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bro i also think he sparrs a bit too hard on a regular basis but if he only did it sometimes that wouldnt be a problem at all i agree with gabriel varga that you shouldnt always spar hard but people overexaggerate how hard strickland spars he actually has good self control! of course he didnt show self control with that youtuber but maybe thats because he doesnt like him i dont like that youtuber either... look im not goggling stricklands balls cuz im a fan i generally think he normally has good self control
Dummies like him have no idea the root word in Sparring is Spare. If you lack here. You will lack in the ring. Attention to detail. Team work is the key. Look at Military they spar without live ammo. Champion if men want to fight? $1,000 rounds. Better ways to training? Partner Drills & Bag Work with Mitt Work? 🫵😊
As a hobbyist, what I've noticed is that my injuries have tended to happen at the end of long training sessions when everyone is tired and their control and defense is suffering.
this is facts, I sprained inside of my right knee when it was the last 10 sec of the round and I was trying to throw a guy over me but he was heavier than me so he landed on the side of me knee and rest is history.
Sometimes the ego is too big to tell someone they are going too hard. When I spar someone new I always establish a baseline about how hard they want to spar. I'll tag them on their shinguards or punch them in the arm with what I'm good with and ask them if that's okay. Even though I'm not the coach I will tell people "Easy guys", or act as a unofficial corner, if I see one guy hitting much harder than another. We need to look after one another because sometimes the ego is too big to look after ourselves.
My coach said "either in a real fight or sparring you are not only fighting the other person you also fight your emotions and you have to be able to control both" and i couldnt agree more, granted you dont want to be anyones punching bag but the answer is not always to get back at them harder, ive stopped mid sparring, looked at the guy and went "what was that for?" and after that they have become my best sparring partners
Surprised Gabriel didn’t mention this: never spar when you are already gassed out from a long, hard training session. You will be unable to defend yourself and are going to become a punching bag!
Not if you have good partners, if you do...keep going and push yourself. If you have a good team, they'll push you but not hurt you. If you have people who will hurt you, yes sit out.
I try to spar light and speedy. I put my ego to aside and tell my spar partner that i want to go light but speedy at the time. And sometimes we find our selves hitting way harder then nessesary. So im not afraid to stop and adjuat how hard im hitting and remind my partner to lighten up also. And for the most part it works put well for me. But no matter what i always make sure i go as hard as my partner gos. But i have no problem speaking up. As far as being sick, i usually stay home and shadowbox if i want to train, because i dont think its right to get others sick at the gym. If thats the case
after my last sparr, i started to experience dizziness and constant headaches for about a week and the dizziness keeps on going... i think i´m quitting. The strange part is that it was sorta light sparring. I´m 31, started at 29.
That's definitely odd. Stay safe. If that doesn't promptly go away get checked by a health professional. Better safe than sorry. Hope you feel better soon.
I was once struck in the groin with a quarter staff whilst practising a two man weapon set while suffering from a migraine. It was a significant learning experience.
Its realy great to see world class kickboxer talking real with no ego, smart, to youtube comunity, 👌🏼 I am selflearner, analysing, learning, keep recording my workouts and technique for 7 years now just as hobby, I dont know If I am ever gonna try to compete ever, I just started to spar few months ago, but I have great sparingpartner, zero ego in room, punching fast but open fists in gloves, no to much power in punches, and sometimes I can even stop punch before landing just to know it will land, I have pretty good control, but your videos helped me a Lot 🙏🏼 literaly best fighting tips channel on youtube.
Another time I avoid sparring is when I have not been able to train enough if I had to pull off for a few weeks because of a really bad injury and I really feel like this topic is not discussed enough, so this was very helpful for me Gabriel, another tip is which may work for some people it works for me when I feel like I am just not having a smart day, when I go to sparring I outperform myself I land shots, get counters off but again for someone it may or may not work overall such an amazing topic Gabriel!
Had a TERRIBLE day sparring a couple Saturdays ago. I got knocked down. Knew I should have stopped after that because my head was feeling emotional. Then I went on with other partners and ended up having an altercation with a team mate which cause me to leave the session early because I was so pissed off. Everything is fine now. But yeah I’m five years in and definitely learning a bunch of nuance things.
Hey Gabriel! In 2021 i've posted a comment in one of your videos asking if you thought it was possible for a 23 year old guy to start a carreer in martial arts and reach a high level in competition and you encouraged me to do it. Started going to the nearest gym in my neighborhood in late 2021, and now, in 2024 I am getting ready for my third fight. It will be a kickboxing match, my two previous fights were just amateur boxing and i got one victory and one loss. After pursuing my martial arts journey, i've been a happier and healthier person, and all the training, improving and struggling, have become a valuabe part of my life that i wouldn't give up for anything nowdays. I'm exited to be competing in kickboxing, because i practiced it from 15-17 years and never had a chance to fight, so finally I'll be able to test my techniques and see what I've learned in these years. Thank you for saying that I would be capable of doing it and also encouraging a lot of people who want to be martial artists.
I'm 39 now only sparring for a year but I've become super picky with sparring partners. Everyone talks in the gym, and I lose trust with people very easily. Just copped a spinning back hand after they said we go light... Should always be light for us and doesn't need mentioning. I notice through the year you'll get new waves of people after grading and maybe there are a couple competing, which is ramping up the intensity for others causing a snowball effect
Yeah, same here. Too often the same scenario happens to me: Sparring partner explicitly asks for light sparring, and then, the first thing he does is throwing a haymaker. I'm just like: Dude, light sparring isn't a one-direction way. I'll go light with you so I expect you to do the same with me.
@@noteven6562 the connection was pretty firm and wasn't light. Nothing against the move itself but the dude asked to go light... Spin moves generally have more momentum behind them
To anyone who thinks can help me, when I cover up and we are in close range (mostly when my back is against a wall), instead of using a normal shell, I raise my arms like normal, but I extend my shoulders forward, the middle of my forearms touching my opponent's fists, my thumbs a few centimeters in front of my forhead, and my chin tucked low. I know it sounds very weird, but at least for me, It works because: my elbows are in the way of straight punches; to defend hooks, I just move my forearm with his fist(I can do this because I can feel his slight movement, because of the conection); I'm too close for kicks; to defend the knee, I hollow out; and if he throws a body hook, I smack him with an elbow before his punch lands. I may be vulmerable to uppercuts. Keep in mind that I'm training at home and sparring with some of my friends because I don't have acces to a gym, and they're kinda predictable. Also, we mostly light spar, and we use 5,5oz mma gloves. Do you think this works because my opponents are bad, or because it is a good strategy? and if it is good, why don't more fighters use it?
It's generally a good tactic, boxers do something similar but with a forearm held horizontally across the opponent's forearms/gloves). If you spar the same people all the time, you will get better at sparring THEM (and vice versa). This is why you need to eventually branch out and spar with other people, to help develop your ability to adapt to new situations in the ring/cage. Now, as for why don't a lot of other fighters do what you do, if you just post up against an opponent who is good at infighting, they will often just turn you and bludgeon you during or immediately after the turn. Your guard up close should be used not just defensively, but offensively - you push the opponent back to the ropes/cage, you put pressure on them while blasting strikes at unexpected moments, you use it to set up a clinch/foot sweep, etc etc. And yes, uppercuts are definitely something to pay attention to when in close. Especially the ones that cause you to close your elbows together to defend which opens you up for the body hook you weren't expecting which then blasts the wind out of you literally. Ask me how I know. :)
I have dyspraxia which means that when I get tired my coordination drops away quickly. I have learnt to stop sparing when I begin to start tagging people harder than I intend.
Thank You Gabriel, very important topic! Whenever I meet new people in my very competitive gym I tell them "what is the number one rule in combat sports? Protect yourself at all times." and try to impress on them that includes against unsafe sparring partners, or if you feel unwell , injured , etc . I would love a video where you discuss pushing past your comfort zone vs listening to your body/gut and pulling back. ie are you hurt or is your ego?
❤ really good advice. I'll add don't spar hungover. Training with a hangover can be a good way to power through it. Not optimal but at least I often felt better after. But please don't spar then.
Definitely don’t spar when u have a lot of heavy stuff going through your mind. Emotional stuff about your family or children, for example. You gotta be fully focused on the hands and feet coming at you. 💯 I had the worst injury of my life back in 2021 (a compound fracture of radius AND ulna), and it probably wouldn’t have happened if I was fully focused on what my sparring partner was doing 🙏
incredible. I love it. Congratulations for helping to educate how to train well, which many still need to learn in this sport. there is a lot of bad education about it. this sport its not game
I have my 3rd amateur mma fight on the 16th this month, been watching your videos a bunch and just wanna say thanks! Really helps out learning and studying to calm the nerves and be more confident. Been building up to 10 hill sprints over the last couple weeks, those are making me feel great! Went from 3 of em killing me to today 6 of em wasn't too bad, just need work a little less recovery on the way down😊
How long are the sprints and about how much time do they take in total? I also do hill sprints, 5 rounds of about 250 meters and take about 15 minutes. The last round, it'm more like hill walks and every step feels like a pistol squat because I run on a steep hill.
Your video could not come with a better timing: I was pondering to skip my Muay Thai sparring today because I did not sleep well last night. I'm definitely taking a nap and going to the gym after for a relaxed workout session, will be going back to spar next day. Thanks for your amazing tips champion 🙌🏻
Being good and having no control are incompatible within the same person. Notice I didn’t say anything about being able to win the fight. Bad fighters win fights all the time.
Gloves make a difference too. That's why good boxing gyms will make first time sparrers use Winning Boxing Gloves. It's not that common for people to have because they are the most expensive boxing glove at around $500 a pair. I like using Hayabusa boxing gloves. Not nearly as good as Winning, but has decent padding plus other features. Better padding means I don't have to worry about pulling my punches too much and partner doesn't have to worry about being hit too hard.
You should be if fresh mind. Don't go double session and than spar ....you will get hurt .always be rested before . You spar to learn not to kill somebody or get killed
I really like Gabriel. He is a beat and always have some great and useful tips. You can tell he is a nice person and that he cares about people! Spare yourself sparring ;)
I believe that you should spar light. At the same time i think if an ego is trying to ko you, giving you a hard time, that should either be a warning sign for you to quit if dont want it. Or, it could be the sign that you need to test whether you really want it in your heart and soul and you should fight back and try to hurt the guy. Hobbyists - dont get involved and avoid hard sparring Seasoned pro’s / amateurs - take the rough with the smooth, you are going to face tough / smart guys the better you get and higher the standard gets.
My sparring experience is weird, like I have a fair muscle build and people use that as an excuse to hit me hard af. Like I'm pulling my punches but then you get paired up with that one guy takes it way too serious--like there's money involved in the spar. Like I want to say I at least learned good defense dealing with the heavy hitters, but you can learn to overreact to simple things as well.
The worst thing I havent seen addresed is that this is all well and good when you are the champ and people respect you. If you say the very same thing that you want light sparring is that people inlcuding instructors calls you an coward. Now I rather be called a coward then getting braindamage but it gets tiring to hear it all the time and being told the sport is not for you. Quit after 2 years :( On the postive side I never been injured from training but I seen other people in the gym having to take months off from injuring themself.
If your instructor is calling you a coward, then that is a bad instructor. Find a new one. In our sparring class my instructor often says to treat your sparring partners like an egg.
I need some advice on a similar situation. There’s 1 particular guy always starring me down and sparring crazy hard with everyone. How would you deal with if there was 1 specific guy who is always sparring crazy? Would you just reject sparring with just him? Thank you in advance
in my non-fighter opinion, just rejecting to sparr with him will keep you safe, but it doesen't solve the issue. Maybe someone like the champ himself, mr.Varga, with great defence, body hooks and endurence would make him feel uncofortable enough to not want to spar that hard anymore. Or, some people are just savages and they will always try to beat the shit out of anyone who stands in front of them, and can't be changed no matter how much damage they take. In a larger gym, it may be usefull to have one of these because you know where to go if you need some hard rounds, but in smaller gyms he just hurts people because there isn't always someone who wnats/is ready to sparr him. Tough spot for you to be in.
@@denisalexa4435yeah, it’s a difficult situation, because there are probably 6 or 7 of us who spar on a good day. He’s not even technically that great, just likes to throw as hard as he can. He broke my buddy’s rib last month. Since it is a smaller gym, it is awkward to just have us 2 out during the round because I refused to spar with him
I remember the first time i sparred at boxing,coach said "When you've had enough put your arms up".After 2 mins i was gassed,put my arms up.Guy hit me straight in the solar plexus. I went down like a sack of shit & started dry heaving.Only had a headache once from boxing/kickboxing. I've suffered more from injuries, ankle,broken toes,swollen elbows(blocking)Biggest injury?Ego 😅😅😅😅😅😅
It’s called a PKB /PMT (point kick boxing/ point muay thai ) and it is continuous it does not stop like many people imagine like with point karate and it is for people to see if competing is something they wanna do
Heres the list on the video: 1. If you dont share the political views with your training partner. 2. If your training partner ate fish at least 2 hours ago. 3. If your training partner likes lavender oils. 4. If your training partner is from brazil.
50% for an experienced fighter is not 50% for an amatuer. The expert can hit his opponent with 50% power at 50% intensity and injuresaid opponent. It's foolish to use % as a description for how hard you're going to spar.
My number one bit of advice is NEVER take sparring lightly. The countless times i can recall people saying they were going light, to then start digging hard. You have to go hard to gain respect sometimes. Theres no point being mr friendly to everyone, just for them to try and take advantage of you. I struggle to find people who go easy with me because they see you are thick set across shoulders and thick legs, so they assume they can just start smashing you hard. Naturally you will always get aggressive when you feel people are taking advantage. If you want to quit from a hard sparring session then fighting’s not for you. I know its not wise to go hard all the time, but ultimately the fight game is a hard game and if you go easy all the time, you wont be prepared for the harsh reality of the fight game.
4:54 I wish I had a coach. At least I didn't have any sparring matches like this or had any thing bad happen to me Anyway, solid tips. Reminds me of Creed 2 where Adonis fought Drako's son for the first time.
Why do people hard spar??? Most professional fighters barely spare let alone hard spar. Train hard, get your cardio up, do pad work and when it comes to sparring, do light, fun light play. Technique over power.
It's beneficial to spar hard. It really is. You need to be used to that intensity at some level. If not, you'll not be able to keep up with someone who is trying to hurt you. But the key is having hard spar partners you trust.
I just got done with hard sparring with my best friend and had a conversation about this after. He teaches now and barely spars hard anymore, he's arguaby a better fighter than me, but I have the edge when the spar is intense. Not full fighting, just hard sparring. You need to be ready to fight, not just play touch butt in the part
@@RottenProfits that's not real though. Fighting is real, you need training with real pressure and danger before you get the full feeling from a fight. Maybe like 75% technical training, and 25% hard sparring is ideal
Ive had days where i spar and i think im gonna do good and do badly and says where i think im gonna do well and end up sucking 😂 but i dont hard spar only light timing unless people are fighting maybe ill do a few hard rounds but im old 48 years old
Hey i don‘t usually comment but this time it means a lot to me. I am currently preparing my first amateur boxing fight and was sparring last week and while i was sparring i sparred a guy that has way more experience than me and he was imo going really hard and i left sparring with a huge headache that lasted for days. Now my confidence is completely shattered and idk what to do as i want to be as ready as possible for the fight without ending up retarded during the prep. Just wanna know if you have had any such experience and what to do.
My sparring partner is amature and when ever we spar he tries to kill me with everything he has unaware of the situation landing hard strike after strike 🗿even if i tell him its a sparring session we are supposed to practice technique and develop our skill he stilll fks me up and there is me holding my first knee and kick & elbow back so that I don't injure him infront of the coach i really dislike those who just do what ever they want 💀💀💀
Yeah the thing about someone going hard and not listening to take it easy is fuckin annoying asf... Met a guy like that on my trip to Thailand recently... 3 times I sparred with him(yeah dumb I know) and everytime I told him to go less power and then the last time he gave me a heel kick in the ribs... Problem was that he was kinda new so he couldnt control his power, I went 20-30% and he full power 😂
This is why boxing is the GOAT. And the toughest sport. We don’t light spar. We train like warriors and go into battle most days. I’ve dabbled in other combat sports and they all have this fake persona and this weird over friendly fake vibe..walk in a boxing gym and I mean a real boxing gym, old school nobody is wanting to be your friend, you have to earn it and train there a while and there’s none of this “Oh I’m feeling off today” soft stuff. You get in there and you fight and you take your blows and come back the next day and do it again.
We always sparred.. as much and with as many people as possible. Back in the early 2000 you didnt have the internet or access to steroids like today. Link those two if you gonna talk real. I boxed for 10 years and then did 2 degrees afterwards.
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Number 1, don't spar when the sparring opponent is Sean Strickland, he's gonna try to kill you.
Strickland is a teddy bear compared to people like Palhares or Lombard.
And there is nothing you can do about it
Unless your alex fucking pereira
bro i also think he sparrs a bit too hard on a regular basis but if he only did it sometimes that wouldnt be a problem at all i agree with gabriel varga that you shouldnt always spar hard but people overexaggerate how hard strickland spars he actually has good self control! of course he didnt show self control with that youtuber but maybe thats because he doesnt like him i dont like that youtuber either... look im not goggling stricklands balls cuz im a fan i generally think he normally has good self control
Dummies like him have no idea the root word in Sparring is Spare. If you lack here. You will lack in the ring. Attention to detail. Team work is the key. Look at Military they spar without live ammo. Champion if men want to fight? $1,000 rounds. Better ways to training? Partner Drills & Bag Work with Mitt Work? 🫵😊
As a hobbyist, what I've noticed is that my injuries have tended to happen at the end of long training sessions when everyone is tired and their control and defense is suffering.
I just got injuries lol. No idea how or when exactly they happened 😂😢
Hobbyists rock!
@@jamesbarker2223 relatable bruh
.. My shoulder and feet are healing 🤦
This is why we always spar at the start of a session after warmup, people's control is the first thing to go when they are tired.
this is facts, I sprained inside of my right knee when it was the last 10 sec of the round and I was trying to throw a guy over me but he was heavier than me so he landed on the side of me knee and rest is history.
Sometimes the ego is too big to tell someone they are going too hard. When I spar someone new I always establish a baseline about how hard they want to spar. I'll tag them on their shinguards or punch them in the arm with what I'm good with and ask them if that's okay.
Even though I'm not the coach I will tell people "Easy guys", or act as a unofficial corner, if I see one guy hitting much harder than another. We need to look after one another because sometimes the ego is too big to look after ourselves.
Crazy good advice and example!
My coach said "either in a real fight or sparring you are not only fighting the other person you also fight your emotions and you have to be able to control both" and i couldnt agree more, granted you dont want to be anyones punching bag but the answer is not always to get back at them harder, ive stopped mid sparring, looked at the guy and went "what was that for?" and after that they have become my best sparring partners
Great advice. I use a similar phrase; "I'm not playing anymore" it reminds the other person it's a game not a war.
@andrewpope5307lol what was that for (gets knocked out
Surprised Gabriel didn’t mention this: never spar when you are already gassed out from a long, hard training session. You will be unable to defend yourself and are going to become a punching bag!
This. Usually, the coach won't be mad at you if you sit out one sparring round when you are completely gassed out, especially as a hobbyist.
@@anakinPro01If the coach is mad, then find a new gym. There is no reason to pay narcissists for brain damage.
You’re supposed to condition yourself to think even when you’re at the point of gassing out. For light sparring only ofc
Not if you have good partners, if you do...keep going and push yourself. If you have a good team, they'll push you but not hurt you. If you have people who will hurt you, yes sit out.
I think you can infer that from the first reason he mentioned. If you're not feeling right avoid sparring.
So few people speaks about this. I wish more would. Respekt!
I try to spar light and speedy. I put my ego to aside and tell my spar partner that i want to go light but speedy at the time. And sometimes we find our selves hitting way harder then nessesary. So im not afraid to stop and adjuat how hard im hitting and remind my partner to lighten up also. And for the most part it works put well for me. But no matter what i always make sure i go as hard as my partner gos. But i have no problem speaking up.
As far as being sick, i usually stay home and shadowbox if i want to train, because i dont think its right to get others sick at the gym. If thats the case
after my last sparr, i started to experience dizziness and constant headaches for about a week and the dizziness keeps on going... i think
i´m quitting. The strange part is that it was sorta light sparring. I´m 31, started at 29.
That's definitely odd. Stay safe.
If that doesn't promptly go away get checked by a health professional.
Better safe than sorry. Hope you feel better soon.
Thanks for the reply, will follow your advice and love your content btw @@GabrielVargaOfficial
I was once struck in the groin with a quarter staff whilst practising a two man weapon set while suffering from a migraine. It was a significant learning experience.
Its realy great to see world class kickboxer talking real with no ego, smart, to youtube comunity, 👌🏼 I am selflearner, analysing, learning, keep recording my workouts and technique for 7 years now just as hobby, I dont know If I am ever gonna try to compete ever, I just started to spar few months ago, but I have great sparingpartner, zero ego in room, punching fast but open fists in gloves, no to much power in punches, and sometimes I can even stop punch before landing just to know it will land, I have pretty good control, but your videos helped me a Lot 🙏🏼 literaly best fighting tips channel on youtube.
1:10 damn thats sad
Another time I avoid sparring is when I have not been able to train enough if I had to pull off for a few weeks because of a really bad injury and I really feel like this topic is not discussed enough, so this was very helpful for me Gabriel, another tip is which may work for some people it works for me when I feel like I am just not having a smart day, when I go to sparring I outperform myself I land shots, get counters off but again for someone it may or may not work overall such an amazing topic Gabriel!
Had a TERRIBLE day sparring a couple Saturdays ago. I got knocked down. Knew I should have stopped after that because my head was feeling emotional. Then I went on with other partners and ended up having an altercation with a team mate which cause me to leave the session early because I was so pissed off. Everything is fine now. But yeah I’m five years in and definitely learning a bunch of nuance things.
Hey Gabriel! In 2021 i've posted a comment in one of your videos asking if you thought it was possible for a 23 year old guy to start a carreer in martial arts and reach a high level in competition and you encouraged me to do it.
Started going to the nearest gym in my neighborhood in late 2021, and now, in 2024 I am getting ready for my third fight.
It will be a kickboxing match, my two previous fights were just amateur boxing and i got one victory and one loss. After pursuing my martial arts journey, i've been a happier and healthier person, and all the training, improving and struggling, have become a valuabe part of my life that i wouldn't give up for anything nowdays.
I'm exited to be competing in kickboxing, because i practiced it from 15-17 years and never had a chance to fight, so finally I'll be able to test my techniques and see what I've learned in these years. Thank you for saying that I would be capable of doing it and also encouraging a lot of people who want to be martial artists.
ABSOLUTELY!
💪💪💪
I'm 39 now only sparring for a year but I've become super picky with sparring partners. Everyone talks in the gym, and I lose trust with people very easily. Just copped a spinning back hand after they said we go light... Should always be light for us and doesn't need mentioning.
I notice through the year you'll get new waves of people after grading and maybe there are a couple competing, which is ramping up the intensity for others causing a snowball effect
Yeah, same here. Too often the same scenario happens to me: Sparring partner explicitly asks for light sparring, and then, the first thing he does is throwing a haymaker. I'm just like: Dude, light sparring isn't a one-direction way. I'll go light with you so I expect you to do the same with me.
You can practice spinning backhands light bro wym?
@@noteven6562 the connection was pretty firm and wasn't light. Nothing against the move itself but the dude asked to go light... Spin moves generally have more momentum behind them
To anyone who thinks can help me, when I cover up and we are in close range (mostly when my back is against a wall), instead of using a normal shell, I raise my arms like normal, but I extend my shoulders forward, the middle of my forearms touching my opponent's fists, my thumbs a few centimeters in front of my forhead, and my chin tucked low. I know it sounds very weird, but at least for me, It works because: my elbows are in the way of straight punches; to defend hooks, I just move my forearm with his fist(I can do this because I can feel his slight movement, because of the conection); I'm too close for kicks; to defend the knee, I hollow out; and if he throws a body hook, I smack him with an elbow before his punch lands.
I may be vulmerable to uppercuts.
Keep in mind that I'm training at home and sparring with some of my friends because I don't have acces to a gym, and they're kinda predictable. Also, we mostly light spar, and we use 5,5oz mma gloves.
Do you think this works because my opponents are bad, or because it is a good strategy? and if it is good, why don't more fighters use it?
It's generally a good tactic, boxers do something similar but with a forearm held horizontally across the opponent's forearms/gloves). If you spar the same people all the time, you will get better at sparring THEM (and vice versa). This is why you need to eventually branch out and spar with other people, to help develop your ability to adapt to new situations in the ring/cage. Now, as for why don't a lot of other fighters do what you do, if you just post up against an opponent who is good at infighting, they will often just turn you and bludgeon you during or immediately after the turn. Your guard up close should be used not just defensively, but offensively - you push the opponent back to the ropes/cage, you put pressure on them while blasting strikes at unexpected moments, you use it to set up a clinch/foot sweep, etc etc. And yes, uppercuts are definitely something to pay attention to when in close. Especially the ones that cause you to close your elbows together to defend which opens you up for the body hook you weren't expecting which then blasts the wind out of you literally. Ask me how I know. :)
@@athenry thank you for the advice!
I have dyspraxia which means that when I get tired my coordination drops away quickly. I have learnt to stop sparing when I begin to start tagging people harder than I intend.
@3:26 This is good wisdom quote: "I'm not getting paid to spar".
Amazing, Responsable and Prudent advice on this video. Thank you master Gabriel Varga!
Thank You Gabriel, very important topic! Whenever I meet new people in my very competitive gym I tell them "what is the number one rule in combat sports? Protect yourself at all times." and try to impress on them that includes against unsafe sparring partners, or if you feel unwell , injured , etc . I would love a video where you discuss pushing past your comfort zone vs listening to your body/gut and pulling back. ie are you hurt or is your ego?
❤ really good advice. I'll add don't spar hungover. Training with a hangover can be a good way to power through it. Not optimal but at least I often felt better after. But please don't spar then.
Sounds like a interesting way to detox haha
@@dustindoesmuaythai I don't know if I would recommend, but you're going to sweat it out a lot. 😅 (If you survive the training without hurling. 😂)
Make sense lolll@@MakCurrel
Definitely don’t spar when u have a lot of heavy stuff going through your mind. Emotional stuff about your family or children, for example.
You gotta be fully focused on the hands and feet coming at you. 💯
I had the worst injury of my life back in 2021 (a compound fracture of radius AND ulna), and it probably wouldn’t have happened if I was fully focused on what my sparring partner was doing 🙏
incredible. I love it. Congratulations for helping to educate how to train well, which many still need to learn in this sport. there is a lot of bad education about it. this sport its not game
absolutely!
Are you going to mention the mind blowinf concept of not sparring after a ko or concussion?
Listening 🎧 now.🙏🏻🇬🇧
great advice. protect your head
I have my 3rd amateur mma fight on the 16th this month, been watching your videos a bunch and just wanna say thanks! Really helps out learning and studying to calm the nerves and be more confident. Been building up to 10 hill sprints over the last couple weeks, those are making me feel great! Went from 3 of em killing me to today 6 of em wasn't too bad, just need work a little less recovery on the way down😊
How long are the sprints and about how much time do they take in total?
I also do hill sprints, 5 rounds of about 250 meters and take about 15 minutes. The last round, it'm more like hill walks and every step feels like a pistol squat because I run on a steep hill.
@@denisalexa4435 it's a short hill, maybe 70 or 100 meters, about 60 or 80 seconds between sprints
Reasonable viewpoint definitely
Your video could not come with a better timing: I was pondering to skip my Muay Thai sparring today because I did not sleep well last night. I'm definitely taking a nap and going to the gym after for a relaxed workout session, will be going back to spar next day.
Thanks for your amazing tips champion 🙌🏻
Thanks for commenting this. Its nice to see someone else go through the same thought process as me. I dont feel as bad when I miss a day.
Being good and having no control are incompatible within the same person. Notice I didn’t say anything about being able to win the fight. Bad fighters win fights all the time.
two W takes in the same coment. Can't argue with either.
I'm betting my case of getting over a concussion from my last fight is gonna be one of those times lol
Gloves make a difference too. That's why good boxing gyms will make first time sparrers use Winning Boxing Gloves. It's not that common for people to have because they are the most expensive boxing glove at around $500 a pair. I like using Hayabusa boxing gloves. Not nearly as good as Winning, but has decent padding plus other features. Better padding means I don't have to worry about pulling my punches too much and partner doesn't have to worry about being hit too hard.
You should be if fresh mind. Don't go double session and than spar ....you will get hurt .always be rested before . You spar to learn not to kill somebody or get killed
I really like Gabriel. He is a beat and always have some great and useful tips. You can tell he is a nice person and that he cares about people! Spare yourself sparring ;)
I believe that you should spar light. At the same time i think if an ego is trying to ko you, giving you a hard time, that should either be a warning sign for you to quit if dont want it. Or, it could be the sign that you need to test whether you really want it in your heart and soul and you should fight back and try to hurt the guy.
Hobbyists - dont get involved and avoid hard sparring
Seasoned pro’s / amateurs - take the rough with the smooth, you are going to face tough / smart guys the better you get and higher the standard gets.
My sparring experience is weird, like I have a fair muscle build and people use that as an excuse to hit me hard af. Like I'm pulling my punches but then you get paired up with that one guy takes it way too serious--like there's money involved in the spar. Like I want to say I at least learned good defense dealing with the heavy hitters, but you can learn to overreact to simple things as well.
The worst thing I havent seen addresed is that this is all well and good when you are the champ and people respect you. If you say the very same thing that you want light sparring is that people inlcuding instructors calls you an coward. Now I rather be called a coward then getting braindamage but it gets tiring to hear it all the time and being told the sport is not for you. Quit after 2 years :(
On the postive side I never been injured from training but I seen other people in the gym having to take months off from injuring themself.
If your instructor is calling you a coward, then that is a bad instructor. Find a new one. In our sparring class my instructor often says to treat your sparring partners like an egg.
That is just a bad gym culture, but unfortunatley it is very common. This sport is an art, but still atracts all kinds of crazy people.
Your school seems to be a pretty toxic environment. Our coach always tells us if you sparring partner hits too hard just ask him to go lighter.
Watching this before sparring tonight ✅️
I got a rib injury in sparring so i had to stop training for a month now iam back training
I need some advice on a similar situation. There’s 1 particular guy always starring me down and sparring crazy hard with everyone. How would you deal with if there was 1 specific guy who is always sparring crazy? Would you just reject sparring with just him? Thank you in advance
in my non-fighter opinion, just rejecting to sparr with him will keep you safe, but it doesen't solve the issue. Maybe someone like the champ himself, mr.Varga, with great defence, body hooks and endurence would make him feel uncofortable enough to not want to spar that hard anymore.
Or, some people are just savages and they will always try to beat the shit out of anyone who stands in front of them, and can't be changed no matter how much damage they take.
In a larger gym, it may be usefull to have one of these because you know where to go if you need some hard rounds, but in smaller gyms he just hurts people because there isn't always someone who wnats/is ready to sparr him.
Tough spot for you to be in.
Dont spar with idiots like that
@@denisalexa4435yeah, it’s a difficult situation, because there are probably 6 or 7 of us who spar on a good day. He’s not even technically that great, just likes to throw as hard as he can. He broke my buddy’s rib last month. Since it is a smaller gym, it is awkward to just have us 2 out during the round because I refused to spar with him
Wait Gabriel was this in the PKB/ PMT in Alberta ? I heard of something like this please let me know if you know where this is
I really like and respect this advice
The University of Calgary has a free course about concussions starting this week
I remember the first time i sparred at boxing,coach said
"When you've had enough put your arms up".After 2 mins i was gassed,put my arms up.Guy hit me straight in the solar plexus. I went down like a sack of shit & started dry heaving.Only had a headache once from boxing/kickboxing. I've suffered more from injuries, ankle,broken toes,swollen elbows(blocking)Biggest injury?Ego 😅😅😅😅😅😅
All the semi-pros/pros at my gym have good control. The newbies, on the other hand...
What the hell is even a sparring tournament? Whats the prize? A $20 Starbucks gift card?
lmao
It’s called a PKB /PMT (point kick boxing/ point muay thai ) and it is continuous it does not stop like many people imagine like with point karate and it is for people to see if competing is something they wanna do
Does anyone know where I can buy twins laced up gloves cheap?
You re tough fighter, generous guy, !
so real
Heres the list on the video:
1. If you dont share the political views with your training partner.
2. If your training partner ate fish at least 2 hours ago.
3. If your training partner likes lavender oils.
4. If your training partner is from brazil.
from brazil? haha
50% for an experienced fighter is not 50% for an amatuer. The expert can hit his opponent with 50% power at 50% intensity and injuresaid opponent. It's foolish to use % as a description for how hard you're going to spar.
Exactly and same goes for big weight differences. A heavy weight's 30 % will still feel like 90 % to his lightweight partner.
My number one bit of advice is NEVER take sparring lightly.
The countless times i can recall people saying they were going light, to then start digging hard.
You have to go hard to gain respect sometimes. Theres no point being mr friendly to everyone, just for them to try and take advantage of you.
I struggle to find people who go easy with me because they see you are thick set across shoulders and thick legs, so they assume they can just start smashing you hard. Naturally you will always get aggressive when you feel people are taking advantage.
If you want to quit from a hard sparring session then fighting’s not for you.
I know its not wise to go hard all the time, but ultimately the fight game is a hard game and if you go easy all the time, you wont be prepared for the harsh reality of the fight game.
4:54 I wish I had a coach. At least I didn't have any sparring matches like this or had any thing bad happen to me
Anyway, solid tips. Reminds me of Creed 2 where Adonis fought Drako's son for the first time.
Why do people hard spar??? Most professional fighters barely spare let alone hard spar.
Train hard, get your cardio up, do pad work and when it comes to sparring, do light, fun light play. Technique over power.
It's beneficial to spar hard. It really is. You need to be used to that intensity at some level. If not, you'll not be able to keep up with someone who is trying to hurt you. But the key is having hard spar partners you trust.
I just got done with hard sparring with my best friend and had a conversation about this after. He teaches now and barely spars hard anymore, he's arguaby a better fighter than me, but I have the edge when the spar is intense. Not full fighting, just hard sparring. You need to be ready to fight, not just play touch butt in the part
@@strangeone7198experienced fighters can spar hard and fast without hitting hard.. they can throw a full speed punch or combo and only tap the target…
@@RottenProfits that's not real though. Fighting is real, you need training with real pressure and danger before you get the full feeling from a fight. Maybe like 75% technical training, and 25% hard sparring is ideal
never down to much water either or eat heavy B4.
Ive had days where i spar and i think im gonna do good and do badly and says where i think im gonna do well and end up sucking 😂 but i dont hard spar only light timing unless people are fighting maybe ill do a few hard rounds but im old 48 years old
Hey, for the Defense course: will I keep the Videos or will they be gone Afterwards? :)
You will have access to them ongoing.
So you can return and watch everything months later.
Including the live videos
What about Light Sparring Champ?
I'm sure that's okay almost anytime
@@GabrielVargaOfficial thanks 😀
Link to anyone else talking about this guy who got put into a coma ?
Hey i don‘t usually comment but this time it means a lot to me. I am currently preparing my first amateur boxing fight and was sparring last week and while i was sparring i sparred a guy that has way more experience than me and he was imo going really hard and i left sparring with a huge headache that lasted for days. Now my confidence is completely shattered and idk what to do as i want to be as ready as possible for the fight without ending up retarded during the prep. Just wanna know if you have had any such experience and what to do.
My sparring partner is amature and when ever we spar he tries to kill me with everything he has unaware of the situation landing hard strike after strike 🗿even if i tell him its a sparring session we are supposed to practice technique and develop our skill he stilll fks me up and there is me holding my first knee and kick & elbow back so that I don't injure him infront of the coach i really dislike those who just do what ever they want 💀💀💀
I wouldn’t spar with him anymore. He doesn’t understand what sparring is for.
Another good reason not to spar today is a high blood pressure!!
Yeah the thing about someone going hard and not listening to take it easy is fuckin annoying asf...
Met a guy like that on my trip to Thailand recently... 3 times I sparred with him(yeah dumb I know) and everytime I told him to go less power and then the last time he gave me a heel kick in the ribs... Problem was that he was kinda new so he couldnt control his power, I went 20-30% and he full power 😂
Unwriten rule: Don't spar the guy who just got cheated on!!!
Man, Takeru spars way too hard lol
Jst watching 👋
Magyar vagy?
This is why boxing is the GOAT. And the toughest sport. We don’t light spar. We train like warriors and go into battle most days. I’ve dabbled in other combat sports and they all have this fake persona and this weird over friendly fake vibe..walk in a boxing gym and I mean a real boxing gym, old school nobody is wanting to be your friend, you have to earn it and train there a while and there’s none of this “Oh I’m feeling off today” soft stuff. You get in there and you fight and you take your blows and come back the next day and do it again.
And thats why it has a higher death rate than all other sports
Sounds like the CTE got to you tough guy😂
@@user-ho2eo6ln7x Your momma got to me last night 😎
Don’t talk shit 😂 maybe if you rock up to kronk or wildcard
We always sparred.. as much and with as many people as possible. Back in the early 2000 you didnt have the internet or access to steroids like today. Link those two if you gonna talk real. I boxed for 10 years and then did 2 degrees afterwards.
Oh yeah.. we ALWAYS wore headguards, in fights back then too.