# knocked out while sparring..



## Rocco1016 (Oct 13, 2010)

I was sparring in training today and my sparring partner knocked me out. It was a flash knock out, but none the less, still a knock out. My instructor told me to sit out so I didn't get to finish the round. This was my first time sparring with this guy (I have rolled with him before). I knew he was a power hitter because I saw him sparring with someone else about a month earlier. He swings wildly, but REALLY HARD. I stepped in and threw a one two combo and stupid me stayed in his reach where he got me with a nice right. Everything just went black for a second and the next thing I know, I am on the floor with my instructor asking me how many fingers he is holding up. I wasn't really upset at all until after I got home and started thinking about it. He is a nice guy and I know he didn't mean to knock me out, but I really don't want to spar with him again. We hugged it out at the end of course, but the instructor seemed to take it lightly in my opinion. You shouldn't be hitting your partner that hard if you are training. Anyway, my question is should I.....
*1.* Ask him to go lighter? (the problem with this is that I don't think he really has control of his repressed anger and it comes out when he spars, so I don't think asking him will make a difference).
*2.* Tell my instructor to talk to him?
*3.* Try and hit him as hard as he hits me? 
*4.* Do nothing and just go with it.


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## madrappa (Dec 8, 2009)

dont be a bitch, knock his ass out next time... TRAIN HARD GET GOOD suck it up


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## Intermission (Oct 1, 2009)

Just don't spar with him anymore, if he has anger issues he won't go lighter next time. There isn't much you can do. How are you feeling right now btw?


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## SpoKen (Apr 28, 2007)

I remember a buddy of mine got knocked out sparring with a guy just like you described. He swings wild and pretty reckless but very freakin hard.

I sparred with him and he tagged me really good a few times, but I just gave it back to him. I don't get mad now a days, I just get even. I clinched with him and knee'd him harder than I should have multiple times. He didn't know how to get out of the plum so hey...

Anyways. My buddy is significantly below us skill wise, and we all knew it. We would tell the hard hitter, "Remember to have control and go 50%" but lo and behold he goes and knocks him out.

We never invited him back, considering we fight surrounded by concrete and we've told him for weeks to control his power.


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## Killz (Oct 5, 2009)

You shouldnt be trying to knock people out in sparring. Sparring is to hone skill and technique and try out stuff you've been working on. How are you supposed to do that going 100%?

people who go full on in sparring are frikkin morons.

If I were you i'd just tell him to take the power down a bit next time you spar. If he still keeps going hard tell him again. 3rd time just walk away... unless you feel you can go as hard and give him some back then walking away is your best option.


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## edlavis88 (Jul 12, 2009)

I've had a few of these in my boxing training over the years. I tend to just stay away from them because i've never had the one punch KO power to give it back to them - although it is satisfying to move in and out and see them get increasingly livid as they swing and hit thin air over and over!

I dunno how long you have been training but eventually you will work out who the guys at your gym are that are trying to get better and help each other improve and who the guys are who just want to vent their anger.


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## Voiceless (Nov 8, 2010)

Killstarz said:


> If I were you i'd just tell him to take the power down a bit next time you spar. If he still keeps going hard tell him again. 3rd time just walk away... unless you feel you can go as hard and give him some back then walking away is your best option.


I'd recommend this^ as you say that he basically is a nice guy. I think to have at least one sparring again with him would also be good for yourself, to show yourself that you aren't intimidated because of the KO. If he starts to get wild again, tell him to relax and reduce the power in his shots. If he doesn't tell him you'll stop to spar with him. If he still doesn't, stop imidiately and DON'T wait until the end of the round.

Sometimes I'm doing it like SpoKen, so your option number 3 with a little additional force, but as that can easily escalate it's something you should only consider if you're more or less sure that you'll be the one on top of the the escalation.


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## punchbag (Mar 1, 2010)

madrappa said:


> dont be a bitch, knock his ass out next time... TRAIN HARD GET GOOD suck it up


Your obviously one of the idiots these guys are talking about.:sarcastic12:


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## Scarecrow (Mar 20, 2008)

Easy solution...

Blacklist the douche from your gym and advise this forum of his name so we can sure to not roll with the kid if he were ever stupid enough to come to our school.

Nothing hits harder than someone's true identity being brought out into the open with the community.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

The guy reminds me of Tommy Gun in Rocky 5. Walked into the ring and saw red. Then he fought and became a powerhouse and left Rocky.


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## madrappa (Dec 8, 2009)

punchbag said:


> Your obviously one of the idiots these guys are talking about.:sarcastic12:


Nice use of deduction :sarcastic12: 

This is how pricks thrive, making people feel weak by imposing their size/power on someone. When you come across an asshole you have to make him feel some of it back. Show him whats up

Someone pushes, push back!


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## G_Land (Aug 11, 2009)

madrappa said:


> Nice use of deduction :sarcastic12:
> 
> This is how pricks thrive, making people feel weak by imposing their size/power on someone. When you come across an asshole you have to make him feel some of it back. Show him whats up
> 
> Someone pushes, push back!


No ....you must not train. A gym is not a school yard. You're not "Back on the block" bro. You should be able to train without some idiot swinging wildly. Thats how people get hurt. If I am training for a fight and an idiot tried this I would be so pissed. This could mess up your fight. If you get concussed you're screwed. Keep your advice to the little punks who think you are cool. This is no place for it


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

Yeah, a gym is not a place to demonstrate your merit. A gym is a place to train for demonstrating your merit. You should train in the gym and that's it.


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## madrappa (Dec 8, 2009)

G_Land said:


> No ....you must not train. A gym is not a school yard. You're not "Back on the block" bro. You should be able to train without some idiot swinging wildly. Thats how people get hurt. If I am training for a fight and an idiot tried this I would be so pissed. This could mess up your fight. If you get concussed you're screwed. Keep your advice to the little punks who think you are cool. This is no place for it



Just look at Chute boxe. Best gym out there

im agreeing the guy is being disrespectful, but to give him a taste of his own medicine


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

Chute boxe is a darn good gym. Though you have to agree it's seen better days. They had four of their best guys leave following PRIDE.


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## Squirrelfighter (Oct 28, 2009)

I can understand the OP's position. But the replies here are blowing my mind. 

I've been training in Boxing/MMA for almost 4 years now, and in that time myself, nor my training partner, has ever gone less than 100%. 

Hell, I got rocked a couple weeks ago. Do you know what I learned from getting rocked: Keep your hands up, don't get lazy! You know what I learned from going 50%? When my opponent goes slow, I'm as fast as f*cking Machida. 

I can't imagine going 50% in training. How does one mimic competition going 50%? It defeats the purpose of training for competition when one does not mimic competition with the smallest possible margin of error. 

That being said, with 4oz gloves, I can understand going at a partial power level. However with larger training gloves on, there is no excuse for not pushing yourself as hard as possible, both technically, and mentally (besides fear). 

To the OP. I've never been flash KOed but I've felt what it feels like to ALMOST get KOed and staggered. Its a really terrible feeling when you think back over it later. It makes you feel weak, annoyed, and even angry a bit (in my case at myself). But it's an innevitability. If this individual bothers you for using this style when you weren't necessarily ready or willing for it. Don't train with him, and make sure its clear before sparring what the power level is.


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## edlavis88 (Jul 12, 2009)

No-one is saying go at 50% but swinging for the fences in training isn't helping anyone.

If i ever rock a sparring partner i will stop, what is to be gained from knocking him out?


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## G_Land (Aug 11, 2009)

Squirrelfighter said:


> I can understand the OP's position. But the replies here are blowing my mind.
> 
> I've been training in Boxing/MMA for almost 4 years now, and in that time myself, nor my training partner, has ever gone less than 100%.
> 
> ...


I understand about pushing yourself. I have been rocked and have rocked my sparring partner a couple times. But it was always because we were feeding of each others drive. Then when we see we are going a little too hard we dile it back a little. My response was to the people going out to prove a point. If someone is going out there to hurt someone to look cool its stupid. It took me a while to find a balance in sparring. If your partner can handle your 100 percent and he can handle yours by all means go at it. But if you get put on your ass and you do not feel comfortable with him bring it up to a trainer if he doesnt want to back off...or just dont spar with him.


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## Voiceless (Nov 8, 2010)

Squirrelfighter said:


> I can understand the OP's position. But the replies here are blowing my mind.
> 
> I've been training in Boxing/MMA for almost 4 years now, and in that time myself, nor my training partner, has ever gone less than 100%.
> 
> ...


Sorry, I don't question that you go really hard in your training, but it doesn't sound convincingly when you say that you and your training partners "never go less then 100%" and you've never been KOed in 4 years. Fighters that compete have maybe 5 fights a year and get KOed in one or another of these fights, so if you train maybe 5 times a week and have sparring sessions there where you go 100% it would be very likely that you or your training partner would get KOed about once a week.

Going 100% in a striking style on a daily/near daily routine is not possible unless the participants have no power. The body couldn't recover fast enough from the damage it takes and the energy it needs to go 100% and you would get dumb in a year or so as the brain would accumulate all the damage it takes in such a short period of time.

It also doesn't do good to go on high power (even if it's less than 100%) all the time in sparring from a didactic perspective. With high power/intensity sparring you're very likely to tense up and only concentrate on not to get hit and can only rely on techniques you already know. You won't try out new techniques, because when first used they usually don't work as you always have to make adjustments. And if you have to be afraid of getting hit, you won't do anything that doesn't already work.

So a good training should always involve low power sparring AND high power sparring (which is not yet at 100%, because of the reasons stated above). Low power sparring to try out and incorporate new techniques and high power sparring to get the pressure and feeling of a fight.

Getting KOed also doesn't really help you in training. Besides the accumulated brain damage in the long term, you also don't get really more information for your improvement. Often when getting KOed you forget what happened a couple of seconds before the KO hit, so you can't really adjust what you did wrong. While when just getting hit and feeling it ring in your head, but without getting KOed, you can remember what you did before the impact and thereby use that information to improve your game.

Also, reducing the power doesn't necessarily mean reducing the speed. So if someone sparrs with you and reduces the power to the level where it won't KO you, but keeps up his speed, you won't feel like Machida


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## Squirrelfighter (Oct 28, 2009)

G_Land said:


> I understand about pushing yourself. I have been rocked and have rocked my sparring partner a couple times. But it was always because we were feeding of each others drive. Then when we see we are going a little too hard we dile it back a little. My response was to the people going out to prove a point. If someone is going out there to hurt someone to look cool its stupid. It took me a while to find a balance in sparring. If your partner can handle your 100 percent and he can handle yours by all means go at it. But if you get put on your ass and you do not feel comfortable with him bring it up to a trainer if he doesnt want to back off...or just dont spar with him.


That's what I was trying to say to the OP. If one isn't ready for that level of contact they shouldn't engage in it. Or be clear about what they are comfortable with, and avoid those who won't adapt.




Voiceless said:


> Sorry, I don't question that you go really hard in your training, but it doesn't sound convincingly when you say that you and your training partners "never go less then 100%" and you've never been KOed in 4 years. Fighters that compete have maybe 5 fights a year and get KOed in one or another of these fights, so if you train maybe 5 times a week and have sparring sessions there where you go 100% it would be very likely that you or your training partner would get KOed about once a week.
> 
> Going 100% in a striking style on a daily/near daily routine is not possible unless the participants have no power. The body couldn't recover fast enough from the damage it takes and the energy it needs to go 100% and you would get dumb in a year or so as the brain would accumulate all the damage it takes in such a short period of time.
> 
> ...


That math is stupid. Its all made up mumbo jumbo to support your point. There are plenty of fighters who say they've never been KOed in training throughout their entire career. And there are other guys who say they've been KOed a few times in training. 

And frankly, you don't get KOed if you don't get punched on the chin repeatedly (barring a flash KO). The idea of 100% contact sparring isn't, land a 100% shot, then swarm the opponent. That's not what this discussion is about, nor was it what I said. 100% contact sparring is normal sparring, except instead of throwing light punches, you throw them full force. I actually broke that rule today, and my nose is remarkably tender from two shots I took cleanly. Why? Because I didn't keep my hands up and move my head. 

If someone can't handle 100% punches in the gym, with 16oz training gloves and headgear, how are they supposed to handle it with 4oz gloves in competition? 

As for forgetting. 9/10 the reason a person was KOed is always the same, didn't move or didn't keep the hands up. That basic mantra of Move, and Keep your hands up, is all one needs to take from being KOed (you failed to do one or both correctly, don't do it again). Which punch/kick is responsible is not important, only IF it was a punch or kick.

I understand light contact as part of training drills (attack and defense, counterstriking, head movement, etc.). However, sparring is designed to replecate combat/competition, that's what its been designed for since its creation. And failing to understand that concept makes sparring completely useless. 

The point being. Never taking full power punches (if training for competition)in the gym is asinine. The ability to adapt to, understand, or overcome the discomfort of a fist flying at your face is essential. If one is training for fitness, a hobby, etc then one shouldn't train with anyone who would go 100%.

The Machida bit was an exaggeration regarding the speed of strikes versus the innate reaction speed of blocks.:thumb02:


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## xeberus (Apr 23, 2007)

Squirrelfighter said:


> That's what I was trying to say to the OP. If one isn't ready for that level of contact they shouldn't engage in it. Or be clear about what they are comfortable with, and avoid those who won't adapt.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I rarely engage in that kind of contact because I don't want to get my shit broken. Even with 16ouncers, wraps and head gear at 100% I still break hands, noses and the other guy. I'm not saying I never go "almost" all out during heavy sparring but I always make sure they know im coming hard. The last time I fractured my right hand sparring was the time I decided to start not taking my partners head off. 

The thing is you're going to take some shots no matter what you do, and when that time comes if your partner is powerful and going 100% its gonna damage you. And for me early in sparring sessions I don't need follow up shots to break a nose or knock someone out, I just need one a lot of the time even with 16ouncers.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

Yeah, everyone thinks bigger gloves means more protection. That isn't really the case. Regardless, while practicing you need to take it somewhat easy.


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

I hate hearing stories like these so much. It's the wrong image and the wrong way to train.



You guys should be going like 10% when you're just training. Guys who go 50% or more everytime they spar never learn *really* good headmovement, never learn good angles, won't get their accuracy up and just turn into brawlers. 


Go watch Silva, Rua, Alves, Machida etc and see how light they go when they do their technical sparring on the mat. Then watch how guys like Kos train their standup, they just hit everything as hard as they can and end up severely lacking. It's hard to even word without explaining it in person but if you want to be an effective, precision striker that's hard to hit you can't just brawl in training. 


Sure get into the cage (or ring depending on gym) and go 95% a couple times a week - that's where you build your killer instincts and your aggression - but that kind of thing is TOTALLY separate from learning how to strike.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

Yeah, sparring is meant for people to learn. It's not like wrestling where you can actually go 100% and still learn something. Striking needs to be slow and deliberate in training.


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## ESPADA9 (Oct 13, 2006)

I’m not sure what your goals are, I never spar 100% for multiple reasons.

If you have ambitions to become a professional fighter you may want to do some specific sessions where you go 100%, kind of an agreed upon sparring session but you should ask your trainer first (if you trust them).

If you usually spar and agree to go 50-60% and this guy just decided ramp it up to 100% you may want to let ALL of your partners know that if they throw hard you’re going to return in kind.

Practice some defense, your footwork, head movement (try plenty of shadowboxing) and learn to counter.
A guy that throws wild looping shots is ripe for a counter and KO is he earns it by being a hardass.

You don’t want to make a routine of getting KOd, these eventually add up and could cause serious health problems later in life (or sooner).


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

ESPADA9 said:


> I’m not sure what your goals are, I never spar 100% for multiple reasons.
> 
> If you have ambitions to become a professional fighter you may want to do some specific sessions where you go 100%, kind of an agreed upon sparring session but you should ask your trainer first (if you trust them).
> 
> ...




Agreed, the rule of thumb is to go as light as your partner wants. We ONLY spar full-contact (near 100%) in the cage - or ring - on the mat it's a nonverbal agreement that it's for half sparring or less.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

Yeah, in the case of this guy though he doesn't swing that way. This guy obviously wanted to go all the way. Not good for anyone.


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