Did My First Sparring Today

After a one hour workout today I had my first live session of sparring.  I spent four rounds, ninety seconds each, in the ring with a 165lb professional fighter and former Kansas State WR, Tyson Schwieger.  I got my butt handed to me and he wasn’t even close to going all out.  He drilled me in the face and head over and over, got me in the body a few times, and generally avoided every punch I threw.  By the end of the 4th round I was gassed pretty good.  In some ways it was the longest eight minutes of my life, in other ways it flew by.  It was strange.

Both instructors (Tyson is one of them) commented afterward that while I certainly have a lot to work on, I did two things right that are hard to teach.  First, I stayed relaxed even when I was getting worked over (until I got tired).  Second, I kept my chin down and my eyes open and focused on my opponent the whole time.

There was one point in the third round, for about two seconds, where it was like everything just slowed down.  I was seeing everything and knew exactly where I was.  It was incredible.  He threw a right, I ducked it, I saw him lift his left elbow, and I popped him right in the nose with a right uppercut.  It wasn’t an accident, I *knew* that punch was going to land.  So, for two seconds of my eight minute session I was right there.

One thing that frustrates me about my performance was my inability to follow the direction of Joe, the other instructor.  I’m not sure if it was lack of conditioning, or focus, or both, but after every round he laid out two simple instructions for me to follow and I wasn’t able to pull it off.  That is going to have to change.

The part that surprised me the most afterward is that my face and head, which took the brunt of the punishment, feel fine (though my nose is a tad red).  I’m pretty sure I can thank the combination of Tyson not teeing off on me and the headgear for that. My mid-section, which took a few good shots, feels fine.  What hurts most is my right elbow from snapping open because I was missing with those shots, over and over and over, though it never bothered me in the ring, probably partially due to the adrenaline and partially due to the punches I was eating.

In summary, I have a lot to work on.  There is a long way to go.  But I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to my next chance.