How take a hit well

[JR 137]

I also think there is a bad element very similar to this that is caused by too much light sparring. You do not register a hit as something you should defend.

I wish I could hit “agree” 1,000 times for this one.

People get way too overconfident when there’s not enough contact/too light contact. They think stuff won’t hurt them. They think they’re better than they really are.

Bare knuckle/full contact teaches what needs to be blocked and what’s an acceptable hit to take.

And unless you’re fighting someone who’s absolutely horrible and has no business fighting to begin with, you’re going to get hit. No two ways about it. You could be the most physically gifted and skilled MAist in the world, but if you can’t take a hit, you’re going to be awful when it really matters most.

You don’t need years of hard contact training for that, but you need enough to know what’s what. I haven’t done that stuff in quite some time, but I easily recognize what would’ve put the lights out and what was irrelevant. At least I like to think I do If my past is any indication, I’m probably on the right track at least.

 

[JR 137]

Something about this response reminded me of a concern/question that I've got. Do you lose your ability to take a hit well over time, if you haven't been hit? Obviously some of it will go away with aging, but when you stop training in a striking style, or a hard striking style, after a couple years can you still take a hit, and if not does it take a while to get that 'toughness' back?

I quoted JR's post because it's the one that reminded me of the question, but it's an open question to anyone.

It’s a great question and one I think can be debated to an extent for the ages.

I think yes and no. It depends on the extent IMO.

It carried over for me after 15 years off. I’ve been hit pretty hard a few times in my return. Mainly “walking into” stuff, like moving out of the way of a head punch and straight into a kick to the ribs before my partner could “pull it” somewhat. Nothing’s dropped me nor stopped me. I separated cartilage attaching my ribs from a punch in a tournament. Hurt like hell, but no one noticed. Hurt way more afterwards too.

That’s a mental thing. I don’t think that goes away.

But the physical part goes away somewhat IMO. Getting hit full force by someone who knows what they’re doing will probably drop me quicker than it would’ve when I was full contact. There are biological process and chemicals released when someone gets hit; in the area hit and in the brain. Studies have shown these lessen as people get hit more often and harder. It’s basically how drug tolerance works. There was an episode of Fight Science that spike about it, and had those Ki-something or other guys (and ladies) demonstrating getting hit with minimal effect. One guy took a kick right to the nuts by a jacked MMA fighter without being phased. Why? Chemicals in the area and in the brain aren’t being released nearly as much as someone who doesn’t train this way. That’s an extreme example, but it shows the point. Note my scientific studies reference isn’t that show; that show’s an accessible real-world example (if it wasn’t played up for the camera).

I think you lose some of the biological aspect if you’re not continually doing it. Perhaps not all of it, but most likely more than enough to say so. It’s probably like falling out of shape. The mental toughness aspect is like riding a bike IMO. At least it was for me. Can’t speak for anyone else.

Also keep in mind the effects of the adrenaline dump. Stuff isn’t going to hurt as much when it happens in a real fight or serious competition vs something like the safe confines of sparring in the dojo. People have taken some pretty serious damage in fights and competition and didn’t feel it until they got home/into the locker room. That’s happened to me many times.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Hey guys, I sometimes struggle with fear of getting hit, but I don’t want let it affect me, especially when it comes to sparring.

How do you guys face this fear?

If you don't want to get hit, hit your opponent and put your opponent in defense mode.

A: Next time when I see you, I'll going to beat you up.
B: No need to wait for the next time. Let me beat you up right at this moment.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

How do you guys face this fear?

Protect your head, protect your head, and still protect your head.

 

[JR 137]

Protect your head, protect your head, and still protect your head.

And don’t forget to duck

 

[drop bear]

People get way too overconfident when there’s not enough contact/too light contact. They think stuff won’t hurt them. They think they’re better than they really are.

There is different things that work in light contact that don't work as well heavy.

And Visa versa.

 

[JR 137]

There is different things that work in light contact that don't work as well heavy.

And Visa versa.

Yeah. And learning how to actually fight isn’t one of them.

Light contact definitely has its place. Like when you’re first starting out, working on a new strategy, stuff like that. But if it’s all light contact all the time, you’re learning a game, not something actually realistic. And there’s nothing wrong with learning and playing a game, so long as that’s your true goal.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

When you put gloves on, sometime it's difficult to distinguish whether you are sparring light contact or full contact.

 

[Danny T]

When you put gloves on, sometime it's difficult to distinguish whether you are sparring light contact or full contact.

If you can’t tell then you haven’t sparred much or fought much. I very much know if I’m going hard, moderate, or soft. As a good training partner I need to be cognizant of whatever level I’m sparring is if it’s a level my sparring partner can handle and adjust accordingly.

 

[_Simon_]

In my bare knuckle days, it was funny (in a sadistic way) to see people get hit for the first time. I mean take a solid hit. People would be rolling around on the ground like the world was going to end. And they’d expect everyone to come over and see if they were alright. After a few times, they’d realize they were ok. Then it became a pride thing where they weren’t going to be “that guy.”

I had some of that from my wrestling days; the get up and keep going mentality; but getting hit wasn’t the same exact thing as getting punched or kicked.

My teacher was fine with the newbies doing that when they first started. He knew it was part of the learning curve.

But always going too hard with new people, yeah. It’s really counterproductive. They develop some bad habits that take longer to undo. That was a big criticism of how things went early on when I started. We were put into bare knuckle sparring against everyone from day 1. And experienced guys didn’t take it easy on you. It was the throw them in the deep end to teach them how to swim mentality. That’s a big reason why Kyokushin and offshoots didn’t have a lot of people coming back after their first class.

Kaicho actually talked about that in his autobiography. He said he wonders how many great students he lost over the years because of that mentality/training style. I’ve heard a lot of Kyokushin schools have smartened up and figured out the meaning of progression. Bare knuckle is a great thing, as long as it’s a thing one builds up to rather than thrown right into it from day one like it used to be. There’s still quite a few of the old purists out there though.

Yep absolutely.

I have also seen the experienced guys go pretty hard on beginners, but for a reason. The beginners were trying to be 'tough' and spar too hard to prove themselves, trying to fight way above their level. So the experienced guys would do it to put them in their place and teach them to tone it down. That sparring was not about killing each other but it was an environment to learn. To work on stuff.

But the problem is if this wasn't communicated to the beginner. Because then they would just be thinking "Ah I've gotta hold my own and go harder!" Little did they know that they were getting pummeled because they were trying to fight at an inappropriate level for them. The experienced guy would then go "well okay, if you wanna fight at that intensity I'll match it." The pace had to be set by the lower grade (unless for a different purpose of pushing them further), so if they thought they would just be reckless and hit as hard as they possibly could, the higher rank would put them in their appropriate place with respect.

But communication is vital here! Haha

It was relatively common that beginners would just go too hard and recklessly...

 

[_Simon_]

Something about this response reminded me of a concern/question that I've got. Do you lose your ability to take a hit well over time, if you haven't been hit? Obviously some of it will go away with aging, but when you stop training in a striking style, or a hard striking style, after a couple years can you still take a hit, and if not does it take a while to get that 'toughness' back?

I quoted JR's post because it's the one that reminded me of the question, but it's an open question to anyone.

It's a great question!

I'd left my old full contact style about a year and a half ago, not doing any contact sparring in that time. Then when I tried out a new club a couple of months ago (which was derived from my old style), we did some conditioning drills in one session. I was a little apprehensive as I hadn't been hit in awhile.

It was something like start at one end of the dojo, have the person punch you 10 times to the stomach, run to the other side, do incrementally more and more pushups, stand up let them do 6 thigh kicks, and repeat.

The first punch and kick I received was maybe a 10% on the shock meter, then it was just completely normal after that. Leaned into the hits, and loved it haha. Just felt natural again.

 

[_Simon_]

For me accept the truth that I'm going to get hit and there's nothing I can do to stop the other person from hitting me. Thinking about it this way allows me to then focus on my real fear. It's not that I'm afraid of being hit, it's that I'm afraid of being hit really hard.

So if I can't stop someone from hitting me, then maybe I can reduce the effectiveness of their punch or kick so that it doesn't land hard or hurt. Here are my solutions to that.
Solution 1: Condition my body so that it is more resistance to punches and kicks.

Solution 2: learn the weak points of a punch and a kick then learn how to redirect and interrupt strikes.

Solution 3: learn the mechanics of punches and kicks. This will help me to be better at avoid them.

Solution 4: Work hard with Solutions 1-3

Solution 5: Trust that if I use Solutions 1-4 that everything will be fine and I'll no longer be afraid of being hit.


Am I afraid of getting hit really hard now? Because of my training it's more that I don't like it, than I'm afraid of it. I still get butterflies and nervous when I spar or when I get into a confrontation on the street, but to me that's natural. Once my focus turns on all of that vanishes.

The moment that you accept that you are going to get hit is the moment you'll start doing things to manage that reality.

Great post. Yeah just knowing that there will probably be butterflies and accepting that you're going to be hit helps. And then the more you are hit, your fears lessen and you feel more comfortable.

 

[dvcochran]

If you can’t tell then you haven’t sparred much or fought much. I very much know if I’m going hard, moderate, or soft. As a good training partner I need to be cognizant of whatever level I’m sparring is if it’s a level my sparring partner can handle and adjust accordingly.

My rule of these days is if we are close to the same level (skill or rank) I will spar as hard as I am being sparred. Assuming I haven't already ran out of gas. My days of playing with an opponent at will are long over.

 

[RTKDCMB]

If you don't want to get hit, have good defence.

 

[Martial D]

Hey guys, I sometimes struggle with fear of getting hit, but I don’t want let it affect me, especially when it comes to sparring.

How do you guys face this fear?

The thing about getting hit..especially with gloves on..is that it's not as bad as you think. If I had a nickel for every new student I've seen get that look of realization that they are not in fact, made of glass, and further go on to have their confidence and fear levels skyrocket in opposite directions..

Well..I'd be able to buy us all a coffee anyway.

 

[Buka]

I don't believe it's optimal to your well being - learning about getting hit hard in one's first self defense encounter.

Nor about aggression, nor about a non compliant person. Even if self defense isn't your primary reason to train, the dojo should prepare you, even if it's through some sort Martial osmosis.

And, yes, my eyes are brown.

 

[JR 137]

I don't believe it's optimal to your well being - learning about getting hit hard in one's first self defense encounter.

We had an old saying in my former dojo...

The more you sweat and bleed in the dojo, the less you’ll bleed in the streets.

There’s a ton of truth to that one.

 

[JR 137]

On a side note but related to pain in getting hit...

Why is that it hurts so much more when you have no clue you’re going to get hit than when you know it’s coming and can’t do anything about it?

Example:
My 8 and almost 6 year old daughters manage to inadvertently hit me constantly. No where near as hard as anyone I’ve ever sparred with or fought. Yet every time, I let out a “owww!” Never once happened when I saw it coming.

I’ve wondered this for a while.

 

[_Simon_]

On a side note but related to pain in getting hit...

Why is that it hurts so much more when you have no clue you’re going to get hit than when you know it’s coming and can’t do anything about it?

Example:
My 8 and almost 6 year old daughters manage to inadvertently hit me constantly. No where near as hard as anyone I’ve ever sparred with or fought. Yet every time, I let out a “owww!” Never once happened when I saw it coming.

I’ve wondered this for a while.

That is interesting huh! I wonder if the body finds a way to quickly prepare if you know beforehand that you'll be hit.. Mentally I'm sure there's something that prepares or is more equipped in that moment to deal with it...

 

[dvcochran]

On a side note but related to pain in getting hit...

Why is that it hurts so much more when you have no clue you’re going to get hit than when you know it’s coming and can’t do anything about it?

Example:
My 8 and almost 6 year old daughters manage to inadvertently hit me constantly. No where near as hard as anyone I’ve ever sparred with or fought. Yet every time, I let out a “owww!” Never once happened when I saw it coming.

I’ve wondered this for a while.

Maybe it is the brief fear or surprise emotion for the unknown/unexpected? My guard and emotions go up quick when anyone touches me.