Oh, I get that totally.
Lots of small concussions add up.
I’ve had plenty myself.
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I’ve also been telling people they can learn to control their adrenal response for…a long time, on the old forums, and other forums before bs dot net.
And in fact, as Rabbit suggested, and the poster with the long password user name stated, there are ways to train for that.
In any case, we all know Rabbit’s experience level at all out combat sport competition (the test of performance under stress).
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So there are a lot of comments here, i’m just going to make a general post. If you’ve ever sparred hard or fought you’d know the first few times you gas out really quickly, you’re nervous, too tense, you flinch and there is adrenaline (i feel like that part was the strawman in this discussion). Dynamic drills are a great tool and should be used. If you can slip in a drill you understand the mechanics, if you can slip in sparring then you can actually slip, if you can slip during a proper match then you can really slip. If you are just drilling it you can’t do it under stress. You can drill your whole life, you’ll flinch the first time you fight or spar, flail your arms and struggle to keep your eyes on your opponent (turning your back or head), even more so once they land a decent punch. There is no boxing gym, mma gym, mauy thai, etc. that trains fighters that can fight without sparring. You are definitely not going to find a boxing gym that agrees you can train a fighter without sparring. Please post examples if you disagree, not text, or theory, i want to see someone who just drills or dynamic training that can actually apply it under stress (1st sparring session, or a proper match would be even better to see).
If you spar you are better than someone who doesn’t, if you fight white collar, amateur, etc. you’ll be better than someone who just spars. Your experience will be better and you would have been tested under greater stress.
I feel like all the blah blah around adrenaline and brain etc. is just noise. I think i clarified my post when i explained how multiple different disciplines train people to act under stress. I also feel like people don’t want to get hit so they make up elaborate stories about how you can train without having to get hit. If you are afraid of getting hit, then sparring is really important for you, because you need to get over that fear. There is a world of difference between drilling and actually worrying about that shot coming in.
also just to drive the point home. Even in the link you posted.
“Sparring and competitions in Kyokushin Karate and Sanshou in Chinese martial arts are examples of alive practice.”
I tore my kneecap off in a sanshou comp, it’s definitely not light contact. I didn’t spar often before that comp, i sucked, and i got killed, one of my greatest regrets.
… and boxing sparring often tends to be a bit harder, although i would agree going really hard too often is not good for your health. There should be a balance.
" As for boxing, it is widely known that daily gym sparrings in Philadelphia, the ‘middleweight capital of the world,’ were often as tough as most professional fights, the dividends of this approach were that ‘Philly warriors’ fought with incredible determination and ability to absorb punishment. For that reason some boxers moved to Philadelphia, to spar hard and improve their skills in the toughest way.[15]"
You have to spar/fight if you want to be able to apply it under stress. If you don’t like it that’s cool, i’m not going to insult you, but i will disagree that you can apply what you know.
I like the pad/glove combo
Pad on the rear hand, glove on the jab
Pad holder in stance, pad up next to head
Call out the combination and ask they move in to perform the action throw out a slow, light jab
This gives the student a chance to get used to the distraction of incoming punches whilst remaining focused on the objective and also encourages defensive head movement and a tight guard
Start slow and light and increase speed and power in line with the students progress
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I’m a huge fan of pad work and shadow boxing. Pad work is also great for understanding boxing is a game of inches. You don’t need huge movements.
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Another useful exercise is thus
On the heavy bag
Coach holds a pool noodles in one hand
As the student carries out the drill the coach pokes with the pool noodle to simulate a counter attack
I might add, chin down will also increase the stability of head/kneck
“Head movement” is really a misnomer, as when in a tight guard with chin down, it’s the upper body and legs that are doing the moving
Yah but the head is attached, it can’t help but follow along with the swaying and level changes.
True
But if not seek medical advice
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Just ordered this. I’m hoping it’s as good as the hype. I’m also hoping it takes some of the sting out of the punches. I have a really hard headgear which is ancient. It is an insane amount of cash for me to be spending on a headgear (especially because i’m paying in ZAR), but at my age it’s also the last headgear i’ll probably buy. I know headgear is more aimed at reducing cuts etc. and not head trauma, but i’m hoping it’s better than what i have at absorbing some of the force.
Research is saying headgear increases risk of brain injury
It sounds counter intuitive, but the injury results from the brain bouncing of the inside of the skull
Headgear won’t prevent that
Same in football (the American variety).
New helmet design has been required. And new tackling techniques. No more leading with the head. Rugby-style tackling.
Our HS team has a coach who was a serious rugby player, he’s been helping with the tackling drills.
Yeah i’ve read that article, it’s interesting. To my mind the force to the brain can’t be worse from the headgear, so it has to be something to do with taking more chances or the fact that you get hit more because your head is a larger target. I’m still keen to try it out myself. I’m also trying to avoid any black eyes and reduce the chance of a broken nose. It’s sparring at a reasonable pace, we aren’t trying to kill each other, but accidents happen. I work in an environment where it would raise a lot of eyebrows.
Rugby is a tough sport with a lot of trauma. lol
I sometimes can’t believe they get back up again.
Yeah, the tackling skills are refined, though, because no pads.
Football players wearing pads have it easier in that sense. The lack of head contact is a good thing IMO. Tackling skills are improved over just brute force.
In any case, boxing “defense”. It’s tough, because repeated blows to the head are just not good for you, regardless of headgear. Even not getting knocked out adds up.
Getting slammed to the floor thousands of time in Judo, with a range of serious (out cold) to light (bell ringers) head injuries has taken a toll on me, for sure.
Let alone getting kneed in the head, elbowed, slapped, etc.
The knee to the temple made me blind in one eye for almost a week.
Rabbits whole thing about survival type training in “Philly” is not going to fly with casuals.
That type of training is still not uncommon in Judo, either. Japan in particular.
100%, don’t disagree, any trauma to the head is bad trauma.
I think perhaps subconsciously one hits harder against head gear because you can/you need to so they feel it kind of thing
It would be interesting to see a comparison between rugby and American football, head injury wise
American football is going to rugby-style tackling. It’s been implemented at state level for all high school football.
In the USA, AFAIK. Up to pro level. No more leading with the head.
Our HS has a former rugby player helping with tackling drills.
Here you go, this was last season, my then 15 year old doing the style of tackling they want now. It’s a decent example.
This is a junior varsity game, 4th down, goal line stand. My kid read the play perfectly, of course. It was actually a very good play call by the opposing coach.
