Gagging on the mouthpiece

[Hulk]

Hey everyone I just wanted to get your advice on a problem I've had in my last two amatuer fights, and I sometimes have during sparring-GAGGING ON MY MOUTHPIECE.

Now I have a single mouthpiece, not a double, but still I"ve gotten really winded in there before and then gagged on it and started dry heaving a bit. That is the worst feeling in the world, its very hard to keep fighting when that happens.

I think its mostly nerves and just getting tired in there, but it could be that my mouthpiece was too old and dried out and too long.

Recently I boiled a new one and shaved it to about 2/3 of what my old one was.

I'm fighting my 3rd smoker on Saturday and I do not want to gag on that fucking mouthpiece again!

Thanks.

[Howlin Mad Missy]

Hey everyone I just wanted to get your advice on a problem I've had in my last two amatuer fights, and I sometimes have during sparring-GAGGING ON MY MOUTHPIECE.

Now I have a single mouthpiece, not a double, but still I"ve gotten really winded in there before and then gagged on it and started dry heaving a bit. That is the worst feeling in the world, its very hard to keep fighting when that happens.

I think its mostly nerves and just getting tired in there, but it could be that my mouthpiece was too old and dried out and too long.

Recently I boiled a new one and shaved it to about 2/3 of what my old one was.

I'm fighting my 3rd smoker on Saturday and I do not want to gag on that fucking mouthpiece again!

Thanks.

I think the key there is getting winded, anything in your mouth at that point will make you gag.

have you tried doing your gym session whilst wearing it?

After that I seriously recommend hill sprint work to bust a lung and see if you can try and relax as tension will also tire you out. Recognise it's a natural response, take a deep breath, shake out your arms and legs.

Andre would love you to do some visualisation techniques to help prepare you. You know if you think about a stressful situation your body begins to act like it is real. You can use that to imagine how your fight would go perfectly, how relaxed you feel, how focused, no matter what your opponent does you're in control.

Some people find that sort of thing easier than others. Other people get stressed out if they don't have their lucky socks on. Fact is you are in control of your training, you can control your emotions.

Hope some of that was useful.

[Chris Nagel]

I think Missy got it right. I think that you just need to get used to wearing your mouthpiece and become more relaxed in the ring. It might also help to google some techniques on how to control/suppress the gag reflex.

[Hulk]

Thanks.

I've been sparring hard and lots of rounds to prepare this time. More than usual.

And I been relaxing during sparring and NOT gagging on the mouthpiece, also I've been telling myself that I will not gag on it and that I will be relaxed in my fight.

Its just hard to stay relaxed when these guys rush you and throw all kinds of punches.

[El Kabong]

You could trim the mouthpiece down a bit or just focus on breathing through your nose because breathing through your mouth will exacerbate the gag reflex. I had that problem a lot when I was boxing and when I was playing football...hell I threw up every day when I was practicing for football, no fun at all, but at least it didn't ruin the games, I could spew and then go right back an play, in boxing I would think they would have to clean the ring, I often wondered about that

[Howlin Mad Missy]

You could trim the mouthpiece down a bit or just focus on breathing through your nose because breathing through your mouth will exacerbate the gag reflex. I had that problem a lot when I was boxing and when I was playing football...hell I threw up every day when I was practicing for football, no fun at all, but at least it didn't ruin the games, I could spew and then go right back an play, in boxing I would think they would have to clean the ring, I often wondered about that

I've often wondered about the breathing through the mouth/nose because when you're exercising hard you breathe more through the mouth and not the nose.

[Hulk]

Well I fought Saturday and it happened AGAIN!

I think it has to be mental and nerves cus I was not that tired, it was the end of the 1st round and I started gaggin on the damn thing.

It was trimmed and everything and I had sparred lots of rounds last week and not gagged on it once.

So halfway thru the second round the referee called a break to wipe the blood off of my opponents nose and mouth, so when his back was turned I took out my mouthpiece and threw it to my corner, so I fought the second half of the fight without one.
lol

The kid I was boxing was an MMA guy with little boxing expereince so it was a fairly easy fight and I wasn't in much danger of him catchin me and knockin my teeth out.

But I can't be fighting without a mouthpiece in the future.

Not smart.

[Chris Nagel]

I was just reading that one thing that can help is to wash your mouthpiece regularly, and to add a drop or two of mouthwash on your guard before using it. I guess that some people react to the taste.

[Youngblood]

There was a post on here, from a person who suffered severe ring nerves and a similar gagging. Here is a link to the thread. http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...tml#post675781

Don't have much personal experience with it. I get a bit nervous like anyone does, but not overly. Kinda interesting that once you have it out you were fine, leading one to believe it may be related to the mouth piece + nerves combined somehow. Have you considered getting a custom? It is so much thinner then any boil and bite, when you first put it in it almost feels like you have no protection, but rest assured, you have as much if not more then anything generic. Just a thought.

Good luck.

edit : it's the 2nd to last post, dealing with the gag reflex.

[Hulk]

There was a post on here, from a person who suffered severe ring nerves and a similar gagging. Here is a link to the thread. http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...tml#post675781

Don't have much personal experience with it. I get a bit nervous like anyone does, but not overly. Kinda interesting that once you have it out you were fine, leading one to believe it may be related to the mouth piece + nerves combined somehow. Have you considered getting a custom? It is so much thinner then any boil and bite, when you first put it in it almost feels like you have no protection, but rest assured, you have as much if not more then anything generic. Just a thought.

Good luck.

edit : it's the 2nd to last post, dealing with the gag reflex.

Thanks. My Dad has suggested that I go to the dentist and get a custom one as well.

Its weird becus it only happens in fights for the most part. When the pressure is on.

Its like I have a lil anxiety attack and start thinkin about not gagging on it and then I start gaggin on it and I can't stop.

Its a terrible habit.

[OumaFan]

I never have boxed but I never liked wearing a mouthpiece in football. Not like I gagged regularly at all but I did every once in a while and I was never really nervous playing football, so some people might just be annoyed by mouthpieces. Although not saying your nerves don't play a part.

Thing is its also probably in your head, happens once or twice and where you wouldn't think about it before now you're like waiting for it to happen. Getting a new mouthpiece might be helpful for that alone.

This guy on the ultimate fighter this year had a problem with it and went to a hypnotist. I don't think it worked, haha.

[Hulk]

I never have boxed but I never liked wearing a mouthpiece in football. Not like I gagged regularly at all but I did every once in a while and I was never really nervous playing football, so some people might just be annoyed by mouthpieces. Although not saying your nerves don't play a part.

Thing is its also probably in your head, happens once or twice and where you wouldn't think about it before now you're like waiting for it to happen. Getting a new mouthpiece might be helpful for that alone.

This guy on the ultimate fighter this year had a problem with it and went to a hypnotist. I don't think it worked, haha.

Exactly. I never used to have a problem with it, happened a lil bit at the last 30 seconds of my first fight.

Then it happened again bad in my second.

Since then its been on my mind and bugs the hell outta me and got to me in my 3rd fight to the point I had to spit it out.

And yes I saw that on the Ultimate Fighter.

Good ol Dave, he fucking quit on the stool!

Bisping was pissed and rightfully so.

[chaos1989]

Are you still gagging on the mouth piece when you fight?

[Gray Lion]

Hulk, you said that in sparring heavy, you were relaxed and did not gag on your mouth piece. There is your answer.
Sorry I can't offer a solution.....telling a fighter to relax and not be nervous before he goes into the ring to fight....
Don't spit your piece out though...whatever you do. It not only teeth you can lose, lips driven back into the teeth, tongue caught in slashing teeth...all kinds of horrible things you run a risk of getting into with that mouth piece.

[chaos1989]

Sometimes its common to gag on your own spit when wearing a mouthpiece...to see if it is in fact your spit...Try training with your mouth piece in...like shadow sparring or whatever and see if your mouth is watery...also try tilting your head back...if you gag then it is because your not swallowing your saliva and it is thickening in your mouth...typically you might gag when exhaling with punches because your trying to exhale air but your saliva is running down the back of your throat