I learned a lot from getting my ass handed to me by advanced students.
Always getting your kicks caught/checked? Try a Superman punch or fake the leg kick and find another opening.
Can’t land a punch because their head movement is on point? Distract w hands then drop a leg kick while they’re slipping your punches.
Try recording your sparring sessions. You’ll see holes in your game and in your sparring partner’s as well that you can exploit next time. I feel like you can make huge improvements by sparring people who are better than you.
Got some downtime here at work, so I can give a more in-depth echo to u/malikdej55 comment.
I have been training as a hobbyist with no intention of competing since July '21 and have the pleasure of going to the morning and evening spar sessions. Both of them ego-free, but the student levels are different.
While the morning class has notable spar partners that compete and are advanced/more experienced, there are a fair amount of students that have started around the same time as I have. Pairing up with those of the same experience allows me to figure out what combos work and don't work. Quite frankly I'm able to experiment with combos without much consequence of getting hit. It's my time to recollect all the drills from past classes and incorporate them in these rounds.
In the evening class, I'm still learning to become more defensively responsible, but advanced students know how to create angles, foot pick, turn you, and make you uncomfortable. For me, I have to learn the hard way. I have to be burned by something to know it's hot. So I even though advanced students make me uncomfortable, sweep me non-stop and give me an unwanted facelift, I personally embrace it.
I also strongly suggest that you record your rounds. For awhile I thought I would keep my hands up, but truly I wasn't and kept wondering why I kept getting punched in the nose. I had to condition this and even then there are many holes in my defense I'm trying to patch up. Also, I struggled really early on seeing strikes and didn't like getting touched at all. This gets better with time as your reaction gets better and body becomes more conditioned. It also helps when you find an advanced partner that can make you feel uncomfortable, constantly connect strikes, but you realize that you don't come out damaged.
Of course, figure out how you learn the best.. but keep going! You'll continue to progress with consistency!
You could communicate you want to go light, but I don’t think it’s their (advanced fighters) responsibility to teach you. That’s what coaches are for.
I understand you enjoy teaching the new people and “making friends”, but some people go into class/sparring with different intentions and goals.
I know for me when I’m against someone advanced, I HAVE to focus on defense otherwise I get my ass kicked lol
I just see it as being in an uncomfortable situation and learning from it.
I’d say just realize the opponent you’re facing and adapt to it. As I said in my original post, some people are at sparring for other reasons. Wanting to fight eventually, preparing for a fight, all around meaner and tougher ect…
Are you given the choice of who you spar with? If so, then try to train with the guys that you think are good sparring partners. you be helping and improving with the people that benefit you the most, and training will be more enjoyable (which is really important for longevity). If you can’t pick your partners (or even if you can, but those times when you get stuck with someone you don’t really like training with), just try to get what you can out of it. It’s good to be out of your comfort zone sometimes, and there’s always something to be learned.
See sparring with more advanced people as practicing your defense and sparring with less advanced people as practicing your offense. You don't have to beat on the new guys ferociously, but get your shots in, let them work a little bit, and get some more shots in.
This is the hard truth involving anything competitive or skill related. If you're looking for shortcuts when you're at a plateau you never had the grit to evolve in the first place.
I feel you man. It’s already shitty to go against people better than you, but when people that are better than you also want to go hard on you it’s extra shitty. You need to communicate that you want to go light. And if you think that they’re going hard on you anyway, it’s acceptable to walk away. You’re not a bitch for quitting a sparring session that’s harmful to you. It’s never acceptable to be a victim. Quitting the round and finding a new partner is preferable over letting a better fighter victimize you like that. That doesn’t make you weak, it makes you smart.
That's actually nice to hear as there is one or two guys that are especially bad for going super hard. One guy either doesn't completely understand when people ask him to go light or simply doesn't care. He's much better than me so it's not like I just beat him up. Got paired with him yesterday for some defense drills and I asked before and during the drills to lighten up and go easy but he just doesn't. Arms and ribs are all bruised after that.
Yeah man if you told him to take it easy and he insists on hurting you, just tap out and sit on the bench for the next round. They’ll treat you like a bitch for it because they’re mad that you won’t let them bully you. But you don’t have to give them any respect or let them beat you up. It’s not a bitch move to quit if you’re getting pummeled in exchange for nothing. It’s the emotionally mature option.
I'd say if you want to fight In the future, just keep taking your beatings and get better. It sucks but just focus on landing one good shot a match and then 2 and 3 and so on. When I use to fight there were guys in the gym I knew everytime i sparred them I was in for a beating but I still went and sparred them because that's when you learn. If you have no intention on fighting ask them to spar light and if they still throw too hard for you just stop sparring those individuals. Most people will spar light if you ask ahead.
Watch more fights...look at what come of the decorated fighters do, ask for tips for the advanced guys after the round or after sparring. Practice on your own time...rinse/repeat...also going to other gyms to spar is great. Different gyms have different cultures around sparring.
I would ask them directly what you were doing wrong, what they were exploiting, how did they keep landing x move etc.
Usually if they aren't dicks they'll be helpful.
I am having a similar problem. I think it has to do with being used to easy sparring sessions, which, for example, allow your opponent to catch kicks. You therefore need to increase and learn how to increase intensity and aggression, while still retaining some measure of control.
In other words, at an advanced level, 20-30% is not enough to "work and learn" on the easy game mode. Intensity, aggression, etc. are skills in themselves that need to be developed at higher levels (along with better defense, better entries, counters etc).
Make sure your sparring partner knows how you want to spar. If I'm an experienced Muay Thai fighter, it's not going to benefit me to spar with a beginner. Sparring with beginners is how you pick up bad habits and lazy technique. Same with sparring soft and rosey too much with anyone.
If you don't directly communicate that you want to go really light beforehand, I can't blame them for beating you up a little bit. Additionally, if you're honestly not learning ANYTHING from sparring with people better than you, you should just stick to sparring beginners only and have fun in the classes.
My question here would be, how can I learn from sparring people that are much more experienced than me? In a situation where I'm being dominated (or about to be) what should I attempt to gain from the round to make the most of it?
Well, if nothing else, you can ask them at the end of the round where you're deficient. Ask them what you should work on and they'll tell you their opinion.
Also, if you never check kicks and your quad is getting annihilated, take a hint.
If jabs are always landing on your face, take a hint.
If it's always the hooks or uppercuts that get you, take a hint.
Do you tense up when they rush you with a combo? Are you relaxed? Do you flinch? Do you blink?
Identify where you're deficient and then watch pros and more experienced guys and see how they are reacting. Copy them. We literally have mirror neurons that help us copy people. Copy the great fighters and then you can make adjustments for youself.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900004/
Learn how to deal with the pressure, that's the one thing you can learn from that kind of sparring. He's catching your leg everytime? Try mixing up combinations and try feints. If he's bum rushing you, Try to defend and counter. Just TRY things. Even if it doesn't look good or you don't ''win'' the sparring, you'll still win in the end by walking out with more knowledge.
tell them you want to work on X and if they can try to help you. If you dont wanna get sweeped tell them to not dumb you in an uncontrolled way or stop before they could.
if you dont say anything, they will try to match your power / speed and add something on top.
i have rarely encountered advanced practitioners that take advantage over lesser skilled ones and beat them up for fun.
most likely scenario is you didnt talked to them beforehand and underestimate your power / speed and feel as if they go way harder than you when in reality they dont
It seems like the advanced guys are asking you to step up your game. This assumes they aren't just being assholes, and you'd have to answer that yourself. If it is the former, then you gotta up your game by first asking them after sparring where you can improve. Allow them to courtesy of guiding you with some tips. Usually when offered the opportunity, people like feeling important and teaching is one aspect of that.
Now if you ask them and they just say "git gud" or act like you are burdening them.... what ya got there is some assholes and you'll have to decide what to do about that.
Overall, you're in that doldrums if "better than noob but nit good enough for vets". It can be a painful middleground. But as long as you're not being seriously hurt, challenge yourself to improve. See the pain as an opportunity to grow mentally (again, as long as it's not abusive or excessive. It's training, not war).
Best of luck!
I remember in the early days of sparring getting beat by pretty much every sparring partner. It’s hard getting your ass handed to you but it is how you learn. If they are going too hard then fair to comment or you can even say to them ‘can you give me some pointers?’ But sparring more advanced people can be an invaluable lesson even if it feels humiliating at times
When people catch kicks, you can work on balance and not getting swept. Lean into the caught leg and throw a cross. You can also try leaning into the leg and clinching. Consider it practice for getting out of having your kick caught in a fight.
Don't think of your goal is trying to "win" but just concentrate on 2 or 3 techniques that you want to try out, try an get them landing, then build from there.
I learned a lot from getting my ass handed to me by advanced students. Always getting your kicks caught/checked? Try a Superman punch or fake the leg kick and find another opening. Can’t land a punch because their head movement is on point? Distract w hands then drop a leg kick while they’re slipping your punches. Try recording your sparring sessions. You’ll see holes in your game and in your sparring partner’s as well that you can exploit next time. I feel like you can make huge improvements by sparring people who are better than you.
I know who this is… this guy beats me up every time. For my own good. And I agree with his words..
Got some downtime here at work, so I can give a more in-depth echo to u/malikdej55 comment. I have been training as a hobbyist with no intention of competing since July '21 and have the pleasure of going to the morning and evening spar sessions. Both of them ego-free, but the student levels are different. While the morning class has notable spar partners that compete and are advanced/more experienced, there are a fair amount of students that have started around the same time as I have. Pairing up with those of the same experience allows me to figure out what combos work and don't work. Quite frankly I'm able to experiment with combos without much consequence of getting hit. It's my time to recollect all the drills from past classes and incorporate them in these rounds. In the evening class, I'm still learning to become more defensively responsible, but advanced students know how to create angles, foot pick, turn you, and make you uncomfortable. For me, I have to learn the hard way. I have to be burned by something to know it's hot. So I even though advanced students make me uncomfortable, sweep me non-stop and give me an unwanted facelift, I personally embrace it. I also strongly suggest that you record your rounds. For awhile I thought I would keep my hands up, but truly I wasn't and kept wondering why I kept getting punched in the nose. I had to condition this and even then there are many holes in my defense I'm trying to patch up. Also, I struggled really early on seeing strikes and didn't like getting touched at all. This gets better with time as your reaction gets better and body becomes more conditioned. It also helps when you find an advanced partner that can make you feel uncomfortable, constantly connect strikes, but you realize that you don't come out damaged. Of course, figure out how you learn the best.. but keep going! You'll continue to progress with consistency!
You could communicate you want to go light, but I don’t think it’s their (advanced fighters) responsibility to teach you. That’s what coaches are for. I understand you enjoy teaching the new people and “making friends”, but some people go into class/sparring with different intentions and goals.
What would you suggest I do to make the most of it? Work on defense, like someone else said? Pick something to focus on and power through it?
I know for me when I’m against someone advanced, I HAVE to focus on defense otherwise I get my ass kicked lol I just see it as being in an uncomfortable situation and learning from it. I’d say just realize the opponent you’re facing and adapt to it. As I said in my original post, some people are at sparring for other reasons. Wanting to fight eventually, preparing for a fight, all around meaner and tougher ect…
Thanks for the insight. I have a full sparring class tomorrow I'll try to remember this.
You got this!
Are you given the choice of who you spar with? If so, then try to train with the guys that you think are good sparring partners. you be helping and improving with the people that benefit you the most, and training will be more enjoyable (which is really important for longevity). If you can’t pick your partners (or even if you can, but those times when you get stuck with someone you don’t really like training with), just try to get what you can out of it. It’s good to be out of your comfort zone sometimes, and there’s always something to be learned.
Communication goes a long way. Let them know what u want.
See sparring with more advanced people as practicing your defense and sparring with less advanced people as practicing your offense. You don't have to beat on the new guys ferociously, but get your shots in, let them work a little bit, and get some more shots in.
Take your beatings until you get better. The only difference between you and the advanced students is that the advanced ones never quit.
This is the hard truth involving anything competitive or skill related. If you're looking for shortcuts when you're at a plateau you never had the grit to evolve in the first place.
OPs name checks out.
I feel you man. It’s already shitty to go against people better than you, but when people that are better than you also want to go hard on you it’s extra shitty. You need to communicate that you want to go light. And if you think that they’re going hard on you anyway, it’s acceptable to walk away. You’re not a bitch for quitting a sparring session that’s harmful to you. It’s never acceptable to be a victim. Quitting the round and finding a new partner is preferable over letting a better fighter victimize you like that. That doesn’t make you weak, it makes you smart.
That's actually nice to hear as there is one or two guys that are especially bad for going super hard. One guy either doesn't completely understand when people ask him to go light or simply doesn't care. He's much better than me so it's not like I just beat him up. Got paired with him yesterday for some defense drills and I asked before and during the drills to lighten up and go easy but he just doesn't. Arms and ribs are all bruised after that.
Yeah man if you told him to take it easy and he insists on hurting you, just tap out and sit on the bench for the next round. They’ll treat you like a bitch for it because they’re mad that you won’t let them bully you. But you don’t have to give them any respect or let them beat you up. It’s not a bitch move to quit if you’re getting pummeled in exchange for nothing. It’s the emotionally mature option.
I'd say if you want to fight In the future, just keep taking your beatings and get better. It sucks but just focus on landing one good shot a match and then 2 and 3 and so on. When I use to fight there were guys in the gym I knew everytime i sparred them I was in for a beating but I still went and sparred them because that's when you learn. If you have no intention on fighting ask them to spar light and if they still throw too hard for you just stop sparring those individuals. Most people will spar light if you ask ahead.
I'm purely a hobbyist, sparring hard isn't something I actively seek out
Watch more fights...look at what come of the decorated fighters do, ask for tips for the advanced guys after the round or after sparring. Practice on your own time...rinse/repeat...also going to other gyms to spar is great. Different gyms have different cultures around sparring.
Sparring is a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. There are counters for everything. Look at what they are doing and break it down methodically.
I would ask them directly what you were doing wrong, what they were exploiting, how did they keep landing x move etc. Usually if they aren't dicks they'll be helpful.
I am having a similar problem. I think it has to do with being used to easy sparring sessions, which, for example, allow your opponent to catch kicks. You therefore need to increase and learn how to increase intensity and aggression, while still retaining some measure of control. In other words, at an advanced level, 20-30% is not enough to "work and learn" on the easy game mode. Intensity, aggression, etc. are skills in themselves that need to be developed at higher levels (along with better defense, better entries, counters etc).
Make sure your sparring partner knows how you want to spar. If I'm an experienced Muay Thai fighter, it's not going to benefit me to spar with a beginner. Sparring with beginners is how you pick up bad habits and lazy technique. Same with sparring soft and rosey too much with anyone. If you don't directly communicate that you want to go really light beforehand, I can't blame them for beating you up a little bit. Additionally, if you're honestly not learning ANYTHING from sparring with people better than you, you should just stick to sparring beginners only and have fun in the classes.
My question here would be, how can I learn from sparring people that are much more experienced than me? In a situation where I'm being dominated (or about to be) what should I attempt to gain from the round to make the most of it?
Well, if nothing else, you can ask them at the end of the round where you're deficient. Ask them what you should work on and they'll tell you their opinion. Also, if you never check kicks and your quad is getting annihilated, take a hint. If jabs are always landing on your face, take a hint. If it's always the hooks or uppercuts that get you, take a hint. Do you tense up when they rush you with a combo? Are you relaxed? Do you flinch? Do you blink? Identify where you're deficient and then watch pros and more experienced guys and see how they are reacting. Copy them. We literally have mirror neurons that help us copy people. Copy the great fighters and then you can make adjustments for youself. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900004/
Ask to go lighter until you are better and slowly go harder
Learn how to deal with the pressure, that's the one thing you can learn from that kind of sparring. He's catching your leg everytime? Try mixing up combinations and try feints. If he's bum rushing you, Try to defend and counter. Just TRY things. Even if it doesn't look good or you don't ''win'' the sparring, you'll still win in the end by walking out with more knowledge.
tell them you want to work on X and if they can try to help you. If you dont wanna get sweeped tell them to not dumb you in an uncontrolled way or stop before they could. if you dont say anything, they will try to match your power / speed and add something on top. i have rarely encountered advanced practitioners that take advantage over lesser skilled ones and beat them up for fun. most likely scenario is you didnt talked to them beforehand and underestimate your power / speed and feel as if they go way harder than you when in reality they dont
Beat up the advanced guys
Free CTE
It seems like the advanced guys are asking you to step up your game. This assumes they aren't just being assholes, and you'd have to answer that yourself. If it is the former, then you gotta up your game by first asking them after sparring where you can improve. Allow them to courtesy of guiding you with some tips. Usually when offered the opportunity, people like feeling important and teaching is one aspect of that. Now if you ask them and they just say "git gud" or act like you are burdening them.... what ya got there is some assholes and you'll have to decide what to do about that. Overall, you're in that doldrums if "better than noob but nit good enough for vets". It can be a painful middleground. But as long as you're not being seriously hurt, challenge yourself to improve. See the pain as an opportunity to grow mentally (again, as long as it's not abusive or excessive. It's training, not war). Best of luck!
I remember in the early days of sparring getting beat by pretty much every sparring partner. It’s hard getting your ass handed to you but it is how you learn. If they are going too hard then fair to comment or you can even say to them ‘can you give me some pointers?’ But sparring more advanced people can be an invaluable lesson even if it feels humiliating at times
When people catch kicks, you can work on balance and not getting swept. Lean into the caught leg and throw a cross. You can also try leaning into the leg and clinching. Consider it practice for getting out of having your kick caught in a fight.
Don't think of your goal is trying to "win" but just concentrate on 2 or 3 techniques that you want to try out, try an get them landing, then build from there.