Things that make you mad during sparring/fighting?

[Gregor]

Today during light sparring the trainer ordered me to spar around with a smaller and less experienced guy. I am normally very composed and controlled, as was also the case in my last round after that with a quite competent woman: I was super tender, also because I noticed inhibition in her, and told her that she could/should go harder against me next time (without having intention to go harder on her).

But this guy, oh boy: Not only did he turtle (i.e. fight defensive/reactionary) nonstop, but he also only one trick ponied, otherwise running all over the place (good luck trying that in a ring). So a "one trick turtle," combining two irritating things at the same time. His trick: trying to catch my kicks, otherwise literally doing virtually nothing. But it gets even more retarded: Not only did he not use any technique after his attempted catches - he simply plowed (against rules), bringing me to the ground 2 times that way -, he also (unintentionally) abused the circumstance that I was kicking without power and nowhere near top speed.

It did not take long for this (unintentional but nevertheless) jerk to get me mad (but still fairly in control). I was basically like: "So, the retarded and abusing one trick turtle that you are likes to catch kicks? Then how about those!" I in other words increased especially speed but also power, but still without going full power or without aiming for his head. Trainer was watching and soon kinda told me to slow down. I then settled for walking the jerk throughout the gym while he was backpedalling nonstop, and the round fortunately ended soon afterwards.

And what gets you mad during sparring/fighting?
 

[NewThai]

I don't get mad in sparring, but we do have one guy who excessively catches kicks. If they were full power they'd be too hard/fast for him to catch every single one. It just makes me work on other aspects of my game.

 

I could be in a fight and hurt my leg and not be able to use kicks anymore. It's not unreasonable to practice your other "6 limbs" against him.

 

Try to breathe and remember that this is practice and you're helping each other improve. When I'm with newer people I often handicap myself and try to work on specific weaknesses of mine. Have fun!

[TZ22]

Things that get me annoyed: sparring taller guys who only try to go for head kick the entire round because of our obvious height discrepancy; new people who try to use "fancy" techniques like jumping/spinning kicks when their other techniques are pretty much non-existent; people that are too "jittery/spazing out"; people who have no self-control and treat a sparring session like it is a last round of a title fight; the biggest one though is bigger guys that are showboating, trying to push/trip me in a joking around way, the things that they would not be able to do to anyone their own size so to me it feels disrespectful and a waste of my time trying to spar with a person like that so at that point I just don't even bother engaging to much, just basically waiting until the end of the round as I don't feel like putting any more effort into sparring with someone like that.

[Gregor]

 It's not unreasonable to practice your other "6 limbs" against him.

 

When I'm with newer people I often handicap myself and try to work on specific weaknesses of mine.

 Good advice there, but I really could not apply that in that session: We don't really do elbows and virtually no knees yet, plus the dude kept running nonstop, so I also could not use my fists. It was easily the most retarded 'sparring session' I ever had.

[Kaitlin Rose Young]

Most of the time we do timing sparring, though I do enjoy the occasional hard sparring session. The thing that makes me rage is when someone asks to go light/do timing sparring and then proceeds to start going hard and fast to "get" something because their timing won't let them. It's probably unintentional, but SUPER annoying no less. 

I also loathe when you have someone in the room who only seeks out partners who are smaller and/or less experienced and then proceeds to clown on them. Bigger guys are usually good at noticing these types, and will take care of the problem :wink: Speaking of which, I love heavyweights. They have a tendency to be the best training partners, even if they have over 100lbs on everyone else. 

[Fighting Frog]

I get furious and frustrated with myself for being too slow, or missing a good shot, or failing to put up an adequate block - especially if it's something I've already been caught out on and I know I have to correct it!

However I am pretty good at taking a deep breath, calming down, and trying to use the annoyance to strengthen my game.

My trainer sometimes deliberately tries to wind me up, which is good it means I have to keep a lid on my emotions and not get riled, because that only leads to disaster (which is why he does it, to teach control).

It drives me crazy though when he is pinging in and out with his lovely footwork and constantly disappearing just as I'm trying to set up a shot, then zipping in and smacking me! But boy, is it teaching me to improve my own footwork and to watch for the moment when I can shoot in and catch him.

[Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu]

I agree with Kaitlin on the rage induced by the dude who only wants to go against someone much smaller or less skilled. I'm 100 lbs and scraping 5'2", so when a guy who is 180 lbs wants to spar with me instead of the far more reasonable partners available at the gym - and then fucking coach me - I get really annoyed.

In a different vein, I hate when people go too light. There's a line past which being too light is just nonsense. If I'm pitching a baseball I do have to throw it hard enough to reach the damn plate so the guy with the bat can hit it, otherwise what the hell are we doing? Usually it's insulting as well because the person going that light is doing so with the belief that they can hurt me due to my size. I address this both physically and verbally, but some people just won't get it together. If Pi Nu can't hurt me, you certainly can't. (and he can, and does)

And above all I hate when people get emotional. Just don't, it's not fun.

[Gregor]

Most of the time we do timing sparring, though I do enjoy the occasional hard sparring session.

The thing that makes me rage is when someone asks to go light/do timing sparring and then proceeds to start going hard and fast to "get" something because their timing won't let them. It's probably unintentional, but SUPER annoying no less. 

Speaking of which, I love heavyweights. They have a tendency to be the best training partners, even if they have over 100lbs on everyone else. 

Agreed on all points and based on experience. Funny thing at my gym is there are two to three guys who have slightly above 100kgs compared to my ~84kgs, but due to being the closest to them in terms of height and weight, I spar with them mostly and it's also pretty good.

[Sayagata]

I don't mind getting thrown or tripped, unless my sparring partner attacks without giving me a sec to get back on my feet. That just pushes my buttons, but I'm too new to the sport to do much with that anger.

[515]

• People who stopped training for 1 year or so than come back skip half the warm up because a lack of condition and go all out in sparring but tell you before the round starts "Please go light I didn't train for long", than they need to sit down after 2 rounds because it is too tiring...

   

• When you are able to land something good but you hold back because it is sparring and not fighting and they take advantage of it (like a shin placed in their neck => They try to throw or sweep you as hard as they can. Like being able to knee them on the head => get a killer hook on the face for being a bit sloppy because you don't go 100% and hold back.

   

• People who wanna go hard on you but don't like it if you return it (sparring).

[OfficeDepot]

• When people show up super late - missing the warm-up and half the drilling time
• When your partner doesn't touch gloves at the beginning of the round
• Volume strikers - it annoys me because it is not something I am able to deal with yet so I get very frustrated
• When your partner gets a good shot, but they get freaked out because you're a woman so they stop to apologize even though you're perfectly intent on continuing the round
• When I get emotional
• Someone who insists on coaching you during the round, even though they are not a coach or a pro fighter or even someone who has had a fight (shut your damn mouth!)
• When people coach at the sidelines who are not my coach or pro fighters
• When bigger guys are still new so they don't understand their power and thus have less control, making them (in my opinion) spazzy and dangerous

Most of the issues I have with sparring are with myself. Namely, getting emotional and frustrated that I don't feel like I can keep up. It's something I'm working on. :)

[515]

Let's add something to it:

This fit with the sparring partner that keeps going hard but just started training.
Catching a kick is okay (you can catch the kick because we are sparring technical, otherwise your ribs wouldn't like it that much) than holding it like some kind of heel lock is not needed and when you are falling down, please let go of my heel instead of pulling me also down.

Not that comfy for my heel.  :sleep:

[jpbentley]

I'm still trying to find that happy medium between going too hard and taking it too easy. Light sparring seems to mean "slow" in my mind. So I'll relax and take it easy when cued by a trainer, but then slow way down, eat more shots and miss everything I throw. Good times.