question for the kick boxers and boxers...

[blackbeltb584]

I usaully focus on the strikes coming at me rather than the person executing them.

katie

[elbows_and_knees]

right, but chasing limbs is not an advisable thing. Why? because you can pick up on the motion too late. When you do that, you will be hit. Take a good jab, for example. the arm stays in line and the elbow stays down. There is no elbow rotation until the moment just before impact. You are already in reaction mode, and by watching the limb, you are possibly slowing your reaction. In addition, you may lose sight of other weapons coming at you. You focus on the jab - and it was a fake. Instead, you you eat a roundhouse kick that you never saw coming...

[Thaiboxer]

Second class sparring?? Never heard of it!!

[baronbvp]

I know this sounds a little Zen, but see everything, look at nothing. Look toward the torso area, but relax your focus so you can see peripherally as well. It is relatively easy. Don't get locked onto any one thing.

Try this as you do it: In your fighting stance with your hands up, imagine you are looking out a window at your opponent with this relaxed gaze, almost like daydreaming (but paying attention). Anytime your opponent throws a punch or kick, it comes into your field of view - your window. Your job is just to wipe the window. Keep the window clean, hands moving left and right just enough to deflect the punches. Move your head side to side also so they don't connect as you clear your field of view. Kicks are more difficult, but the concept is the same. Against kicks, lift your legs to block with your shins and use down blocks with your arms.

It worked well for me.

[bushido_man96]

That's a cool analogy, baron. I think I will take that and use it in the future, if you don't mind!

[baronbvp]

My pleasure - all free!

I credit my good Japanese-Hawaiian-American friend from freshman year at USC, whose martial arts club I was part of. He was a true MMA specialist before the term existed. He even used a bit of judo during football.

[bushido_man96]

My pleasure - all free!

I credit my good Japanese-Hawaiian-American friend from freshman year at USC, whose martial arts club I was part of. He was a true MMA specialist before the term existed. He even used a bit of judo during football.

That's cool. I have heard of many football lineman also using wrestling skills in the pits, there. Good reasons for both.

[poisendhearts]

concentrate on your opponents whole body, and before you spar, think of different situations and if he throws a certain technique, play out a mental image of how you will react, and it calms you down, you feel more assured in sparring

[Symphony-x]

watching someones eye can be the most distracting thing when sparring, as in my case, i look past the oppenent with 1 eye to mislead him.

as for where to look, i always watch the legs and feet as 9/10 you need to move your feet or legs in a certain way to do a decent punch or kick.

[baronbvp]

That would keep your chin down, which is good, but I don't like looking down that much.