Sparring Mistakes That Kill Your Progress & How Not To Make Them! 

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id like to see you breakdown some of these street beef fights. i love hearing professionals break down average guy and amature fighters. theres some interesting info when pro fighters do that. great video!!!

Wonderboy, thank you so much for these tips. I went to kickboxing when I was 16. Everything was great until sparring.... i just couldn't keep my eyes open. The trainers made it even harder. Anyone with this problem was just a pushover. It frustrated me so much that at one point I stopped going to practice. For me it was an unsolvable problem and there was no one to talk to about it. Either you're a tough guy or you turn away, blink, etc.... I didn't think I was weak or a coward, yet I just couldn't get a handle on it. Too bad no one could help at the time. That was 30 years ago now and I often thought about that time. Today I stumbled across your video. I wish I had had a coach like you to help me. I'm sure this video will help other young people who are at the same dead end as I was back then. I can't believe you had the same problem and what a great martial artist you have become. All the best for the future! Many greetings from Germany.

I started kickboxing 5 months ago and used your tips which def helped thanks so much wonderboy

Thank you for the lessons Sensei Thompson! Such a honor to be able to watch your videos and learn from the best! 🙏

Great tips. I like that you actually gave good advice for those who are to tender during sparing rather then just say relax like most people do. That doesn't help at all but what you said about the breathing is great.

Great one! The tip, with touch the forehead from "paps" is precisely what I needed! I have three guys at the Dojo, that always look away and turn the head!

editing on the last few has been crispy 👌 great video

Great video, great timing! My sparring partner and I were talking about being too tense and holding breath etc after a sparring session last night. Thank you. Osu! 🥋

Love all those pointers! Exactly what I just taught this past weekend in a seminar! 👊🏼💪🏼 Great content!!

Thanx for the lesson Mr. Thompsons.

Awesome breakdowns. Thanks Coach.

Y'all are the best! Definitely got a couple people to share this with.

Committed all 3 sparring last night, thanks for the tips! I’ll follow them to do better next time!

High Quality of Editing.. !! Loved it. Waiting for general / mma guests in What's up everybody podcast!!

Thank you Wonder Boy!

Love this !!!!!! Sparring tips are 🤌🏼😄

Great tips really nice editing!!

Amazing video, great tips

I always do the mistake #1, thank you wonder boy for showing me a way on how to prevent it.

Love your stuff man!

Great tips!

Obrigado! Means Thank you!

I was just thinkin to myself after watching your training camp vids that I want to see a upload from you lucky me !! Also I would love to see a new training video maybe one about how to make your footwork explosive

Wonderboy gives tips and advice. I will apply these tips and advice. And soon, I’ll be ready for Goku!!!

Highly appreciated

Awesome. Love this stuff

thanks WB

Amazing advices!

Thank u for the help.

Great video. 👍

Solid gold!

You are the best Wonderboy! Love your last fight with Kevin Holland! Thinking about moving back to Carolina already!💯

Interesting. One of the styles I train we teach to keep our arms more extended rather than close in. The thought is it helps with distance management and it helps cut off angles of punches.

Hello from algeria and OSS

gold bro!

Awesome🤙

I love all the sound effects in this video! 😂❤

Good choice on the new editor(s) , team!

thats my boy wonderboy💪💪💪♥️

Upstate karate is on my spring break to do list

Hi Stephen, could you make a video about diet, protein and aminos? Greetings from Perú.

Why did I not know you had you tube 😂 great content man 👏

I only spar with those in YT comments. I enjoyed the vid though, Wonderboy!

I recently moved to a new city and started going to gyms and clubs for free trials. I went to this one boxing and mt gym and it was such a strange environment, every class was 1 hour only and they always split into 2 groups: one that does padwork and one that spars. There were ppl that go there every week and only spar! And padwork was treated like a punishment for the sparring group. It was so confusing to me, the level of the ppl there wasn't very high and I imagine it's cos half the class never learns anything. Then again the coaching was also pretty terrible to I kind of understand why they avoid it.

Caveat - I am, and I never have been, a sport fighter. I am 46 and have practiced self-defense arts for about 36 years. My personal preference as far as techniques go are ones from Aikido, Tai Chi, boxing and dirty boxing, White Crane Fist, some kung-fu (preferring mantis, snake, cat, and eagle), and a version of ninjitsu that is NOT the ninjitsu that is being taught these days (although there are a few similarities). I've been in more "real fights" that I ever wanted to be in, and I am proud to say I didn't start any of them - so I feel 100% comfortable speaking on self defense as a topic. The worst habit in training, in my opinion? Going at less than 100% speed during a strike execution. Don't get me wrong. You should take care of your sparring partners. You don't land strikes with 100% force - you pull them, as even as little as 60-70% power is more than enough to feel out whether the attack landed well. But don't move at 80% speed. There are physics in play with movement that change drastically when you go faster/slower. A good example might be a front kick. If you do that kick slowly, you are balancing over your other foot to avoid falling forward. Your kick has no power, and you'll push yourself backward when you make contact. The front kick must be thrown FAST, so that you can maintain correct technique with your planted foot behind you to create power. You throw the kick, land it just hard enough to push off your sparring partner, and then recover. It matches what your body needs to do were you to actually fight. Correct muscle memory - it is critical for training. The second worst habit (imo) was mentioned in the video. Just going ham on each other is not good practice. You learn nothing that way. I am an advocate of "A B or C" sparring. You have a certain technique that you attempt, but also two other attacks that you might do instead if your sparring partner tries to predict the attack you are practicing. You learn to feint, read an opponent, and execute clean counters... all in one training method, for every move that you know. You keep it simple too, using the A and B techniques that you find most effective for you rather than the full arsenal of 17+ moves that don't all really work for your body/temperament. Then once you have a core of moves your body does on its own, you expand to ABCD and ABCDE (etc) sparring as you prefer. But really you are always training the dynamics of what happens when you are looking to throw strike A. You never just spar with random moves. There's almost no point to it, as far as value for time.

Dominick Cruz TJ Dillashaw and you are my favorite UFC fighters. I try to mix all your styles together. It’s tough but it works.

Yo wonderboy do recommend sparring when completely exhausted or sparring fresh?

Hey Wonderboy, I recently had my first full contact fight and ate hooks the entire 3 rounds I learned the hardway classic karate blocks further from body just doesn't work. I should have watched this earlier and kept my guard close and tight.

Best mma channel on RU-vid soon to be the best in general 😁🤟

3:15 Welcome

S tier video

I really enjoyed the Kicking challenge vid with the boys. It was fun & entertaining. Stuff like that is always a blast to watch

When i spar in kickboxing, I know it’s not about winning but to work on the technique but it feels like me working on the technique makes me feel like I’m getting hit a lot more like I’m not winning? If that make sense. And if you have any tips, I would like to know?

What up everybody!!!

Who will WB fight next this summer?

The sponsor bit increased my vocabulary by 500%

Damn never thought about filming

🔥🔥🔥

Next I’m going to binge watch yoga videos to work on my flexibility. If I can watch some really tough videos too, I’ll be ready. I’ll be smacking down bad guys with my walker.

Enjoyed this except for 25% of it being an advertisement

Damn half this video is athletic greens! Haha I’m not mad about it though ;)

Reptar ks the greatest reptile

Sparring starts at 2:30

видел как он ногу закидывает в голову...КРАСОТА!"

WHAT I DIDNT KNOW YOU HAD A RU-vid DUDE?!?

Lop from India 😋😋🥳❤️

👊🏼💪🏽

Hey Wonderboy! Just curious, have you guys done blindfolded sparring on this channel?

Hey my man I would love to trian with you my dream is to be in the 125 lbs champ I have the heart I will get it down I would like to ask if you could train me please help me achieve my vision 🙏🏽💯

This video is all good and everything but i would say it lacked pointers on how to grow a majestic beird like the one that Sweet T has and also how to have his glow and powerful presence! if you lack those, one should not step foot in any gym!

Guilty 🙋🏻‍♂️

Я из России и у меня скоро чемпионат страны по сётокан карате , волнительно

With these tips I will now beat Steven in a mma fight

inhale 3, exhale 4. Inhale 3, exhale 4.

I am from Russia and I will soon have a national championship in Shotokan karate

"our dad" wait is Sweet T wonder boys brother???

I knew i wasn’t crazy for breeding when I was younger and I throw strikes

WB i love you bro but taking two and a half minutes to reach the content in a video that’s this short is pretty rough

That Rick Ashley haircut is ridiculous no wonder u can fight

Such a great guy

Ive been using athletic greens for awhile now. Im surprised by how i dont see more people talking about the "aphrodisiac" nature of some of their supplements. Possible TMI: Stuff has me shooting ROPES and my libido feels like I'm 21 again. My stomach also doesn't get so messed up after eating and i poop regularly. My gf and i absolutely love it. Some athletic greens, raw garlic and dark chocolate(75% or higher) Is legit natural viagra😅 good for the heart and blood pressure. Oh and also good for general health too... lol

Man I wish to train with you one day

I feel If alot or these things come naturally to you then your goddamn talented