Who would win in a sparing match?
- Thread starter ozm8ey
- Start date
Hanzou
Grandmaster
As others have said, you don't "win" a sparring match. Sparring is a learning tool.
If we're talking about a fight where its a typically trained boxer vs a typically trained karateka, that's a different story altogether.
In that scenario, my money is on the boxer beating the snot out of the karateka regardless of rules.
If we're talking about a fight where its a typically trained boxer vs a typically trained karateka, that's a different story altogether.
In that scenario, my money is on the boxer beating the snot out of the karateka regardless of rules.
A good Karate fighter against a good boxer. Boxer doesn't stand much of a chance. Same as a good MMA fighter against a good boxer, even less of a chance for the boxer. This is dependent on a couple of things, though, the Karateka has to have a background in contact fighting, and has to have worked with or against boxers.
Then it's like Christmas morning. And the boxer ain't getting no presents.
Then it's like Christmas morning. And the boxer ain't getting no presents.
Skullpunch
Green Belt
I would pick a boxer to wreck an equally skilled opponent from any style that doesn't involve immediately taking him to the ground. Or the use of weapons.
Interesting that you had no issues with his wife beating him up. Both of him at that.
And to topic, if two people are equal in skill they would both win. Imagine having a shot of fighting yourself but behaving slightly different. All those things you could learn without the possibility of excuses. You know if you lose the error is on you and can be analyzed to something more real than "he was better".
JR 137
Grandmaster
I have. I did 2 years of boxing club in college. It was run by a former pro who was a low level pro with around a .500 record. Most students were there for the workout aspect, but there were a few who were competitive. I always worked with those guys.
No one punches like boxers. Big and strong guys who should be able to hit like sledgehammers don't hit half as hard as trained boxers weighing a fraction of them.
During my time there, I first learned how to punch without much movement (I was pretty close from my karate background, and it only took some polishing), then we learned how to move, then learned how to put them together. My footwork wasn't very good.
Boxing is all about footwork; how to move, when to move, where to move, and how to get there. I know it sounds generic, but it's different.
I've found most karateka will look for angles, almost waiting for them, whereas boxers will create them. Most boxers will exploit the angles better.
In general, boxers will protect themselves better and present a harder target through posture and movement. Karateka and most others who incorporate kicks will stand more upright and erect to be able to kick better.
IMO boxing did a better job of teaching how to move and where not to move to.
There's are GENERALIZATIONS.
I didn't compete, but I regularly sparred with the guys competing. They were a handful. Two of the guys wanted me to kick at them every now and then to mix things up and get a more self defense perspective. They adjusted quite easily.
Perhaps my experience with it was an anomaly. I don't think boxing is inherently better, but no martial art I've taken (wrestling included) is inherently better or worse.
If I had unlimited money and time, I'd spend a good amount of it training with Kevin Rooney and/or Teddy Atlas. Remember Mike Tyson's movement and creating angles before he decided to stand up straight and be a punching bag?
From my experience with wrestling, karate and boxing, the last person I want to face in the streets is a trained boxer. They've got minimal techniques, and they drill them over and over in multiple scenarios.
Just my opinions. Let the flood gates open...
I pretty much agree with your assessment of boxing. And I'm not really judging "better or worse", I was focused more on the OP's scenario. Let me ask you this - how would you do using wrestling against a boxer? Or at least against the boxers you trained with?
JR 137
Grandmaster
With the boxers I sparred with, it would be pretty tough to close the distance. I'd like to believe that I'd get a few takedowns (single and double leg), but that hand speed and movement off line as I would be coming in fully committed wouldn't make things easy at all. Not to toot my own horn, but if I actually applied myself in the classroom in high school, I probably could have a low level Div I walk-on wrestler. I had a little interest from a school until I told them my grades. My strengths were shooting and avoiding takedowns. I didn't give up a single or double in a match from half way through my junior year through the end of my career.
I think I'd be able to throw them 2-3 times before they adjusted. Boxers' hand speed and accuracy are brutal.
Good boxers are but indifferent boxers are just that ... indifferent. I find the style v style discussions sterile to be honest, far too generalised, far too airy fairy, it doesn't make for good discussions. Just speculation and what ifs, whereas it all depends on so much, the size of the fighters, the weight, the experience, the surface, the rules, the glove/no gloves, etc etc in fact far too much to ever make a proper discussion.
Not knowing the rules of the sparring match, how many times do you think you would need to throw them? Picture a pure boxer with no ground skills. If it's a match that gets called once there is a clear winner, do you think you would need to take them down a 4th time, or even a second? If so, why?
JR 137
Grandmaster
Indifferent is indifferent, regardless of style. In a street fight against a boxer, grappler, or MA striker, all of which are at an equal level of skill and experience as I am, and I choose boxer last.
Yes, far too many variables, but that's my gamble.
JR 137
Grandmaster
Depends on the throw, depends on the surface and if they were able to sort of roll with it and minimize impact, and depends on the fighter.
I didn't play out a full sparring match in my head with rules and regulations. I just figured knowing those guys, I'd probably be able to pull off a few takedowns before they figured out how to react and or/get their timing down.
If I were to street fight them, I'd try to throw and follow up with a ground n' pound. Even without ever being thrown, my chances of getting hit by them a few times on the way in are pretty high. Even a kamikaze double (head down, burried in the middle of the chest with hands behind the knees, football tackle style) takes setup and timing.
If I can throw them and have them land on the back of their head on concrete, game over (most likely). If they catch me clean on my jaw or right under my eye full force, it's lights out. Then there's everything in between.
How can you not like a guy that built the log cabin he was born in?
What gamble? You aren't going to be fighting them in reality and 'street fight' is about as passe as it gets, it's not even day dreaming it's mind waffle.
JR 137
Grandmaster
Who's to say a boxer wouldn't start a fight with me? A grappler? A MA striker? I'm not that intimidating. People get irate over stupid things. Who's to say I would be able to talk myself out of it every time or get away before it turned physical?
Who's to say I haven't had to defend myself against someone else on a street? Unfortunately, I've been in too many fights on the street (literally and figuratively). All I can say is I only escalated one of them to the point of a physical fight (and yes, it was in the middle of the street). The rest were defending someone else or myself against people who couldn't be reasoned with at that time.
The one I escalated was one too many. Not proud of it by any means. Luckily it didn't end in a situation more than him having a few bruises and hurt pride.
I've gotten out of exponentially more fights than I've gotten in to, so all isn't lost. Haven't had to fight for 15 years or so.
This is not self defence though is it? The OP asks who would win a sparring match, posted in the 'general martial arts section not the self defence section. Self defence is a totally different thing and the 'rules' are very, very different as in... non existent.
I don't do style comparisons as a rule, but I love to with boxing and martial arts. I've loved both for many a year and have a lot of time in.
I look at it this way -
Picture yourself squared off against an experienced, savvy martial artist for a sparring match. Just before you start you inform him - "You can't use any sweeps, especially when I throw a big right hand and have my weight on my front foot. No reaps, no trips, no kicking my legs out. You also can't check my front leg when I move in. You can't kick, not even a little bit. And no throws of any kind. No headlocks or grabbing the neck area, no plum in the clinch. No picking me up when we clinch, either. No double leg or single leg, no takedowns of any kind. No joint locks. And absolutely no chokes of any kind, none. You can't be going under my punches and arm triangling me, or taking my back in any way, shape or form. No pushing, shoving, pulling or just dragging me down."
You are now facing a boxer. And it's now Christmas.
I look at it this way -
Picture yourself squared off against an experienced, savvy martial artist for a sparring match. Just before you start you inform him - "You can't use any sweeps, especially when I throw a big right hand and have my weight on my front foot. No reaps, no trips, no kicking my legs out. You also can't check my front leg when I move in. You can't kick, not even a little bit. And no throws of any kind. No headlocks or grabbing the neck area, no plum in the clinch. No picking me up when we clinch, either. No double leg or single leg, no takedowns of any kind. No joint locks. And absolutely no chokes of any kind, none. You can't be going under my punches and arm triangling me, or taking my back in any way, shape or form. No pushing, shoving, pulling or just dragging me down."
You are now facing a boxer. And it's now Christmas.
