A Boxing Moral Dilemma

[donnydarkoIRL]

Thats a good poin5 Dizaster, when one thinks about it, Floyd could quite possibly have gone down the same road as RJJ.
He has super-speed and power at super feather, but he concentrated on skills instead and that choice is still paying dividends for him....
Great point.

My primary problem is that sparring isn't as challenging as fighting. Not because of the opposition but because of myself. I'm tireer after fighting because I let it all out and when I punch at oprimum output I end up far tireder than I do after a sparring session in which I hold back.

[Dizaster]

My primary problem is that sparring isn't as challenging as fighting. Not because of the opposition but because of myself. I'm tireer after fighting because I let it all out and when I punch at oprimum output I end up far tireder than I do after a sparring session in which I hold back.

I think that would be true in a lot of cases though, and very hard to simulate the intensity and a lot of other aspects of a real fight during sparring.. I always found it interesting when big fighters are getting ready for a big fight, they'll spa for 12 to 16 rounds, but will have a fresh guy come in every 3 rounds, to help bring the average intensity up to that of a real fight...

I suppose it depends on who your sparring and how much your trainer aims for it to simulate a real fight.. It wouldn't be very productive to go at it full on during to many sparring sessions and could end up overtraining or injuries...

But I completely understand where your coming from and it feels a little off that you spend so much time sparring in a certain way maybe 50 times, for 1 fight where the circumstances are completely different. Different intensity, different intent of your opponent, different mindset needed by you.

I see why you call it a dilemma now, and the more I think about it, the more I have to wrestle with it..

Most other sports, during training you try to simulate the 'real time' event as closely as possible... With sparring though, you're a little like, "okay, he's hitting me like this now, but if this was real he'd be hitting harder, so i'd probalby want to be doing this, and if this was the real fight i'd be going for this shot a little harder" so yeah... hmmm

[donnydarkoIRL]

Exactly Diz thats it mate!

You see so many fighters entering the ring bragging about being able to spar 20 rounds and yet they're gased after 6.

Not only has it to do with the nervous energy and concentration that is added on fight night, it's also because they never try that hard in the gym, period.

[Shamrock]

For me sparring is all about learning new things. I was never a big hitter my style was more based on speed movement and reflex. I could figure out a lot of fighters in a round and work out either how to nulify their strength or counter with some pain. I put that ability down to always trying to learn new things when sparring.

Your post made me think of George Foreman.... bare with me here... he always wanted to be a skillful jab and moe boxer like Ali and his trainers encouraged this wheh he trained but then when fight time came they'd be screaming in his ear at the start of the first round to jump on the guy and knock him out.

Don't foresake what you are good at in sparring but don't let it be the be all and end all or I don't see how you progress.

I have no training experience this is purely personal experience and my own view point so there will be MANY on here who can probably offer you better advice.

Good Luck.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Thanks Shamrock.
I'm not boasting or anything, but the fighter my style is closest too is Gerald McClellan, as I've said I idolised him. On the inside I try to replicate Cotto or Hatton then.

So when I get in there I do have power and I have to hold back in sparring. Thats my problem, but I'll work it out eventually

[Shamrock]

Thanks Shamrock.
I'm not boasting or anything, but the fighter my style is closest too is Gerald McClellan, as I've said I idolised him. On the inside I try to replicate Cotto or Hatton then.

So when I get in there I do have power and I have to hold back in sparring. Thats my problem, but I'll work it out eventually

You don't sound like you're boasting mate... you just sound like you are confident about your style which is good.

Are there no guys in the gym who are bigger or more experienced who would maybe agree to spar with you and let you go at full tilt for a few rounds ?

[donnydarkoIRL]

Theres a couple, but there's a couplke of reasons that we don't spar.

There's only one guy I can go full tilt with and he's broken his hand

[Andre]

Thats a good poin5 Dizaster, when one thinks about it, Floyd could quite possibly have gone down the same road as RJJ.
He has super-speed and power at super feather, but he concentrated on skills instead and that choice is still paying dividends for him....
Great point.

My primary problem is that sparring isn't as challenging as fighting. Not because of the opposition but because of myself. I'm tireer after fighting because I let it all out and when I punch at oprimum output I end up far tireder than I do after a sparring session in which I hold back.

Thats why Im suggesting utilizing what you've got by being comfortable enough in there to be able to get them from any position into your prefered power distance so your practicing being more of a balanced fighter in both the zones you've just mentioned.

That way they come into your power zone by your craft,not just floating in and out at random as is the case in 99% of most fights.

You dont see many fighters step back out from a huddle or any close distance on an opponents certain move or in a certain way that gets them the upper hand on distance within a safe position for themselves.
We see turn abouts on body movement off the ropes ,dragging them in and changing places , but what about arm movement an its effects on balance as the starting point? Their foot placement in relation to yours and how it stopsone of their arms reaching you for that split second .
Not just for finding new angles to see what happens ,but creating new positions and distance off their movments that you know are comming and you moving to your prefered power distance off of that trigger.
Knowing exactly what others limits are when you are either in a certain postion foot wise (on angles ) or creating them by putting pressure on them in some way; Maybe pressure an elbow from the outside as you move forward and then heading out the same way, or shoving then pulling in straight away so it brings them further in on their initial reaction to the shove etc, then side stepping to distance your self to where you can nail them on their reaction is all stuff that opens up alot of new areas to be in so that you can fight in both of the modes you talk about.
Its sparring that gets you used to their reactions to your visual movement and their reactions to feeling you heading somewhere, getting tapped or nailed, pushed , shoved,bluffed or manhandled.

So if your comfortable, thats the time to practice going that one stage further than what you know will happen and you bring them into it on their reaction.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Sorry I can't quote guys, I'm too sick to even think straight...

I did find a benefit of this training during the weekend bout. When a fighter thinks he has you figured out and then puts pressure on you only to find that he's just fallen into your ideal trap.

[Andre]

Sorry I can't quote guys, I'm too sick to even think straight...

I did find a benefit of this training during the weekend bout. When a fighter thinks he has you figured out and then puts pressure on you only to find that he's just fallen into your ideal trap.

Whats up mate? you crook?

[donnydarkoIRL]

Yeah it's a bug thats going around, stomach cramps that feel like knives in my stomach, better today than yesterady though!