Scared of being hit.

[The Predator]

Hi everyone. i´m new to this forum and I really like it.
However I have a question and I would like your thought´s about it. There is a fighter that I train and he is good and developes very fast. but one problem is that he gets scared when he´s hit. If you land a jab at his head he frozes and just think that "now there´s gonna come a ton of punches". I told him that it doesn´t matter how good you are in ducking, blocking or avoiding punches, sometimes you will get hit, even Ali did.
So my question is:
Do you have any ideas or tips on how to get him to come over that fear?
look forward to your answers
All the best
The Predator

[goldenboy]

im no coach but I think he should spar more, so he gets used to being hit and how to react when hit! There is no other way that I can see him overcoming this.

[KDot10]

Just get him used to it - like you said, everyone gets hit, even if its significantly more or less.

In all seriousness, I think having a rather short temper and being slightly aggressive might help. This dude at my gymnasium gets the first jab popped off his nose, he goes 'mad', and just whips the floor. Although, this does deteriotate his technique

[younghypnotiq]

^^sounds alot like me.

[boxingtactics07]

spar, i got thrown in my first week to get a dose of reality... but the guy mostly turtled up and only threw few punches when my hands weren't covering my face (after I threw a punch). This was to get me used to it and it made me want to come back for more... gradually he put a little more effort into each session... nothing was ever put at 100% and thats the key. More experienced guys will go easy and relax and your punches wont even phase them for the most part. You might get a lucky shot or two, but nothing to worry about as far as pissing them off... unless you start throwing haymakers to show off - then you'll be put in your spot. I never got that arrogant though. I appreciated the help 100%. There are a lot of people that are willing to teach and work with new people just because they remember their own beginnings and how much the extra support from anybody helped. My advice: get one of your better fighters to work with him when he can. Don't match him up with anyone of equal skill or lesser skill, it's not half as beneficial.

[standing 8countboxing]

Delete: Wrong Thread

[The Predator]

Hi everyone!
thanks for your good advices, you are all right, we have to take this step by step so he will get use to it.
I really like this forum, hope I can be to some help in the future for you as well.
We gonna have some sparring today, will be interesting to see how it works.
All the best
The Predator

[Primenal]

I'd say the best way is for you to actually HIT HIM. I don't mean all your might, and I don't even mean sparring, but you tap him. If he's afraid to get hit in the face, put on the gloves, tap him twice to the face, and THEN tell him as soon as he gets hit to COME BACK. Just hit your gloves that are infront of your face or something.
My trainer did this to me, and he seriously made me in to a bull. He said as soon as you get hit, YOU COME BACK, and fight right through it. That's been 2 years, and still to this day whenever I get hit I come straight back.

I don't know how many people you've trained, or how good of a trainer you are, but the most important thing is to train somebodies mind. Tell him to "relax", encourage him that if he just relaxes, takes punches, comes back then he did a good job (no matter how many times he gets hit, or how many he lands). babysteps.

[pugilist_boyd]

i think the best response was that to have an experienced fighter work him,but in the long run some guys just arnt equiped to take a punch i new for example a tall lean,fast long armed,really gifted kid who fought so much like ali it was freaky ,but when i could finally catch him-trap him and really plant one on him he would fall apart it takes a special breed to get hit and (just keep comin forward)

[amy]

It might be good to have him wear head gear and work on defense drills with a partner. Have them throw specific combinations so he knows what's coming and can block them. Then work up to 3 and 4 punch combinations of whatever the partner chooses without telling him. (hitting lightly but fast and not too light) This way he'll build defensive skills and confidence and a tolerance to being hit.
Good luck.

[The Predator]

Hi everyone. you have good advices all of you. yesterday we did work on to throw 2-3 punches so he knew what to expect. It went well, he liked this type of training better than to just go into the ring and sparr directly, I think I have to take it slow with this kid, step by step.
Thanks for your advices i will try them all and I´m sure they gonna help him reach the goals he has.
thanks again.
The predator

[tooquick!]

how old is the kid?

[viru§™]

how old is the kid?

Absolutely nothing to do with it.

[RDJ]

Absolutely nothing to do with it.

You don't tell a 6 year old to cowboy the fuck up :think

[The Predator]

He is 23 years old. started when he was 17. Had 7 fight´s won 4, lost 3. had a break for 3 years. came back last year. I had to change his style. He was stiff, slow and didn´t move at all, just relied on his guard. He told me that his last trainer just wanted him to take fight after fight. He always left training with headache and could never tell that he felt this way. He was told to always go forward no matter what.
That is not the way I want him to fight. I want him to use a lot of movement, slipping and sliding punches, block and counterpunch. Just need to learn each move and that he can´t use the same tactic against all oponents. It is hard to make the change and the gym I work at has some old fashion trainers that just want them to stand in the middle of the ring and punch, punch , punch. Doesn´t matter if you get hit during the way. They lack of teqnique, I had to show them how to throw an upercut with your front arm. Their response was: can you do that?
I appreciate your answers and tips, they are great.
All the best
The Predator

[Kolya]

Absolutely nothing to do with it.

Actually, it can have a lot to do with it, but hey; what'd you know.

[Melbourneborn]

Mindset.. as obvious as it sounds make sure he embraces the idea he is in fight and he is going to get punched. Make sure he knows he will get hit.

Other then that, some people just aren't cut out to be fighters..

[Little_Mac]

I hate people that can't take a punch. Don't fight if you plan on never getting hit, it's going to happen.

[papke26]

Im not being horrible but just tell the kid to grow up it hurts so what hes gonna feel scared carry on. Thats all hes got to have said to him then keep on exposing him to the forge of hard sparing and the fella will be as tough as jake la motta in no time.

[Ajfourty7]

I had a similar problem effecting me, the way I managed to get over it was to get tagged a good few times. I learnt that when I was scared of being hit my chin would hang in the air as I tried to slip a punch. After getting caught a few times like that I started allowing myself to be hit more, not in sparing but when working on defense with a partner. You need to get across that if he doesnt mind being hit his defense will improve and he will get hit less and with less power. All of that may be absoloutely useless though as everyone learns differently.:p

[MrSmall]

The best way to get this "fear" from you is to get hit in the face. You won't die from a couple punches that you SHOULD be seeing coming.
Defense is the half of it.

[derrick]

Hi everyone. i´m new to this forum and I really like it.
However I have a question and I would like your thought´s about it. There is a fighter that I train and he is good and developes very fast. but one problem is that he gets scared when he´s hit. If you land a jab at his head he frozes and just think that "now there´s gonna come a ton of punches". I told him that it doesn´t matter how good you are in ducking, blocking or avoiding punches, sometimes you will get hit, even Ali did.
So my question is:
Do you have any ideas or tips on how to get him to come over that fear?
look forward to your answers
All the best
The Predator

He needs to stop boxing right away. It sounds like he may have a glass chin.

[Boxaholic]

He needs to stop boxing right away. It sounds like he may have a glass chin.

What?! sorry but that in no way has anything to do with having a glass jaw.

Strange how some people cant seem to embrace the fact that they'll get hit. I never had a problem with it, but some people have different things they have to work on. Its hard to believe after 7 fights hes still head shy...or maybe thats the reason, he was pushed into it too soon. Keep doing the defensive drills, I wish my trainer did that.

[The Predator]

Hi everyone!

Thanks for all your advices and I have worked a lot with him on this matters, it is better but not perfect yet, but I have to give him time. Yes they did push into the ring to early before. however we have to work around this problem, I´m sure i can solve it and with all your good tips it will go easier.
All the best my friends
The predator

[aj415]

I'd say the best way is for you to actually HIT HIM. I don't mean all your might, and I don't even mean sparring, but you tap him. If he's afraid to get hit in the face, put on the gloves, tap him twice to the face, and THEN tell him as soon as he gets hit to COME BACK. Just hit your gloves that are infront of your face or something.
My trainer did this to me, and he seriously made me in to a bull. He said as soon as you get hit, YOU COME BACK, and fight right through it. That's been 2 years, and still to this day whenever I get hit I come straight back.

I don't know how many people you've trained, or how good of a trainer you are, but the most important thing is to train somebodies mind. Tell him to "relax", encourage him that if he just relaxes, takes punches, comes back then he did a good job (no matter how many times he gets hit, or how many he lands). babysteps.



What do you mean by come back.. you mean walk forward - ala julio cesar chavez style or what?