First sparring match in 8 years

[Headhunter]

So as I said before I don't train in a gym anymore so I don't spar now but an old friend of mine wanted to meet up. I guess this guys basically my version of Apollo creed lol we came up together and we fought a few times in the ring. I beat him in a boxing match (my only win that went the distance) he beat me in a kickboxing match tko last 5 seconds of the match (still think that was a bs stoppage but whatever) and then I beat him again tko in the first. We both started around the same time and had similar careers and we both moved into mma late in life only difference is I stopped he went to long really screwed his body up fighting to long I told him plenty times he should hang up the gloves. I knew that after our last fight when I finished him easily he was never an easy match for me and the fact I beat him so easy made me realise he was done. But he couldn't give it up until a lot later. But anyway that's the back story just for anyone interested if not i apologise for an old man rambling.

Anyway we met at his house and talked etc then he asked if I wanted to spar I wasn't sure as I'd basically given up on putting my body through it I still train but not as intense but eventuallj I agreed so we sparred in his back yard. It was fun to put the gloves on again and we had a pretty good match him retiring probably made him a better fighter as he was a lot stronger than when I last fought him. Since we have history no one dominated since we know each others game both got in good shots nothing to hard.

I'm still in pretty good shape for my age but damm after that I was absolutely done. She we called time I had to double up panting saying I'm to old for this **** I sounded like murtagh off lethal weapon. But still great fun to do it again and happy i held my own and that my reflexes and defence skills hadnt gone down after all the years not sparring as I've just been doing shadow boxing heavy bag work etc.

But hey all you young guys out there. The old guys can still roll with the punches (and land a few)

 

[Jenna]

I like your recounting thank you for sharing! If that is old man rambling like you say then it is the best kind of rambling I think you seem to speak from experience.. it is useful for others

Hey tell me something after your back yard match.. you have mentioned where you felt absolutely done afterwards and you mention with regard to all young guys out there.. I mean none of us get younger right.. so maybe could you say how exactly can experience expect to win over youth? or do you think that is a myth? Thank you x

 

[Headhunter]

I like your recounting thank you for sharing! If that is old man rambling like you say then it is the best kind of rambling I think you seem to speak from experience.. it is useful for others

Hey tell me something after your back yard match.. you have mentioned where you felt absolutely done afterwards and you mention with regard to all young guys out there.. I mean none of us get younger right.. so maybe could you say how exactly can experience expect to win over youth? or do you think that is a myth? Thank you x

Good question and no not a myth at all but by no means a fact either. Like I said in my intro post fightings nothing more than a gamble as I said I beat my friend once he beat me the next time I beat him the next there's no guarantees with anything so a young guy can beat an older experienced guy one day or the old guy can beat the young next day. I'm not saying I can beat every young guy in any gym because I'm sure there's a few who'll wipe the floor with me.

But relating to the question we were sparring in a back yard 2 guys who've known each other years and years and are friends. We were sparring not fighting if I wanted to I could've gone full out a lot harder if I wanted it and so could he but our goal wasnt to destroy each other it was just to last the time we agreed 3 3 minute rounds. But in a real fight you're fighting the clock you're fighting the person. If a guy with not much experience attacked me I'd have a good how he'll react to what shots and my moves will be more instinctive than a guy who's mor robotic.

I like the American kenpo way of describing it, the way 3 stages of learning. Primitive, mechanical spontaneous. Primative very basic not much at all, mechanical: you know the moves but they don't flow together and you don't know how to mix it up or put it all together. Spontaneous which is I am and the more experienced know every move in the book and read new books and learnt all them to and know when it's best to throw or how to handle a situation and they'll have more experience taking punishment and will how to react to it whereas a guy who's not experienced might freeze up or have an adrenaline dump. My cardio isn't as good as it was I can't run run as fast as i use to i can't lift as heavy weights as I could and I can't do as many push ups or sit ups as before but all the moves and skills and the drills I've put into my head over the years are all, still there and the muscle memory will always keep them there.

Another factor is young guys think they're invincible and basically destroy themselves in training and don't conserve their energy as much because their tank has a lot more space but ad you get older its not as much so you have to train smarter now I train my skills more than my body. Like I said my friend went to long and wrecked his body to the point where he simply carry on but after he retired rested up had some surgeries he's s lot stronger now than he was when he was in the ring at the end of his career. I know there's this stigma with seeing old black belts with a stomach and yeah I wouldn't want to be that and bad and I do try and maintain myself I don't drink and I eat as healthy as I can but just because they're not in amazing shape with a 6 pack their skills are probably than they were 10 years previously when they were in shape

Hope that helps.

 

[Ironbear24]

I watched a video with Paul Vunak.

YouTube is not training. Get off the fvckin internet and go train for real. All these questions you are asking could be solved literally day 1 of real instruction.

 

[Headhunter]

YouTube is not training. Get off the fvckin internet and go train for real. All these questions you are asking could be solved literally day 1 of real instruction.

Huh? um dont wanna sound rude but what are you on about?

 

[Ironbear24]

Huh? um dont wanna sound rude but what are you on about?

Oops. Wrong thread sorry about that.

 

[Headhunter]

Oops. Wrong thread sorry about that.

No worries lol

 

[marques]

I also had that same good surprise after years without sparring.
When I was training regularly (at the beginning) it was like all my skills where lost over the summer holidays (1 month). And when started trial classes, after a long pause, surprisingly I was still doing well.
I think the longer you train, the less you lose over the period you don't train....

 

[Jenna]

Good question and no not a myth at all but by no means a fact either. Like I said in my intro post fightings nothing more than a gamble as I said I beat my friend once he beat me the next time I beat him the next there's no guarantees with anything so a young guy can beat an older experienced guy one day or the old guy can beat the young next day. I'm not saying I can beat every young guy in any gym because I'm sure there's a few who'll wipe the floor with me.

But relating to the question we were sparring in a back yard 2 guys who've known each other years and years and are friends. We were sparring not fighting if I wanted to I could've gone full out a lot harder if I wanted it and so could he but our goal wasnt to destroy each other it was just to last the time we agreed 3 3 minute rounds. But in a real fight you're fighting the clock you're fighting the person. If a guy with not much experience attacked me I'd have a good how he'll react to what shots and my moves will be more instinctive than a guy who's mor robotic.

I like the American kenpo way of describing it, the way 3 stages of learning. Primitive, mechanical spontaneous. Primative very basic not much at all, mechanical: you know the moves but they don't flow together and you don't know how to mix it up or put it all together. Spontaneous which is I am and the more experienced know every move in the book and read new books and learnt all them to and know when it's best to throw or how to handle a situation and they'll have more experience taking punishment and will how to react to it whereas a guy who's not experienced might freeze up or have an adrenaline dump. My cardio isn't as good as it was I can't run run as fast as i use to i can't lift as heavy weights as I could and I can't do as many push ups or sit ups as before but all the moves and skills and the drills I've put into my head over the years are all, still there and the muscle memory will always keep them there.

Another factor is young guys think they're invincible and basically destroy themselves in training and don't conserve their energy as much because their tank has a lot more space but ad you get older its not as much so you have to train smarter now I train my skills more than my body. Like I said my friend went to long and wrecked his body to the point where he simply carry on but after he retired rested up had some surgeries he's s lot stronger now than he was when he was in the ring at the end of his career. I know there's this stigma with seeing old black belts with a stomach and yeah I wouldn't want to be that and bad and I do try and maintain myself I don't drink and I eat as healthy as I can but just because they're not in amazing shape with a 6 pack their skills are probably than they were 10 years previously when they were in shape

Hope that helps.

Thank you for your courtesy.. I appreciate your reply.. you seem to have hard-won experience I think.. If it is ok I would like to ask another question.. you mention young guys who maybe think they are invincible.. I understand this way of viewing.. Tell me.. since it sound like a negative thing, what do you think we GAIN by realising we are not actually invincible? It is more realistic yet you would surely not recommend it before say a tournament etc?? like to acknowledge: "I am not invincible" this, while being realistic, it work against us no?? Thank you x

 

[Headhunter]

Thank you for your courtesy.. I appreciate your reply.. you seem to have hard-won experience I think.. If it is ok I would like to ask another question.. you mention young guys who maybe think they are invincible.. I understand this way of viewing.. Tell me.. since it sound like a negative thing, what do you think we GAIN by realising we are not actually invincible? It is more realistic yet you would surely not recommend it before say a tournament etc?? like to acknowledge: "I am not invincible" this, while being realistic, it work against us no?? Thank you x

It's not a negative thing and it doesn't apply for everyone but a younger will be exhausted and think they should stop but then will think oh I'll do one set of those weights or I'll run an extra mile. Because they have the energy to do it even if it's not the best option. But when your older you don't have that extra energy as much so you'll stop even if you don't want to.

You gain better control of your body and your training will improve if a young pushes himself to exhaustion he won't train the next day because he's shattered but when you learn you can't push it that hard you'll stop and then you'll have enough energy to train the next day and then you get more training days so you get better quicker.

Not at all I think if you're competing you should have the mindset you can lose. You go in there thinking it's going to be easy a walk in the park you'll be overconfident and won't take your opponent seriously but by knowing your not invincible and that there is the chance of losing or getting hurt you'll fight harder because you'll want to win and not just cruise through it and if you accept you can lose it won't be such a big deal when you do.

Best example ronda rousey she thought she was invincible but now she's lost look what happened to her she contemplated suicide because she lost a match and has basically turned into a recluse and gained a lot of weight and hasn't fought in nearly a year and still no plans to return if she accepted she wasn't invincible she might've taken it better. It's not just the physical side of accepting it its the mental side to.