as title says...this is really putting me off When on pads my technique and power is pretty good, when i spar against more experienced guys at the gym that i know i am usually quite technical and do pretty well, even when we go hard at sparing i always feel comfortable and even if im getting wacked i try to carry on strong. But whenever it comes to spar with some one new who goes wild and don't really care about being technical, some one who windmilling and just puts a lot of pressure on me, all my technique goes down the toilet...my punches and kicks become very sloppy and I just go into defensive mod and trying to step back from every punch. I know exactly what i need to do in that situation... fire back, clinch, low kick, push kick etc... but i just cant do any of it when i am under big pressure. Can you guys maybe give me some advice on how to overcome this problem please cheers
DRILL counterstrikes if you don't already (drilling them vs just knowing them). work with MORE of these brawlers to get used to them It can be helpful to fight against the brawlers who you do better with, then as you get better at fighting them move to the brawlers who you find more difficult. video-tape your fights with these types to get more perspective
What Hazmatac said really. Drill counter striking with a different partner who will put you under the right type of pressure to help you learn to deal with it. To be honest if all they are doing is windmilling, but not really landing anything, they're not scoring points anyway.
Can you also do some "weathering the storm" work, just covering up and getting used to taking the hits? I'm not suggesting that as a strategy, just as something to get you over the "freeze" that can happen when you're taking multiple hits. Once your brain realises that it's OK and you come out the other side, it'll give you control back so you can focus on your countering. Mitch
yeah, beginners are sometimes more dangerous than experienced fighters because they have a rhythm and a skill set that you expect more. Fighting someone wild can be good in the sense as everyone above said that you can counter them to no end, but you can also get hit with something you don't see. I'd work on just a single shot, pivot, single shot, pivot. Keep out of the way (obviously), but understand that their lack of good technique will also hurt them in the sense that power is greatly diminished. Have someone at your gym mimic a beginner or just someone with poor technique and get used to everything possible that might be coming at you.
In and out. Pop a jab or some other quick hit technique and move out of range and let the guy/gal carry on windmilling. (Of course keep moving and keep your defense up). Hopefully they'll get the idea. But what um....CottonMitch says, try to pressure work? Fighting off the ropes/corner? If you dont have a ring, then up against the wall?
I like this kind of training. I have a couple of ideas I posted in the sparring thread. They may help, or maybe you can adapt them to suit your own style. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUtx8WEhHwY"]Conditioning and Body Shots - YouTube[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbNMcSxX7M4"]Sparring Drills - YouTube[/ame]
I'm always instructed to NEVER stop moving, and to never ever assume because you landed a good kick or punch that it's going to stop a guy. So we train for basically an endless fight. IMO this is a good idea because there are some guys you could hit with a truck (uhhh bad memories saying that) and still not stop... so I agree with this... keep moving, circling, pivoting... and try to get more to the side or create other angles where they are out of range. A 2-3 punch combo might not stop everyone, but if you are even a decent puncher, it will make them think twice.
