t tense yet as I wasn’t expecting the impact and it kind of bent it back or hyperextended it backwards. I’m gonna have a week off as the shoulder pain kept waking me last night.

Loving this forum. Thanks guys.

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Glad it went better. Mix up your tempo a little; pop, pop, pop, bang, pop, bang. It makes it harder to time you. Keep your elbows tight when you fight inside, don't wing (that right hook injury usually happens when you flare your elbow with the right). As you mentioned, use your feet to improve your position and angle, fractionally, constantly but keep them under you, don't get too wide with your feet or you will have to shift your weight before you move. When you feint, try feinting and coming back with the same hand. When you counter, try countering from the same side of the body that you catch on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocougars3

Glad it went better. Mix up your tempo a little; pop, pop, pop, bang, pop, bang. It makes it harder to time you. Keep your elbows tight when you fight inside, don't wing (that right hook injury usually happens when you flare your elbow with the right). As you mentioned, use your feet to improve your position and angle, fractionally, constantly but keep them under you, don't get too wide with your feet or you will have to shift your weight before you move. When you feint, try feinting and coming back with the same hand. When you counter, try countering from the same side of the body that you catch on.

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Interesting point about elbow flare. Having read up on it I’m pretty sure I do that with my straight right and I didn’t used to when I trained 7-8 years ago. I need to stamp that out but I’m not quite sure if I’m doing it with hooks yet. I’ll have to check in the mirror. I’ve had different advice about positioning the elbow when throwing hooks and I’m not sure what I’m doing instinctively. It would be great if boxing gyms made more use of video cameras so you can check back on your own mistakes. Suppose I could shadow box and film it on my mobile.

My shoulder’s healing quicker than expected. Next week I’ll try the off-beat tempo more, the feigning, and the catching and countering with the same hand.

Thanks Gocougars

EDIT: I'll have a go at eric's point about hitting the arms too. I've not tried that yet.