Can any MMAbrahs help me out?

[majinvegetabrah]

So I have been training muay thai at a gym for about 2 months now. I feel like I am getting the basics down, so today I went to sparring for the first time. I did ok against some of the other guys from the beginner class, but then I went against some advanced guys and got absolutely destroyed. Like obviously I knew they would be better than me, but I felt like a lot of them were intentionally hitting me hard just to **** with me even tho the coach told us to hit light. My question is should I continue going to sparring to try and get better, or should I wait until I am more advanced?

[Nicklol]

fuk hard sparring. Even if you are planning to actually compete.
Everything but headshots should be ok in sparring but imagine taking 100s of shots to the head everyday. fuk that

[Duckliver]

Can you use it for motivation to get better and not let people keep wrecking you?

Whenever I feel like somone is really fukking me up ie. completely shutting me out and beating me down it just pisses me off that I can’t stop them from treating me like that. Just makes me strive to figure out what I need to do to stop it.

That being said I only feel that way less than 5% of the time. Normally when somone is rolling with me (bjj not Muay Thai, but similar circumstances) who is much better they typically work on somthing besides their A game or let me work mine before shutting it down.

[majinvegetabrah]

fuk hard sparring. Even if you are planning to actually compete.
Everything but headshots should be ok in sparring but imagine taking 100s of shots to the head everyday. fuk that

ikr, this one guy legitimately rocked me with a hook, since it was my first time sparring I didnt wanna be a puss and ask him to hit lighter, I tried to focus as best as I could and try to get some shots in but this guy was being a d1ck and throwing hard

[majinvegetabrah]

Can you use it for motivation to get better and not let people keep wrecking you?

Whenever I feel like somone is really fukking me up ie. completely shutting me out and beating me down it just pisses me off that I can’t stop them from treating me like that. Just makes me strive to figure out what I need to do to stop it.

Ok but these guys have years of experience, getting angry would just make me lose my technique and get ****ed up even worse

[chickenallday]

if they're going a bit too hard, tell them to chill out for a bit.

Only way to get better at sparring is to do it more, but hard sparring shouldn't even be allowed in classes

[Mr.PissShivers]

A conversation you should be having with your instructor.

[Duckliver]

Ok but these guys have years of experience, getting angry would just make me lose my technique and get ****ed up even worse

I don’t actually get visibly angry or worked up. More like determined and channeling the energy into figuring out what I need to do. Letting the anger strengthen your resolve to figure it out. I’m angry at the situation of the skill gap and my skill level, not angry at the other person.

Either way you are doing striking and it sucks enough being shut down and manhandled grappling. Wouldn’t last to long hard sparring striking with somone better.

They might just be putting it on hard to see if you are gonna quit and lay off once they see you can shrug it off and keep trying to get better. But it’s up to you to determine if they are crossing the line or it’s somthing you can tolerate for a bit.

[flexnation]

Dont spar with dipshyts who can't pull their punches and kicks. They're not advanced enough to spar with you if you've only been training 2 months. Properly trained advanced fighters can spar with a child and not hurt them. You'll have to take shots but for the most part, sparring should be about you learning how to stay composed in a fight situation and to develop timing and the ability to read and set up your opponent for strikes. Leave the hard sparring for fight camps and even then it should be done sparingly

[Unstumpable]

There's always guys that throw a little hard in sparring. Some might be preparing for actual fights. But honestly going against people like that will make you realize how you have to defend. Focus on defending, and counter punching. Learn to be calm while people are throwing punches at you. That's what I'd always do when I had someone throwing hard. Just step back and parry when they throw a right cross, and instantly left hook to the head followed by a level change cross to the gut lol then follow that up with another hook to the gabber, and then leg kick. Then back up and defend like a pussy haha


But no shame in sticking with the basics if you don't think you're ready. But you'll never get better if you don't keep at it. And use footwork, circle them or whatever, don't just stand in front of them.

[deriktheman]

Iron sharpens iron brother. And you can only gain fighting experience through fighting.

That said, there is no shame in asking someone to go lighter. We are all at different levels and if you are not ready to go at that level you have to speak up and let it be known

[TomWanks]

So I have been training muay thai at a gym for about 2 months now. I feel like I am getting the basics down, so today I went to sparring for the first time. I did ok against some of the other guys from the beginner class, but then I went against some advanced guys and got absolutely destroyed. Like obviously I knew they would be better than me, but I felt like a lot of them were intentionally hitting me hard just to **** with me even tho the coach told us to hit light. My question is should I continue going to sparring to try and get better, or should I wait until I am more advanced?

Had a similar experience at an MMA gym in Seattle. Some guys are just kind of d-bags and not interested in helping a teammate develop, they want to use your lack of skills to practice their highlight reel shots. Comes with the territory. Had plenty of other dudes come up to me and rep me irl for stepping into the ring with savages.

Just a mixed bag in the end OP, take the good with the bad. Sparring with people way outside your league skills-wise is just going to see you injured more frequently. Two months in and already sparring with the elite dudes of your gym is way too early by almost any measure though.

[Gaedj]

Gsp's trainer talks about how he had his fighters go light most of the time unless they are preparing for a fight.

No reason to go all out when you are trying to get better. You will just accrue brain damage.

[MuslimBrahSwag]

theres no excuse, you have a ****ty trainer.

Beginners should only be matched up with beginners or others SLIGHTLY better than them, meaning, 60/40 that the other person would win.

You do not get better from getting brain damage or injuries that will leave you unable to train.

I would change gyms (srs)

[brahskimoseph]

Were you fighting a larger fighter? Sometimes when I spar a lighter guy Ill hit too hard accidentally, typically if Im trying to catch him quick. Im too green and because of how Im built it really limits me if I cant throw with power because thats my greatest asset(ie a quick and explosive heavier guy throwing just to be quick is going to hit really hard still)

But in all likelihood if the guy knows you are new, he sounds like kinda a dick, but still best to talk to them and work it out. Maybe a jabs only round or body shots only

[MuslimBrahSwag]

Iron sharpens iron brother. And you can only gain fighting experience through fighting.

That said, there is no shame in asking someone to go lighter. We are all at different levels and if you are not ready to go at that level you have to speak up and let it be known

thats only true for advanced students that have been going hard for 2+ years.

2 months in you cant even stand properly yet. He shouldnt even be sparring until 8 months in.

[ScoutBrah]

This is why i train Brazilian jiu-jitsu lol

[Gaedj]

This is why i train Brazilian jiu-jitsu lol

As much as I love bjj, boxing >> bjj for self defense unless you are fighting 1 vs 1 against another grappler.

[Gaedj]

thats only true for advanced students that have been going hard for 2+ years.

2 months in you cant even stand properly yet. He shouldnt even be sparring until 8 months in.

You can't learn proper boxing/striking in 99% of gyms in North America.

Most gyms teach you jabs and cross the first day you train although you don't even have a basic understanding of footwork Lol.

[majinvegetabrah]

You can't learn proper boxing/striking in 99% of gyms in North America.

Most gyms teach you jabs and cross the first day you train although you don't even have a basic understanding of footwork Lol.

i train at ATT, my instructor seems very knowledgable and is helpful with everyone. I think I just need to keep working my form for a few more months before I spar again.

[majinvegetabrah]

theres no excuse, you have a ****ty trainer.

Beginners should only be matched up with beginners or others SLIGHTLY better than them, meaning, 60/40 that the other person would win.

You do not get better from getting brain damage or injuries that will leave you unable to train.

I would change gyms (srs)

I train at American Top Team. They tell beginners to stick together but not many beginners go to sparring so I had to spar with a few advcanced guys. I think I will wait a few more months to get my technique down before sparring again

[MustardTiger17]

Ok but these guys have years of experience, getting angry would just make me lose my technique and get ****ed up even worse

Yeah, one thing you definitely don't want to do is get emotional during sparring. Good way to get knocked out

Those guys sound like dinkheads

[cutandrunmate]

Spar with other noobs brah. Coincidently, I started Muay Thai about 2/3 months ago, sparred once with another noob and it was really good. Looking forward to sparring with a another noob soon.

In dealing with crazy shin pains at the moment, all the kicking has wrecked my shins! How are your shins doing?

[backinthegymbro]

Spar with people who want to help you get better. Not guys who want to knock out a noob.
The best people to spar with, are professionals who are holding back.

[sooby]

sucks op

ideally you should spar with people at your level or those that are just a level above you, or somebody very advanced that knows how to pull punches/kicks and is willing and kind enough to let you get your work in as well

sometimes people are dicks, legit don't realize it or are just plain fuking dumb lol

[WinnerByChoke]

Disagree with the general consensus of this thread.

Only way to get good is by sparring relatively heavy. If you are just doing it for exercise stick to light sparring, not sparring people who are training for a fight.

It is why training grappling is becoming more popular. You can go hard and not get your brains bashed in. Alot of people want to feel like "fighters" but are afraid to get hit.

I'd assume they arent even laying into you, you just arent used to it. Try to be more relaxed, see shots coming and go from there.

So many people learn offense only, then are confused when guy wont stand in front of you. Standup is all about rhythm. You'll get there. You can drill technique for years and it wont mean anything when you have someone in front of you.

Last few posts are good though if you can find someone so much better that you can get work in without getting bbqed that is effective as well.

[majinvegetabrah]

Spar with other noobs brah. Coincidently, I started Muay Thai about 2/3 months ago, sparred once with another noob and it was really good. Looking forward to sparring with a another noob soon.

In dealing with crazy shin pains at the moment, all the kicking has wrecked my shins! How are your shins doing?

shins are fine. We always wear shin guards during practice. They did hurt at first when kicking the bag, but they're fine now

[MilkforBrains]

ikr, this one guy legitimately rocked me with a hook, since it was my first time sparring I didnt wanna be a puss and ask him to hit lighter, I tried to focus as best as I could and try to get some shots in but this guy was being a d1ck and throwing hard

You are there to learn skills, not take CTE. Unless you are making money don't take damage for anything. I even stopped heading long punts in footballl because they buzz you for a second or two. Anyone who doubts it, get a size 5 football pumped to the max on a cold day and get someone to punt it from the goal line.

[MotorcycleBrah]

If you're getting rocked in sparring you're at the wrong class. If you don't earn huge sums of money with fights stay away from hard sparring.

[Slayermanlet]

As others have said, this is something to speak with your instructor about.

There are always guys like this, I used to spar a lot with a ****lian low level pro fighter who would always do his best to take my head off my shoulders in every single round, in the end I just told him to fuk off and refused to spar with him. Who gives a chit if people call you a pussy, push your comfort zone but not too much.

I disagree with some itt that you should never hard spar, it's essential but with people of a similar skill and experience or sensible better people - and not all the time.