Sparring with Bigger Beginner

[Sharla]

Hi,

I've been sparring with the coaches girlfriend for a while now - I usually don't let go of much power and just use a lot of jabs to dance around her.

As I have an experience advantage this has been OK up until recently. Now she's getting better at using her reach advantage so trying to box her from the outside is beginning to be inpractical.

She lets punches go on me but I'm not sure it'd be looked upon favourably if I hit her back too hard. She has over ten kgs on me so can put out a bit of power but no one has ever really unloaded on her before.

Problem is now I'm trying to move in and she still doesn't ever move back and box me from a distance - just keeps charging in - i think it's a bit inevitable that she's going to run into a few hard ones.

She's been touch sparring for about a year and has had one kickboxing fight before so while she's never fought as a boxer she's not a complete novice either.

Should I let them go if she keeps walking into them and let her a get a feel for when she should and shouldn't walk in that way or just keep dancing around knowing it'll mean I take a few more hard ones?

[Chris Nagel]

Trial and error and she'll pick it up eventually. If it makes you feel better you show her what's wrong and show her what she ought to do all the while with your coach listening. You don't have to go hard on her, just keep staying a step ahead of her, keep alert and give her some punches that will show her what's going wrong. You can also benefit by learning how to side-step and counter, also working on controlling the range and drawing her in.

The best way to learn is by sparring against someone sharp and more experienced, that can turn out to be a world of good.

You don't need to flatten her, but not countering her mistakes would be worst because then she won't be able to learn from her mistakes.

[Sharla]

Drawing her in is not a problem because she likes to attack and attack and attack and basically never steps back -

I'm thinking throwing body shots might be the safest way to counter her without taking her head off as she walks in and save the head shots for when she's not walking into them -

but like you say if she leaves her head open as she moves in she needs to know she's doing it because she is aiming to fight and girls her weight will hit harder than me - difficult!

[Chris Nagel]

Just tap your chin, give her a nice smile and politely remind her to keep her guard up.

You don't have to be restricted to fighting in close, find your best range which let's you land more your punches. Shortening up the punches and closing the distance can help you as well. Keep her in check, you can use side-stepping to gain the upperhand when she rushes towards you, and your hands when she's leaving herself wide open.

Anyways what this boild down to is a two-sided learning experience for you and her. On her end it's about learning first hand about what a boxer should do, on your side it's about learning control. Good luck.

[Trainer Monkey]

Drawing her in is not a problem because she likes to attack and attack and attack and basically never steps back -

I'm thinking throwing body shots might be the safest way to counter her without taking her head off as she walks in and save the head shots for when she's not walking into them -

but like you say if she leaves her head open as she moves in she needs to know she's doing it because she is aiming to fight and girls her weight will hit harder than me - difficult!

Step her and throw the overhand cross,it sounds like its mthere all day every dqy,and if you do it right its an easy shot to pull
As Chris said a quick tap with an upercut might work,but if she pushes you off balance a shot you meant to pull might get mean

[Sharla]

Yeah will do thanks - i guess it will be easier to control after a sidestep and she's more likely to see an overhand coming than an uppercut. It wasn't so long ago i wasn't allowed to throw anything at her except straight punches so I'd want to give her more time to get used to them being thrown when she's not charging before i risk throwing one she might walk into.

[Chris Nagel]

Just don't go too far out of her league, it's just like you wouldn't be able to learn much if I was to put you in with a pro. As for yourslef work on the timing of putting your side-steps, slips and counters together with a love tap here and there. What's your trainer have to say?

[Scrap]

Sharla give her a dig if it was the other way round she would your being used and falling in to bad habits. Now be honest you know you want to.

[Chris Nagel]

Pssst it's the trainer's girlfriend. He might go mad if anything happened to her.

[Trainer Monkey]

Pssst it's the trainer's girlfriend. He might go mad if anything happened to her.

I have this sneaking suspicion its not as funny as Chris meant
God,what happened to the days of,"You want to be a fighter,prove it to me"?

[Chris Nagel]

Yeah, he's probably right. Go ahead and "Off" his girlfriend, just explain to him that it's all in the name of boxing.

[Sharla]

I do want to Scrap - I think she puts in more power when people are watching and often tries to coach me but I do notice a change in the coaches mood sometimes after I have sparred her which I don't like - so I'm being a little cautious.

Overall she's a nice girl - just very happy playing the dominant role whenever she can.

I've given her a couple of blood noses just with straights she's walked into when I'm boxing from the outside and she forgives me but I'm not sure about the coach.

Still you're right I am falling into bad habits - being too submissive when it actually gets me into trouble more than helps me -

She's not a complete beginner anymore so maybe I'll gradually amp it up when the coach is watching enough to see I'm not the one initiating the power.

I know she wants to learn enough to get over it eventually and I guess if he doesn't then I'll just tackle that if it happens.

[Chris Nagel]

It's like I just told you, it's learning for both of you. You don't want to short change yourself by just trying to give it to her easy, neither of you get anything out of that. Stay alert, if she makes a wrong move don't hesitate to give back. Sparring is all give and take in the end, you gotta take something with you. Why not also work on polishing your punches, strive to make them better each time, do things with reason, work it out before you spar so you don't hesitate when it really counts.

[spanky-banky]

sharla, KO her ass out. if she wants to charge and hit on u i would teach her not to fuk with u
thats what i would do anyways

[Chris Nagel]

sharla, KO her a** out. if she wants to charge and hit on u i would teach her not to fuk with u
thats what i would do anyways

Do your girlfriends leave with blackeyes?