Page 179 - Fighting Fit: Boxing, Workouts, Techniques, and Sparring
P. 179

Situational sparring

























           Getting hit
           About taking a punch. Everyone has a tolerance level,
           and you’ll know right away where yours is. It’s not a
           guessing game. Some folks are OK with it and some
           aren’t.With head gear and 16 ounce gloves, blows to
           the head should not be injurious even at full speed,
           although blows to the ribs may cause bruising. Hard
           punches may hurt, of course, and that’s a price you pay
           for entering this sport. Most of the time a punch feels
           like a sharp, terrific pressure at point of impact. It’s not
           so much a thing of pain, but a thing of shock.At any
           rate, in the universe of sport, boxing hardly stands
           alone in the pain and injury department.

           Flinching

           Flinching is a very natural reaction when you see the
           missiles approach, but a poor habit to acquire in
           boxing.Work on keeping your eyes open and on your
           opponent no matter what.

           And flinching is more than winking eyelids. It’s also



           178
   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184