If you’re new to Boxing and martial arts; then, here’s a quick introduction on how you can safely and effective start sparring with your training partners.
Sparring is an absolutely necessary component to training Boxing and Kickboxing but it can be intimidating for many people. Getting punched in the face is never fun.😕
But, you have to get punched in the face to get good at sparring. So, what’s the answer?🤔
The solution is what I call “The Susan” drill. Susan is my mom and this drill is called the Susan Drill because you’re pretending that you’re sparring with my mom.
So every punch you throw is slow, controlled and unintimidating. Remember, the main focus of sparring is to learn to deal with punches flying at your face.
If you’re a total beginner, it’s nearly impossible to stay calm to use proper technique when you have the biggest, strongest guys in your gym trying to knock your head off.
Starting things off with slow, controlled punches is the key to building skill when you’re a total beginner to sparring.
You want to start things off controlled punches that are absolutely making contact. When you’re doing the first stage of the Susan Drill, there’s no defending. You’re letting all of the punches land.
You wan to focus on throwing slow, controlled punches and you want to focus on staying calm as you’re receiving those punches to your face and you want to focus on maintaining a strong fighting stance while you’re doing all of this.
As you get more comfortable with the Susan Drill, you then want to ensure that your punches are landing and that you’re getting around your training partner’s fists and forearms. This can be difficult as both you and your training partner are throwing a high number of punches.
As a beginner, your skills need to be built on a platform of safety; otherwise, you’ll get injured before any real skill is established.
Give this drill a try and good luck! 😃
Check out this Intro To Sparring video!
