Training: Sparring Reflection

Didn't have to work last night so I drove down to Denver to do some sparring for kickboxing. (my second time) Pretty poor performance on my part considering. There's still a large disconnect between training on pads and sparring. My thoughts:

Boxing a taller boxer

Boxing Travis is always difficult because he's got a great jab and about five inches on me in arm length. So he beats me to the jab by out reaching me. I did a decent job of slipping his jab on the outside but I need to work more on transitioning from a slip on the outside to a slip to move inside. Either slip outside and throw a left straight while slipping, or slip and throw a jab to the body. I can try and cut off his jab with a parry but I need to step in hard for that since he likes to fake the jab and throw a hook around the parry hand (so move forward to catch the jab and not just move the arm forward to parry the jab). Still, I think I should stick to slipping to move inside.

Distance

Again, I'm a shorter fighter than most of the guys I spar with so distance is everything. I need to work on overcoming the distance a lot more. I'm pretty good with leg kicks, I need to utilize them more when I'm on the outside but also, I need to use them and follow them up with punches, use the kick to move inside. I tend to be a counter fighter, I wait for an attack to come and react, if I'm going to do that, I need to slip and move inside and follow with punches to the body. Or I need to dash in with a weaving motion to close the distance fast enough and cut through any punches that might come. I was getting countered with kicks a lot when I tried to work my way in with a jab today. I need to stop throwing useless jabs from far away, it leaves me open too much and telegraphs my attempt to move in. Work off angles more. Move to the side and then move in so I'm catching an opponent from an angle. I move straight in and out too much. Move in from an angle and throw jabs more when I'm going to actually connect with a jab. Or Walk in with a heavy guard and step in for those knees. I'm staying stuck when I throw punching combinations. Move with those punches so I can stick to an opponent. Or if I sense them moving out, throw a kick but don't wait till they're out of range to throw. Throw it when they're moving away and I should catch them regardless.

Lateral movement

To reiterate, move in from angles. Get in the habit of taking a step sideways when standing still. Walk around a little more. Move out when I've thrown a combination. I do it when I train with pads, now don't get lazy when sparring.

Kick more

I can almost go a whole 3 minute round just throwing kicks at a pad so I should be throwing 500 more kicks in sparring than I really am. Work the leg kick. A lot of people have trouble blocking it. Keep working it if it works. Don't get inpatient with it. It's like body punching, it's money invested in a bank. Work the leg kick. Work in double kicks. Counter punches with kicks. If they come in let them meet a hard kick that'll make them reconsider. Teep to the face, they rarely expect it. Follow up a teep with a kick. Just kick more. It's also gonna help equalize the distance with taller opponents.

Don't get stuck on the inside

When an opponent gets in on me or I get in on them and we're locked in close range and I cover up, I need to weave when guarding, step out, or stick those arms out and throw some knees. Just don't stand there like a damn heavy bag and absorb punches. Throw back, I'm not afraid of getting hit, I'm just being lazy. Work.

Step back firing

Ideally, I'd like to move laterally more. This is a bad habit of mine from Taekwondo. When an opponent creeps in with small steps, I step back to maintain the distance. Just throw a damn kick. Or a cross hook. Or if I'm going to step back (maybe if they step in deep) step back firing. Cross hook leg kick.

Courage!

I'm a good fighter. Believe it more! Act confident. Relax and be comfortable. This is probably just going to take time but I need to get out of my head when I fight. Don't overthink what he might do next. Relax and stay loose and react. Better yet, be more offensive, be more aggressive, press the action more. The tendency of the counter fighter is to feel like the opponent is pushing the pace and the action. Take control of the fight. I am better than I let on, fire more, work harder, don't fear the shadow of my opponent. Don't be intimidated. Don't stand there and stare at my opponent, move around, nag him with leg kicks. It's almost like I'm too technical for my own good, that I freeze up when it's not controlled like it is with pad work. Rough it out more. Take Duane's advice and get some! Courage!

Well, as evident, there's a lot I have to work on. I am frustrated but the good thing is that where as before I might be frustrated and disheartened, I'm eager to get back in there and work harder and get better and overcome that frustration. I'm eager to keep fighting and that's exactly the mentality I want to have, the road I want to be on as a fighter.