sourpuss's training log

[Sharla]

I'd love to go to a sports psychologist if I could afford one. Know of any good books? Maybe they could figure out why I'm such a slow starter, it's like I have to be losing to really let my hands go.

Sparring last night went a little better. I tried to explain to Zack that he's 50 pounds heavier than me and he can't just go ape shit on my brain. But he's just a kid and I don't think he gets its. He lightened up on his jab for a bit but I don't think he's experienced enough yet to have more than one speed or intensity. Hopefully he'll figure that out in the next month or two.

Its funny, the guy that I fought two weeks ago is actually the best sports psychologist over here. I'll be going to him before my fights from now on.
I'll enquire from him as to some good books and I'll get back onto you.
Also after he gets back from Beijing I intend on asking him a number of key questions and then posting them on the training board.
I start slow also, but now I just jab, simple as that, rather than start slow I make a commitment to throw 10 or more jabs in the first minute.


I still cannot believe guys with that much of an advantage are allowed to go all out in sparring.

Great Idea Donny!

I'll be keen to read what you find out

In my case i don't think it's a case of most them deliberately going all out all the time - just the occasional slip.

I mean if they were actually trying to kill me unless they are much less experienced and within say 15 kg then i think they would kill me.

It's a case of them misinterpreting pressure thats tempo or speed or just timing for power.

I guess if you're the same size it evens out but if you time something well against a bigger person and they think - "shit i just got nailed - need to make it up" they might be so eager to make up lost ground that they rush to take an opportunity when they see it an unintentionally follow through with more power.

Other times they try not to underestimate you and push you but it really takes experience for them to have a sense of how to push you with tempo and skill and timing but not power and they need to be comfortable enough in the ring to observe you and how much pressure you're under while sparring.

I had a coach (coach Arthur in my log) who was great to spar with most of the time but i did get a couple of black eyes from him also. When under pressure he would hold illegally etc and not even be aware her was doing it.

He's my height and despite being at the gym for many years has only had 3 amatuer bouts so i guess sometimes he used power under pressure without thinking. Like i said though most of the time he was great and better than i could expect sparring a beginner.

I think ultimately to be fair we're very difficult to spar because its just not going to be natural for a bigger person to maintain speed but keep power down. Force = mass X velocity.

Really this is why i think interclub sparring is so key. Smaller guys are soooo much better to spar with - their power advantage is much, much less. I'd say with guys my weight it's tempo and explosiveness rather than force alone i register more. That can just mean you get a whole lot more benefit out of fewer sparring rounds though!

Again why i think interclub sparring should be promoted more because even if the guys don't really like being paired with a girl - if there are a few of them it really doesn't need to take long to include us. I'd travel an hour for 4 rounds sparring with someone my size - especially a guy who has some basic skills!