LEVEL UP YOUR SPARRING GAME WITH THESE ESSENTIAL TIPS

The very first time I sparred (in boxing), it was with a kid at least 5 years younger than me and he threw a 1-2 straight down the pipe... and broke my nose. I started taking sparring a lot more seriously after that.

Here are seven tips to enhance your sparring sessions and start noticing level-ups in your skill level.

1. Stay Light on Your Feet

Tip: Mobility is crucial in sparring. Being light on your feet allows you to evade strikes and create angles, giving you the upper hand.

Quick-Fix Tip: Footwork Ladder Drills

Set up an agility ladder on the ground. Practice moving through the ladder with quick, precise footwork—side steps, forward shuffles, and backward movement. This drill not only improves your agility but also helps you maintain a mobile stance during sparring. Aim for at least 5 minutes of focused footwork every session.

2. Maintain Your Guard

Always keep your hands up to protect your head and body. A strong...

GUYS - CHEW ON THESE MUAY THAI SPARRING TIPS

By Evan Lee

What’s the quickest way to become the pariah of an entire gym? Being a terrible sparring partner.

If you’re training Muay Thai, you should be in it for the long haul. Every fighter knows that their time in the sport, like with any athlete, can be limited. And the time you spend in Muay Thai or any sport that involves head trauma can be even further limited if you train it poorly. You do not want to be that guy at the gym who everyone hates.

Think about how the Thais spar. There is no possible way Thais could have hundreds of fights if they sparred hard regularly (though there is a place for hard sparring). And if you’re somehow worried that avoiding hard sparring makes you less tough, remember that you’re in a sport where your job is to step into the ring with another person and try to knock each other out. That’s tough enough already.

However, even if you are sensible, it can still be...

DO YOU MAKE THESE COMMON BEGINNER SPARRING MISTAKES?

By Evan Lee 

Sparring is the most important thing you can do to improve your fighting abilities. It is the closest thing to fighting itself and can be done safely if you follow the right rules and guidelines. 

Sparring is where everything you’ve done comes to the test. It will tell you what you’ve done well in training and what you must improve on. This will inform what your future training sessions and overall training focus should look like. 

However, when you are just beginning in the sport of Muay Thai and any combat sport in general, it can be very easy to get flustered and accidentally fight a bit too hard and aggressively. This is a quick way to get injured and lose every single sparring partner you have. You don’t want to be one of those dudes. 

Luckily, we are here to save the day. Sparring done poorly is terrible for you, but sparring done properly is the best possible thing you can...

10 TYPES OF MUAY THAI SPARRING PARTNERS YOU WILL ENCOUNTER

By Sean Fagan

Chances are you’ll run into a variety of sparring partners throughout your Muay Thai journey.

Some partners will be absolutely wonderful to work with because you’ll be able to sharpen your striking skills and not have to worry about being injured or knocked out. On the other hand, you’ll also run into a variety of sparring partners who will ENRAGE you to the point where your blood starts to boil and you have sick thoughts of knocking them unconscious… it happens!

In the most recent The Muay Thai Guys Podcast, Sean and Paul discuss 10 types of sparring partners that you will most likely run into if you are in the sport long enough. The original post the guys got this idea from comes from their friend Steven Kong of MuayThaiPros.com – you can check out the entire article here – here’s a brief rundown of what they discuss:

Click here or the...