What The Thais Know About Sparring
LIGHT SPARRING PRESERVES YOUR BODY & CAREER
By Andrew Bryan
Recently, kickboxer “Bazooka” Joe Valtellini and former boxer Paulie Malignaggi got into a spat on Twitter over whether hard or light sparring is the way to go. Joe’s argument was that hard sparring leads to unnecessary brain trauma going into a fight and it’s part of the reason why he had to retire quite young.
Paulie’s counter argument basically amounted to: “Don’t be a pussy.”
It’s a debate that will never really have a clear concrete answer, largely in part because we simply don’t have enough research into brain trauma, especially in regards to Muay Thai fighters, and partly because there are inherent benefits to both.
Sparring The Thai Way
The common argument in favor of sparring light, in the same way that professional fighters in Thailand do, is that less brain trauma sparring means more potential...
3 "Simple" Muay Thai Sparring Tips ALL Students Should Know
Everyone Should Know These KEY Muay Thai Sparring Tips, Drills and Strategies
From Muay Thai Guy
“The combatant should be alive in sparring, throwing punches and kicks from all angles, and should not be a co-operative robot. Like water, sparring should be formless. Pour water into a cup, it becomes part of the cup. Pour it into a bottle; it becomes part of the bottle. Try to kick or punch it, it is resilient; clutch it and it will yield without hesitation. In fact, it will escape as pressure is being applied to it. How true it is that nothingness cannot be confined. The softest thing cannot be snapped.”
– Bruce Lee
Getting nervous about sparring for the first time?
Make sure to read my 10 Muay Thai sparring tips for beginners – A checklist for your first spar!
Muay Thai Sparring Tip #1: Have A Game Plan
Way too often I see fighters go into sparring sessions without any sort of strategy. Most fighters just step into sparring without any...
Benefits of CONTROLLED, HARD Sparring in Muay Thai
BREAKING DOWN THE BENEFITS OF HARD SPARRING
From Muay Thai Guy
Sparring should always be a technical, learning experience. It should not be a bi-weekly event where you have a 90% chance of getting a concussion for no good reason. That being said, there are benefits to hard sparring, but only when it is controlled.
There’s a lot of resistance to hard sparring in combat sports, but this might equate to confusing controlled hard sparring with it.
What does “controlled” hard sparring mean? Controlled hard sparring is sparring with more power – enough to make your sparring partner move a bit and make them think twice before eating another shot. What makes this different than just regular hard sparring is the control part, meaning you’re not aiming to knock them out or break their ribs. You are constantly gauging the situation to prevent any disasters from happening.
For instance, say you and...
Overcoming the Fear of Getting Hit
SCARED OF GETTING HIT? TRY THESE DRILLS & SPARRING TIPS FOR MUAY THAI
By Sean Fagan
Scared of getting punched in the face?
Worried about wearing a body kick on your ribs?
Don’t like the pain of getting your kicks checked?
Well, believe it or not, you are not alone. Almost everyone who starts out training Muay Thai has the same fears you do. They don’t want to get hurt. They don’t want their pretty face punched in. They avoid sparring because they are worried about being embarrassed or beat up.
Sound familiar?
Unfortunately, whether you like it or not, if you want to improve your technique and actually become competent in the art of Muay Thai, you are going to have to face your fears at one point or another.
You are going to have to come to terms with pain, anxiety, and fear. You are going to have to be a little crazy if you want to be successful in the art of eight limbs.
Now I don’t mean to brag but, I’m really good at getting...
