Swarmer help

[Sharla]

I see your points here Lyle. I think it would take me a while to master what you're saying though.

1) I find it hard to duck and come up quickly whilst being on my toes enough to move well. Perhaps it's something I need to train specifically to make it physically easier.

If I'm not close enough when I duck their jab I find they will just hit me on the top of my head as I go down which is easy for them since they are already punching down.

As they are heavier I need to be able to step sideways as I duck otherwise they will just run into me and things get messy. Since I'm the lighter one I'll usually be the one who ends up most off balance after a collision.

If I'm not no my toes with excellent balance I can't step sideways but I find it's really hard for me to be on my toes and ducking at the same time.

2) The heavier taller sparring partners I have love it if I lunge at them because they know they can still reach me before I can reach them. I can do it sometimes if I see that they are off balance or when i'm using angles well but I don't find it easy at all.

Any more suggestions/advice to combat these issues Lyle?

[El Kabong]

1) Don't ONLY duck, duck and slip to each side a la Mike Tyson. Even if you're a pure boxer adopting that metronome style slipping is a good thing...it places you in position to counter with some weight behind your punch and it's hard to time. You can go left to right to left again but you can double slip to the left or right and throw them even more off balance.

When fighting a taller fighter it's always a good idea to try and screw up their balance and timing that creates holes in their defense that you can exploit.

2) Don't JUST lunge that is asking for it. This is a once in a while way to land a punch and open up their defense. You're in your boxing stance, guard up, act like you are Santa for a second and in your right hand you're holding the sack with all the toys in it....when you feint that right cross act like you're slinging that sack directly over your shoulder...you should have kind of a circular motion with your arm and shoulder and while you're doing that you shift your weight to your lead foot and from a crouch you leap in with the hook like Joe Frazier.

With that move you're looking for a delayed reaction the one I look for is putting their guard straight out like Rahman did vs Lennox Lewis in the rematch and it exposes the chin and that's where the hook goes.

When you're throwing that feint you'll have time to stop and reset and still be out of range...when you do it right you'll know and if you do have a good right cross it should work really well. Over emphasize the feint...make it look like you're loading up on the right cross. The point is you make them think you're lunging with the right cross....they may try to time it, they may try to counter punch but you shouldn't mind because in the crouch and loaded for the left hook you're in a fairly safe defensive position

I know this kind of thing doesn't work for everyone but you can give it a whirl and see if it works and if not, then that's cool too. I am just trying to help

[Salty]

Well I turned up to training a bit early, had my printout read them through a few times in the car. The new guy turns up, we do all the fitness pretty grueling but could handle it, then he left before sparring began. I was kind of dissapointed, but still was pretty happy with my first sparring session in about a month. The jab was sticking out all the time, I was turning people and hooking my way out of the ropes. It felt good, as Trainer Monkey said to me it's mainly a mental thing rather than a skills issue. It just seemed to click back perfectly tonight, so want to thank you all for the help you gave me. Will fill you in when i finally get to spar him

[El Kabong]

Of course you always want to be ready for anything that is going to come at you in the ring, but the more relaxed and used to sparring you get the easier it is to impliment your strategy.

Thinking too much in the ring causes hesitation and that is bad....thinking too little leads to being outboxed or just a plain old ass whuppin.

You want to have a plan but also have instincts to adapt to whatever a fighter may throw at you. You will just need to find a happy balance between the two.

Balance and relaxation are the keys for success.

[Trainer Monkey]

Well I turned up to training a bit early, had my printout read them through a few times in the car. The new guy turns up, we do all the fitness pretty grueling but could handle it, then he left before sparring began. I was kind of dissapointed, but still was pretty happy with my first sparring session in about a month. The jab was sticking out all the time, I was turning people and hooking my way out of the ropes. It felt good, as Trainer Monkey said to me it's mainly a mental thing rather than a skills issue. It just seemed to click back perfectly tonight, so want to thank you all for the help you gave me. Will fill you in when i finally get to spar him

These type of guys live to baffle you with bull-s
But yeah the first time you have to deal with one,it feels overwhelming
But also,once you settle down,these guys are wide open all the live long day,and are actually practically throwing themselves at your fists