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
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