[How long before i get "good" at sparring?]

My first thought that there really isn't a "shortcut" or estimated number of hours before one becomes comfortable at sparring because there're so many elements that go into it, like making sure you're executing your movements with correct technique, practice proper defence, working on timing/angling, etc, and all of that takes time (I am still getting my ass kicked at times and I've been training for almost 5 years now, lol), and everyone progresses at their own pace, some people are more "natural", while some take a bit more time. What worries me more is the fact that you're leaving each sparring session with a headache and a bloody nose, which to me suggests that either your sparring partners are going way too hard, in which case you need to say something as the sparring session is not intended for going 100% each time, it is not a fight, it is however, a time to work on all of the things that I mentioned above and it's hard to do that when you are constantly going at 100%, you shouldn't be feeling like your are fighting for your life in a sparring session...and also, you can't really condition your brain and the constant headaches after sparring are indicative of either subconcussive damage or a concussion (depending on what other symptoms you get in addition to the headaches), which will make for a rather short "career" in fighting or even being able to train for fun if you are not planning to fight as all that damage to the head is cumulative and I would say that if you are going to fight, save the heavy shots to the head for your fights, not sparring...or alternatively, though I don't know whether it is the case for you, if you are yourself going with the same power as you would use on the pads in the sparring session because it seems to be the case with many beginners I saw that just don't know better, then it would be a natural response for you sparring partner to hit back hard if you are hitting them hard, so then things are just escalating and there is no working on the technique, etc.

 

 

Reduce power, work on defense and proper techniques. Most people have to train 12-18 months at our gym before they are allowed to spar (varies by their natural ability and if they have prior experience). You can't regenerate brain cells so don't waste them on bad sparring.

 

I've read both of your comments and you are probably both more than right. I think am i trying to do as if i was training BJJ and sparring from day one, but the difference in being that BJJ is grappling while Muay thai i am getting kicked all over :P. I'm going to train more technique and maybe try the sparring after a couple months.

[How long before i get "good" at sparring?]

When i say good at sparring, i don't mean i want to kick every ones asses, because i know enough that sparring is not about that, i.e its essentially just live training. What i do mean is how long until i can stand my own, how long until its me who  gets to almost dictate the way the sparring round goes? how long until i stop being a human punching bag? :P

I've had a grand total of three one hour technical sessions, and followed by 3 hours of sparring. I think a lot of people will tell me i shouldn't be sparring so soon after only 3 hours of learning technique, and honestly you are probably right because the sparring isn't exactly giving me black eyes but i'm leaving with some blood coming out my nose and a minor headache. But the same happened for me when i first started Brazilian jujitsu, i was thrown into the deep end, got smashed a fair bit and now, although still a white belt, i feel as if i can hold my own and understand at least what is happening to me when i do get smashed to bits.

Although i probably don't know any better, i feel as if i did a few months of the technical sessions and then dropped into sparring, i'd still feel as if im getting just constantly whacked in, so i'd rather just get whacked in now and learn, in a baptism of fire sort of way. I'm assuming if i just keep turning up to the sparring and technical sessions ill just learn to deal with all of this.

What do you think about this?