Sparing for fitness

[StandingO]

I tried some wrestling and MMA introductory sparing. Man, now I know how great shape the pro's are in. Once the intensity picked up, what seemed like 3 or 4 minutes but was barely one I was gasping for air. Went from feeling strong and energetic to zapped of strength and fighting will. Seems like a great way to get super fit.

[melell]

An exceptionally good way to get fit I'd say. I know what you mean, I am 26 in pretty good shape, run at least for times a week, and do some other routines on the other days. My brother is a boxer, and he had me come into his gym to try it out. I was practically dead after a few minutes. My chest was burning so much. Tis insane!

[Emilia]

I tried some wrestling and MMA introductory sparing. Man, now I know how great shape the pro's are in. Once the intensity picked up, what seemed like 3 or 4 minutes but was barely one I was gasping for air. Went from feeling strong and energetic to zapped of strength and fighting will. Seems like a great way to get super fit.

When I was boxing I did about 3 months of conditioning before any meaningful sparring and my face thanked me big time. I could focus on technique and not being hit because I was used to 3 minute rounds. I'd invest some time in conditioning and some running if I were you before I let anyone got close to hitting me.

[Shepp]

One of the best!

 

My granddad was a well thought of boxer when he did his national service.

 

He had me conditioning since I was 5!

 

I love it!......Dunno if my face loves it quite that much though!

[Jeff78]

there is no doubt that boxing and MMA demand great physical fitness. However not everyone is into the physical contact aspect of those sports. You can still get the same conditioning benefits with a lot of workout programs that emphasize doing a variety of demanding exercises (eg burpees) at an intense pace with limited rest between rounds.

[StandingO]

I was invited for fun by a friend. There was no punching is this session but still somehow I ran into a loose elbow on the jaw. Not a purposeful strike but it dazed me. After my legs seems to vanish. Kind of know what they mean now when you watch a fight on TV and the play by play says his legs are gone lol. I am debating if I should try again but I agree I should do some intense cardio for a while first.

[StandingO]

When I was boxing I did about 3 months of conditioning before any meaningful sparring and my face thanked me big time. I could focus on technique and not being hit because I was used to 3 minute rounds. I'd invest some time in conditioning and some running if I were you before I let anyone got close to hitting me.

 

It was so real to experience how a smaller but more skilled and better condition person could take out a bigger stronger person.

[Emilia]

It was so real to experience how a smaller but more skilled and better condition person could take out a bigger stronger person.

Yes I used to be amused when guys underestimated me. Once or twice I even over-played it so they would let down their defence

[StandingO]

Yes I used to be amused when guys underestimated me. Once or twice I even over-played it so they would let down their defence

 

This was is Boxing?

That is good strategy. I think this happens often and guys naturally tend to ease up when sparing with a women.

Well I hope you took them out

 

A skilled women with a strong low center of gravity would have good success in wrestling or certain areas in MMA. I be if my GF took training in this area she would probably be hard to take down.

[Shepp]

This was is Boxing?

That is good strategy. I think this happens often and guys naturally tend to ease up when sparing with a women.

Well I hope you took them out

 

A skilled women with a strong low center of gravity would have good success in wrestling or certain areas in MMA. I be if my GF took training in this area she would probably be hard to take down.

 

TRUE!!

 

I took my gf, she wasn't my gf then, to my boxing gym once.

We was in the ring and I wasn't making contact with her, just like stopping just short with my punches to give her the idea that like I could of hit her. I was trying to show her the basics so I was like "keep moving", "keep your hands up".

 

Then my mate comes in and just shouts across something about our football match that coming weekend and so I stopped what I was doing, turned to answer him and she just smacked me full on in the side of the head like "you really do need to keep your guard up Alfie".

 

 

 

 

........We never went boxing together again....funny that aint it!!

[Emilia]

This was is Boxing?

That is good strategy. I think this happens often and guys naturally tend to ease up when sparing with a women.

Well I hope you took them out

 

A skilled women with a strong low center of gravity would have good success in wrestling or certain areas in MMA. I be if my GF took training in this area she would probably be hard to take down.

Yes in boxing and it's down to the man's character how he handles his opponent. In sparring there is no need to ease up since the emphasis is not on power but on skill. However guys do not like being beaten by women I remember one who had no gumshield so we agreed that I would avoid his face in a session. It didn't seem to stop him trying to pummel mine though... so a quick left and right put him in his place

 

I'm contemplating kick boxing. I see them training at my gym almost every day I'm there and the temptation is too great to resist.

TRUE!!

 

I took my gf, she wasn't my gf then, to my boxing gym once.

We was in the ring and I wasn't making contact with her, just like stopping just short with my punches to give her the idea that like I could of hit her. I was trying to show her the basics so I was like "keep moving", "keep your hands up".

 

Then my mate comes in and just shouts across something about our football match that coming weekend and so I stopped what I was doing, turned to answer him and she just smacked me full on in the side of the head like "you really do need to keep your guard up Alfie".

 

........We never went boxing together again....funny that aint it!!

Haha that's funny but I would never do something like that.

[StandingO]

The girls have been trying the kicking recently. They are starting to get the hang of it and the height and power of their kicks is looking a bit scary lol.

Get hit with one of those and you d be knocked out cold. The they got a bit of wrestling technique under their belt now too. She is not into the cardio so much but seems to enjoy this kind of work out and spending less time on the heavy lifting.

[robaday]

I've been sparring for awhile now in boxing and to be honest still find it exhausting!! More so mentally though because guess as a newbie I'm likely more tense than others!

 

Also two battles I've had to overcome which didnt come naturally - to put myself in a position where I will be hit, and secondly to try and hit/hurt another person

 

But you can't beat that smile you get when you do a great counter can you?

[dichotomy]

MMA training is a good workout sometimes. I find the kickboxing practices to be the most taking - and those are with my partner holding Thai pads.

[Harradin]

I've been competing (essentially sparring) in judo for the past 8 years, Week in week out when I was a kid, I'd have 8-10+ 3-5 minute fights and at the end of the day I slept like a baby!

 

Took up kickboxing 2 years ago and I've been sparring in that too which is just as fun as judo!

 

MMA sparring is the best though, I have to think about how to combine the judo and the kickboxing and its probably the most intense sparring I've done!

 

The conditioning you get from sparring is insane, I'm probably in the best shape I've ever been!

[HazyCosmicJive]

I tried some wrestling and MMA introductory sparing. Man, now I know how great shape the pro's are in. Once the intensity picked up, what seemed like 3 or 4 minutes but was barely one I was gasping for air. Went from feeling strong and energetic to zapped of strength and fighting will. Seems like a great way to get super fit.

 

Years ago when I was in martial arts the instructors split the class in two and had us do a tug of war with a rope. It didn't take long before we were all pretty much shot. They wanted to give us an idea of what it was like to be in a real fight.

[Gloria25]

Before I got out of the military they were making it part of PT...

 

IMO, the guys loved it. I think it's good for guys to play sports and to do things like this. Builds male bonding, competition, and "boys can be boys" like puppies playing/fighting. Now, yes, there were some petty guys who couldn't handle guys who were more "skilled". One picked up a smaller guy and body slammed him - and it wasn't a "move" we were taught to use. He was a jerk.

 

I didn't care either way. I'm a chick. I did find out that I enjoyed chocking people out. I did run into a friend of my brothers, a female, who picked it up in her late 30's and she loves it. She really liked the moves, the skill, the rules. She did admit that you get bruised up a bit.

 

Yes, you get tired fast. But, I think the better skilled you are, you can control the fight and not waste too much energy. I think you can actually "lock" the other person in a hold while you catch your breath.

 

I'm not big into MMA. To "animalistic" for me. But I've seen a couple of movies and was drawn in, but still do not watch MMA fights like on the regular.

 

Oh gosh, now that I remember, my last FWB was into it. No wonder why he had "moves" in the bedroom too...lol.

Edited December 23, 2014 by Gloria25

[StandingO]

Yeh, I experienced the effects of a good tug of war a few months back. It took took a ton of energy. Grip and lower body strength and stamina were stressed and exposed. Because it was two against two there was no easing up to get your second wind.

 

I need to work on my cardio again. Combat and age thing lol. It is so vey different sparing then standard cardio. Though any cardio helps. When I try a bit with the GF it leaves us both exhausted. She has almost 10 years of youth on her side but she gets pretty wiped out. We are not into hitting each other so it becomes more of a grappling wrestling thing. But she can certainly hit better then before. She is getting better and better and soon her ego may match lol. It takes a ton of energy to put someone down when their center of mass is so low and strong and they have development some defensive skill which can be used as an offense. My center of mass is much higher so sometimes I can be taken down by her. Then she is squirmy and much more flexible which doubles the task.

[StandingO]

My fear and I believe true with most men have a fear of sparing with a women or weaker person so they let up a bit. I tend to do this until it gets more heated and she is going full out. If you don't crank it up her skills have improved enough (plus she is quick, flexible and strong enough in certain ways) she will put you on your back. My fear came true. I feel bad as I put her to the floor too aggressively (she had me on my back earlier and I was not going to let it happen again. Now her shoulder is thrown out of whack and I feel like crap. Her gym training is out the window for 3 to 4 weeks min.