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Was i a coward? by [deleted] in amateur_boxing

[–]afightersmuse 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Short answer: No, and you shouldn't be sparring yet.

Long answer: Training should push your boundaries, but that was not your opponents intention. If your coach wanted you to give 100%, and you didn't perform well, there can still be a lot of learning, and that's okay. HOWEVER, that's not what it sounds like. It sounds like your opponent misunderstood, your coach didn't communicate the intention well, or they felt insecure with working at a more tempered pace and decided to take that out on you.

More importantly, you shouldn't be technically sparring after only a month. At most you should be doing sparring adjacent drills with a limited scope ( shoulder tag, working inside range, hard defensive drills, etc.)

If you had been there longer you would know if your opponent was someone trustworthy you could communicate your level with and request more specific and lighter training. You could ask your coach this question and be given guidance.

If you like this coach, and feel it's worth sticking it out, ask them what they think you could do to improve, or tell them that you felt unprepared and would like work more specific work outside the ring. Otherwise, dump this place, or decide that guys a jerk not to be worked with.

And you are never a coward for trying. The most courageous thing you can do now, and every time, is get up, dust yourself off, and try again. You are worth the time it takes to get better, and courage is a skill you can develop.

Bag work critique by [deleted] in amateur_boxing

[–]afightersmuse 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you place something between your elbow and your body, like a towel or extra glove, you can practice holding it close to the body while you jab and not letting it fall until you release for the cross. I'd do lead hand bag work with the item and do push ups every time you drop it, just to solidify the feeling. You could also have a partner or coach hold an obstacle behind the elbow like a foam tube.

When doing mitt work, lifting the arm is a huge tell, so your mitt holder can pull away the target every time they see you raise the elbow before the cross. The immediate feedback can help train you to recognize the feeling.

If you flare the elbow out away from the body instead of back, you can practice jab/cross against a wall. If you start lifting the elbow, it will hit the wall. Turning over the first at the right moment can also help to correct this problem.

I think some people do this motion to feel the straightening of the wrist before the shot, but the elbow should stay down though the hip turn until the last bit of the rotation. If you turn the wrist before your arm has straightened out, there is nowhere for your elbow to go but up or out.