How To Overcome the Fear of Sparring?
Whether it’s boxing, karate or BJJ, just about every martial art includes sparring sessions. Even though this is just a part of training, not all people like to spar due to various reasons. In fact, some people have a certain dose of fear when sparring, or, they even don’t want to spar at all. But what is so scary about it?
Sparring is a part of training in which you are applying techniques in spontaneous action with the partner. It can be scary at times simply because it plays with your mind and senses. Some people are afraid to get hurt, absorb strikes or have a hard time dealing with losses. But at the same time, sparring is the key part of training that helps you learn and grow as a fighter.
Although it may sound weird, most of us have felt the same way at some point. It’s normal to be scared of sparring to some extend. And it’s also normal to work on your fears to defeat them, which we will help you to do with this article.
Choose the right martial arts school
The focus of a good school should always be on the safety of its students. Although sparring is mostly safe.
If you are new in training, still figuring things out, there are ways in which you can see whether you are in the right gym. One of the best signs you are in the wrong gym is the lack of:
- Leadership
- Authority
- Bullies in classes
If you see one student beating the hell out of the other student and their coach says nothing, find another gym. Yes, students can spar hard at times when they are preparing for matches, in boxing for instance. But coaches should never allow one student to beat the hell out of their teammate. Or even worse, to knock them out.
The same stands for grappling arts like BJJ where some senior students can go too hard with the beginners. Choking out and dominating beginners is the best way they can feed their ego, but also very dangerous. And it’s not just their fault. Coaches are the people who must stop this type of bad behavior by showing their authority.
The good gyms are the ones that put the safety of their students in the first place. These gyms would never allow the type of behavior we have explained above as the focus is on learning and growing. There’s no room for people with big egos.
Get to know your fears and accept them
Most people who are afraid to step into the sparring sessions do not know what they are really afraid of. So it’s crucial for you to find out what triggers your fears and start working on overcoming them.
As we know, fears are just illusions and it would be a shame to give up martial arts because of them. Here are the most popular things people are afraid of.
Ego disturbance — this is a tricky one and even weird to some extent. These people just can’t handle the “losses” in sparring, and they see each session as a real match. Instead of feeling good or relaxed after it’s over, they get too emotional about the “loss”. Remember, there’s no such thing as a loss in sparring. These are all lessons that will only improve your game.
Fear of being punched is a common fear in martial arts gyms. I mean, it’s even normal to have this type of fear to some extent as no one likes to be punched. But there is a way you can overcome this fear by doing various exercises to get your body prepared for absorbing strikes.
Fear of getting hurt is a common fear in martial arts gyms. But you must realize that sparring is safe. All students must wear protective gear when doing anything that can get them hurt. And they use around 40–50% of their power when exchanging punches so the risk of injuries is really low. Most injuries actually happen by accident.
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The first step to overcoming your fears is to accept and be open about them. Pushing yourself into things you are not ready for yet can only make your fears even worst.
Trust the process and start s l o w
Don’t be delusional thinking that the coaches will throw you into the sparring session after just a few weeks of training. You must spend months working on a heavy bag and shadow boxing before you can take part in, what we call “controlled sparring” or “live drills”.
This is one of the best ways you can prepare both your mind and body for sparring. First, you will pick a partner that is similar in size and stand in front of each other. Then, the coach will say which technique you have to practice like “One-two down the middle and finish with a leg kick”.
You will execute this combo using only 20–30% of your power while the partner must block the strikes without countering. Then, the partner will do the same to you and you will drill this technique for the entire round. This is a great way to get your body used to absorbing strikes and develop skills for real sparring.
Of course, both parties must wear gloves, headgear, mouthpiece, and even shin pads if it’s a kickboxing class. The risk of injuries here is really, really low. It’s almost impossible to get hurt doing live drills.
Over time, you will start increasing the power and landing cleaner shots. You will also train your mind to not panic when someone is throwing strikes at you. You will practice controlled sparring for months before going into “real” sparring.
Focus on learning and growing as a fighter
There is no such thing as “losing” a sparring session or getting beat up in sparring. No, these are all valuable lessons that are showing you the holes in your game you need to improve. Do you really think that some of the best fighters in the world have never lost a sparring session?
Sparring is not real fighting and it’s not a match. It is a part of the learning process that teaches you how to control emotions, stay calm, and apply techniques you know. In BJJ training, for instance, beginners must eat many humble pies in the opening months of training. They get submitted on a daily basis and this really tests their ego and will.
But students must accept in their minds that there’s no ego in this, just learning and growing. No one likes to get beat up and lose all the time, no matter how calm they are. There will be moments in which you will think about giving up, that’s all normal and we have all been there.
Instead of being afraid of losing, ask a partner who just beat you what they think about your skills. Stay humble and listen to more experienced students that can help you improve your game. You wouldn’t believe how fast you will improve your game by taking this approach.
Sparring is the way to overcome your fears
We know this may sound weird at first, but sparring itself helps you overcome all fears. If you are doing it the right way and according to your levels, sparring will make you feel more confident. Improving your confidence is the first step you must take to get rid of your fears.
Start slow and do not rush things. Do not put your mind and body through something you are not ready for. If you think you are not ready yet, focus on drilling the techniques.
And the key thing is to be open about your fears. Talk with your main coach about the issues and feelings you have with sparring. Trust us, they will do everything to show you that sparring is good and safe for you.
In most cases, they will ask you to stay in the gym after the class, so that you can spar with the coach alone. Being open about the problem is the best way to overcome the fear of sparring.
There are so many ways you can deal with your fears. It would really be a shame for anyone to give up martial arts because of them. In the end, remember that we have all been there, and we all shared similar fears.
Martial arts and becoming a skilled fighter is not about staying in your comfort zone. No, people who succeeded have all worked hard on overcoming many things, including their fears.
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