What part of your opponents body do you find yourself looking at when sparring? I find myself looking at my opponents hands (gloves) and I still get hit often. Where do you focus your attention at that allows better sight of your opponents offence?
Definately don't look at the hands. The hands are going to move faster than anything else, and it won't give you much time to react. If anything, stare at his elbows, they move 1/3 slower than the hands.
I like the suggestion of watching the elbows.
Lefthooker, I understand what you mean about watching the whole body but isn't there a certain area that you have more focus on?
I look at the shoulder and chest area!!!
Me too, lefthooker!
Want to spar some time?
Oh yeah, I'm a blast at weigh-ins.
Shoulders and hips is where I look at.
Great topic
Hips. Punching is based on legs and footwork, the last thing to move are the hands. The hands essentially just follow the waist and shoulders.
A couple key things to remember:
1. Use your jab
2. Circle away from your sparring partners power hand (unless it's Kosta Tszyu--then you're sol)
3. Don't move straight back from a combination.
4. Remember it's about not getting hit more than it is hitting someone
The feet... I get hit a lot. I've been getting told
(screamed at) to look at the eyes, first because it
keeps his hands in the periphery, second because its
his head you'll be jabbing at, and third you can see
his reaction to your shots.
I have tried to develop "diffuse" vision. I don't focus on any one thing at one time but I try to "see" the whole body in general. Currently, I am learning the visual "cues" which indicate a punch is coming, whether it is footwork, a shoulder twitch, or whatever. I think that if you start focusing on one "part" too much, you will get hit by something else you didn't see.
fos
5 O'clock has a good point.
I pay attention to the hips and shoulder but I try not to visually stare and focus at any one point. Some times I see the opponent better when I focus just past him or through him at sternum level. Yeah, it's like a blind mans stare but my peripheral is watching everything that moves.
The way I understand it, your central focus shows your brain detail, but your peripheral is much better at picking up movement. Millions of years of trying to catch dinner and not BE dinner at work. So look towards his chest but watch everything else.
I found the same thing can be practiced on the heavy bag, you can punch it without looking directly at it. And it is sometimes easier for me to work the speed bag if I look above the bag or past the bag.
RW
www.absolutejkd.com
Just like the shampoo (Head and shoulders).
eyes
I've heard Foreman make comments about guys who look the other fighters in the eyes the whole time they are fighting. But in close, probably focus on the chest and rely on feeling your opponent out. LoL at these entertaing posts though.
i just watched part of HBO's TYSON and George C. Scott as Cus said:"Don't watch the glove; watch the chest. Wait for the glove to move, you're dead. When the chest flexes, you bob."
Dont know about ufc, but boxing, look at the chest.. When it flexes, bob, counter
What if they are wearing a T-shirt?
the mid point between the shoulders. if kicking is involved, i'll watch the hips too.
stephen