5 SUPER IMPORTANT Things I Learnt Sparring With Boxers

A massive part of my kickboxing success is due to the fact I've done many boxing rounds with guys who solely compete in boxing. This has elevated my hand game dramatically but it also taught me 5 invaluable lessons. Today I share these super important lessons with you.
If you appreciate the insight I share today please like, share and/or subscribe 🙏
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:21 Body Shots
2:37 Dangerous Pull & Counter
4:25 Think Defense During Offense
5:35 Throw Combos Something Will Land
6:56 People Don't Like Pressure
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[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Does anyone head to the local boxing gym to work with guys who only work their hands? Super smart move by my Dad 🙏

[@jfloyo11]

I do Muay Thai but Im very heavy handed and punch like a boxer...almost every sparring partner has issues with me because the way I move and through my punches just doesnt make sense to them. Its a great advantage.

[@OldWorldNY]

This guy ✋

[@peppa7926]

@@jfloyo11 u sure they're not just stunned by how hard ur going in sparring

[@jfloyo11]

@@peppa7926 no I spar pretty light on purpose...Im not a big fan of sparring hard

[@jfloyo11]

@@Devi_Shammuramat lololol what...why would they not let you spar?

[@deadshot8413]

We definetly want that footage of you doing boxing rounds !

[@rustywrench500]

Same

[@dawg4769]

He probably got done up

[@rustywrench500]

@@dawg4769done up?

[@InGrindWeCrust2010]

+1

[@nwbdirge1198]

@@rustywrench500 replace done with beat

[@Smarrrrrt]

Although I’m a huge fan of K-1 I did both boxing and muay-thai training. Boxing immensely helped to improve my punching, defense, feeling of punching distance so when I sparred in muay-thai I easily outpunched my partners: muay-thai punching is very poor. For me the problem was to combine punches and kicks and learn to defend against kicks so when I became good at boxing I concentrated solely on muay-thai. P.S. boxing sparring is harsh - always had a headache after rough punches so for me it’s a big con.

[@kannibal8850]

Yeah for some reason they never go easy but rather decimate everyones brain.

[@Markblood889]

Fr. I’ve seen old school gyms with 10 year olds throwing haymakers

[@maz1702]

Some muay thai gyms go pretty rough with the sparring as well but you're right boxing gyms usually go way harder which leads to cte, neck and retina issues down the line

[@rico14]

I can vouch for this too. I started training kickboxing first, so I was used to sparring at a certain intensity. However I started going to a boxing gym with the same intensity, and all the coaches and training partners would get mad at me if I didn’t treat it like a fight 😂.

[@Smarrrrrt]

@@rico14 wow, did we go to the same gym? 😄

[@jonathantaylor3035]

1. Attack the body, but not exclusively 2. Pull the head back then forward with counter cross over their jab 3. Think defense even on offense as can be countered 4. If you you throw combinations, something will land, build confidence in the hands and not just single shots 5. People dont like pressure, make life uncomfortable, push them to the ropes

[@zer-td7il]

Thanks

[@silversides87]

I love how a karate kickboxer has some of the best boxing content on KZbin. You've helped my transition to boxing tremendously!

[@venicec3310]

Because of boxing being refined down to just two weapons your forced to develop many overlooked skills that other martial arts dont focus on, head movement, advanced footwork, angles, pattern recognition etc. All these things are present in other styles but not to the extent boxing is. It would do anyone good to learn atleast a little bit of western boxing

[@googlegmail9888]

What other attributes do boxers excel at for film purposes? Also on the other perspective with kickboxing as well

[@user-eq1jv3oo5v]

Good to learn but bad for picking up habits. I done boxing before MT and I'd constantly get eaten by legs kicks because I was trying to use footwork too much and in sparring as soon as people noticed by head moving habits I'd slip into kicks and knees. Even know I knew I shouldn't be slipping straight punches the training I done in boxing made it my instant reaction. Took me a best part of a year to relearn my defence.

[@rosemont5339]

Our boxing coach puts a lot of emphasis on defense during offense. If the non striking hand is screwing around it’s an invitation to get countered. Good boxers are always looking for exactly those openings.

[@wesleylawrence6439]

Pull back cross, pressure & combos will be my focus tonight thanks!

[@adams0020]

100% we would love to see footage! Both kickboxers and boxers watching this will learn so much from it

[@dannystalford5029]

I fought professionally in Muay Thai and switched to boxing. The biggest change is no doubt head movement. The Thais will always scold you for too much head movement because it's easy to slip straight into a knee or kick and get KO'd. Boxing is constant head movement all the time

[@user-qn6fw8fg4b]

Nonsense. You can slip very slightly

[@dannystalford5029]

@@user-qn6fw8fg4b of course. that's why i said "too much" head movement. A little bit is fine. But if you go full on boxer, you're gonna get sparked

[@user-qn6fw8fg4b]

@@dannystalford5029 I wonder what made you change to boxing, most muay thai fighters I've met only ever go in a straight line forwards or backwards, have zero footwork and awful boxing technique, speed and power. Seems like only the elite muay thai fighters dont lack those qualities but anyrhing from amateur to decent pro do

[@dannystalford5029]

@@user-qn6fw8fg4b most Thai fighters u met aren't good boxers? I mean no shit lol. They aren't boxers. You don't need fancy footwork or huge punching power to break an eye socket or cheekbone with an elbow or knee. Its a totally different skillset. One hard low kick would put most boxers on the floor for an hour. Why did I switch to boxing? Mostly because of long term health. All the pro Thais I trained with were retiring at 22-25 years old with injuries. I had a string of fights where I received very deep cuts. Also saw some horrific injuries on other fighters (nose basically separated from the face by an elbow). I grew up in taekwondo karate and boxing, so switching to boxing was a natural choice. I started muay Thai because I believe its the toughest combat sport on the planet bar MMA, and I wanted to prove I could fight at a decent level

[@user-qn6fw8fg4b]

@@dannystalford5029 have you noticed all the best muay thai fighters from Thailand are getting their belts taken by western fighters with sharp boxing skills? Clearly they do need to improve their boxing

[@counselorchandru]

Thank you for sharing your experience and learning!

[@russfong5555]

Always appreciate you sharing your valuable insights. Thank you Gabriel!

[@OldWorldNY]

This was an awesome upload 👏✊ thanks a ton for the knowledge, coach 🙏

[@atreyustonewolf]

I've been thinking about checking out the local boxing gym for a while, just to see how different it is from the boxing classes at my Muay Thai gym. Looking forward to your sparring footage!

[@Kzombie]

Awesome tips. Thank you Gabriel

[@blackrockmartialarts2824]

Yes I would like to see that!

[@scottloughton5107]

Super helpful tips Gabriel! Cheers Man!

[@ahmedalhamadi1231]

Thanks a lot Gabriel.

[@YahshuaSavedMe]

Love all your videos man I am very grateful for the content information and tips you give Gabriel thank you brotha!!!

[@drterrenceyap]

Pearls of wisdom...many thanks!

[@MTMcD116]

thx Gabriel for the great insights. cheers

[@kylestewart4030]

Yes please for boxing rounds! Thanks for sharing! 🙏

[@timm285]

The combo advice is gold. I never thought about that before.

[@amomand5556]

Just want you to know I love your work and follow your advice very seriously! Thank you for the amazing content

[@Doge76548]

This channel is gold for people who train striking. Me and my friend had our first two amateur muay thai fights this past month and we watched a ton of these videos. I actually felt that it helped me a lot in dealing with the nerves. You’re doing a really good job Gabriel!

[@jamesmunroe6558]

Another super high-quality instructional video! Thank you, Gabriel!

[@1DreamWarrior]

Every kick-boxer should get this lesson Awesome bro

[@Deathadderzp]

I can use this information, thank you! Great video as always

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Glad it was helpful!

[@benmadderom2281]

Great, relevant points! Keep up the great videos.

[@deadshot8413]

Tips as valiuable as always

[@burnastelo1429]

I do muay thai. Whenever the opponent does the pullback i just clip them with a low kick or a body punch, usually with some venom. This stops them doing the pullback most of the time. Their legs and body are still within range despite their head movement so it leaves an opening. Thnx for this vid btw

[@jerellem]

This! Also, if they do that philly shell with the more sideways stance, the front leg is there to eat up. Look square in his eyes and deliver a vicious leg kick. Learned that from Omari Boyd.

[@SonOftheBattleCry]

Can you please do a breakdown video of th Lhw champ Artem vahkitov he’s absolutely amazing his boxing and kicks are phenomenal please do a break down of him

[@great4061]

Also pls review artem lobov the goat

[@MarkoObradovich]

I really like your explanations. It shows the level of your experience. And yes I would really like to see videos when you spar, or do pads or heavybag.

[@t.a.3475]

We want see your sparting rounds vs Boxers!! Great video as always, much love from Munich germany! Keep it up 💪

[@idle.observer]

4:39 I was saying that for years. Kickboxers (probably not in the highest leagues ofc) fight like turn-based RPG combats. I have trained in 3 different kickboxing gyms (in Turkey) they all burst out their combinations and then step back for defense. No feints, no parries, nobody punches, no roll and counters.

[@jackdempsey9346]

Awesome video. Simple but 💯 truth.

[@craggerrs]

I do muay thai but Im a big boxing fan and fancied doing some boxing training just for fun but until now, never really thought that it would be valuable to my muay thai training - thanks for another useful vid, Gabriel - God bless

[@EP10051]

I just started boxing about nine months ago and had my first boxing last week. I’m on the shorter side so it was a bit humbling. Would love to see some sparring footage of you boxing Gabriel. Really good tips!

[@richardstorm4603]

"Boxers don't like pressure." .....That all depends on the boxer you spar with or fight. Down here in Texas, if you go forward, the Mexican fighters will go forward, too. They don't care, because they believe that they can out brawl you. Many times they can, because that is their specialty. They love it tight and nasty, and they will literally be laying on you will battering your kidney and stomach area followed up with a hook to the head or an uppercut. I fought this way during All Armed Forces. It helped me get to the finals. However, I still lost to Army in the finals. He was good at fighting this way, too. I "European boxed" more when I fought in Nationals in Colorado. I was stationed in Germany, and I trained with the German boxers. They fight that European style. The boxers who fight this style tend to like to keep their distance and use their legs more. They like to go "in out" more when striking. Don't get me wrong, they do love their flurries. They just don't like to set camp like the Mexican style boxers do. My German coach used to call it long boxing. I will admit that they were slick, and I had to watch myself. However, these boxers did not like fighting up really close. So, they did their best to get off the ropes or out of the corner. If I fought/spared a Mexican style fighter, it would be different. They would be like, "Come closer! Lets keep sparing/fighting this way!" They do this because they believe that they can outlast you in the flurry of punches and in the fight or sparing session. However, their weak point (as in general-there are exceptions), is that they do not like boxing. They want to brawl. They don't like thinking too much. They just want to set camp, lay on your shoulders, and brawl. So, it is easy to pick them apart IF you can keep them from you. You need to have strong legs and great endurance for that. Because, in the first round, it's easy to box these fighter, but if you are not in AWESOME shape, you'll tire out in the 2nd round. I'm just talking about my time in amateur boxing, because I never went pro in boxing. However, I believe that it works the same in the pros, too. Look at Julio César Chávez Sr. in his prime. He would keep brawling and tire out most of his opponents. If a boxer gave him pressure, he wouldn't have considered it pressure "on him". Because, he knew they would fold...This is just one of many examples.

[@larrydenz1185]

Well done my friend.

[@TwinkieTerror]

great stuff

[@tstjohn777]

The way I used my jab was a minimum of 3 strong jabs stepping forward quickly. From there a 3 punch combination. This kept them from pulling away and kept them from counters.

[@desmondmccallum2916]

3 strong jab starts every time can be countered by a smart one since you repeat a pattern

[@venicec3310]

You can just side step that and catch you over committing on the jab. Im sure you mix it up enough to not be predictable though

[@ihabbnani1383]

i love u man u help me a lot

[@steezorteez9829]

Sometimes you do these things already but it's good to hear it from the pros 🤘🏼

[@andrews9719]

Best martial arts teacher on KZbin, hands down.

[@undeadpresident]

A real good counter to the pull back right hand is quickly rolling back and throwing a left hook on them as they try to throw the right hand. When practicing the pull back it's also good to practice slipping down to your right just after pulling back in case you need additional evasion. Sometimes a full duck is needed and if you're facing a southpaw and they step outside your left and come with a one-two you can duck their right hand and pivot inside (right foot wheels to the right) and you can throw a left hook when your right foot plants again and they haven't re-aligned toward you yet.

[@danielmaina4942]

quality...I am watching this to the end.esp the body shots part

[@Yuffie777]

I've been focusing hard on the defense during combos, i think I'm getting pretty good at it but the thing i noticed is like you say, i throw one or two punches instead of combos. So i know what i need to do now, thanks man

[@jfloyo11]

I do Muay Thai but Im very heavy handed and punch like a boxer...almost every sparring partner has issues with me because the way I move and throw my punches just doesnt make sense to them. Its a great advantage.

[@fikriasrofi5312]

Land body shot in muay thai and kickboxing rule is harder in my opinion, i always afraid of getting kicked on the way in

[@blackligxt9413]

I’d love to see boxing rounds from you 🙏

[@jonassteinberg3779]

Not just hyperbole -- I profoundly agree with every example discussed in this video because they are all conclusions I've naturally arrived at myself. One I need to improved is integrating defense into everything, as he mentioned.

[@isisdaddy1]

Awesome

[@closeredge5198]

I love the pull counter💯.... I tend to lean back without moving both feet back, so I can mix the punch and the kick

[@tstjohn777]

This doesn't really work in boxing. If I'm hard jabbing forward with power. You automatically move backward or get knocked out with what comes after.

[@closeredge5198]

@@tstjohn777 jabs are not always meant to be hard or forward moving...in thai boxing, they can guage distance, slow an advancing fighter, or set up leg attacks

[@azzcoulton123]

best channel

[@southpawgrammer448]

Yes, let’s see boxing rounds

[@ahmedalhamadi1231]

And yes we want to see boxing sparring rounds

[@S3rgio__]

we want to see that. everyone will benefit from this

[@youngmf6052]

Body jab is my favorite jab

[@marc2638]

I love striking and as such I always eye the body amd for open doors to toss a liver shot in or a hard opponent side right hard hit to his ribs,,,, when they keel over or are bent over from that hit upper cut to the snot box

[@rawke7279]

Yes please Gabriel. Def shoot through the booxing footage.

[@Cryttanz]

My pull counter was my best technique when I was boxing, start doing muay thai and never really had sucess with it 😭

[@kingopp2255]

Most def

[@eberardocorrea4552]

Please make the boxing sparring video 🙏 please

[@insaneexpertise]

I would take any videos you post sparring

[@MrX-sp1ep]

Instant subscribe and a ring because he tried boxing (I am a boxer ✊). Record the rounds next time 📹

[@user-ct1or9ws2j]

please make us video self defence instreet

[@jerellem]

Man, I would love to train with you.

[@ahmedalhamadi1231]

What drill is good for knowing the distance and snapping back to punch? Please some suggestions

[@mrsmuuve]

Please do this

[@dragunov5299]

Can you talk about techniq Rocky Marciano??

[@seetsamolapo5600]

On that note Gabriel, how does one defend against combos? Mist defence videos are vs single punches e.g jab, cross etc

[@desmondmccallum2916]

Well timed lateral movement aka footwork

[@alexong2542]

Think defense during offense, That's the key in boxing, to hit and not getting hit, that's the goal in boxing. Every time when you're on the offense, you have to be ready for your opponent countering you, always be alert, and anticipate when he's gonna strike, always be ready to roll, bob and weave or slip the punches and counter back with your own punches. Always have an exit strategy after you finished your combos. As for Combos? Take a look at Mike Tyson, the high volume combinations he fired at his opponents in the 80s, they were a beauty, from the body to the head, eventually, one or two will land and he hit them all with bad intentions.

[@mndeg]

boxing sparring footage pls

[@MatadorM9]

How do you go about sparing with boxes or other fighters? Do you just call a local gym? Do you sign waivers? Do you need to pay them? Thanks I it will be nice to see some of your box only sparing videos.

[@Dancolemusic]

WE NEED THE FOOTAGE

[@ayushsharma7706]

How would you defeat a better boxer in a streetfight? And should you add in punches to your combos against them?

[@bleh3328]

Leone makes gloves for bellator?

[@Airbender24B]

What was you adjustment to their pull cross counter? Double jab?

[@venicec3310]

Double jab, different jab variants, feints mixed with your jab and throwing a decoy jab to draw out the backhand pullback and throw your own counter hook or backhand when they commit. Maidana got floyd really well with that

[@vindicator75]

I need to try to get back into boxing sparring. Thanks for the advice. I need to review your past videos I watched too. Way too many things to remember.

[@haha-rf8mx]

When you would spar with the boxers would you widen your stance or stay true to your kickboxing stance?

[@toneysalas]

Question! Would you adapt your stance when sparring boxers, or would you stay in your kickboxing/muaythai stance? I plan to train at a boxing gym before my next fight, and I figured I’d wanna stay in my Muay Thai stance - cause practice builds habits

[@justsomebird4285]

Ik you’re asking Varga but I’ll give my two cents. Change your stance when boxing. If you stay too tall like you’re Thai boxing and you keep your body square, you’re going to get eaten up, especially at the body, and with your knees being less bent you’ll have difficulty adjusting to the footwork, angles, and constant pressure that is just a given when you’re boxing. You also won’t have as much power in your punches. I think staying in your Thai stance would ultimately undermine the point of training boxing to begin with. It’d be like a boxer training Muay Thai and keeping their stance and not throwing any kicks, not clinching, not throwing any knees, and not looking for any dumps. It just won’t work. Just train boxing as though you’re training boxing, then see what you can apply from it to Muay Thai and kickboxing. Think critically about it, and also some things will naturally carry over and be beneficial for you. After training boxing I always found I was better able to gauge the distance between my opponents punches, especially their jab. You can also apply making more angles to your style for Muay Thai too.

[@CadenConnelly]

Do you change to a boxing stance when sparring boxers or keep a kickboxing/thai stance

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

I usually stay the same because I want to box the same way I will in the fight. I change up my style if I'm getting rounds in outside training camp.

[@Airbender24B]

Very beginner video right here but it must be made for fundamentals.

[@3941602]

Hey Gabriel whats your opinion on weights and striking? Also why do muay thai and kickboxers have weak traps?

[@benjamindover8221]

weights are good if you also do stretches and practicing being dexterous

[@benjamindover8221]

if you just do weights and striking, it will have diminishing returns

[@lessthanpinochet]

You really want resistance training and drilling the mechanics of your striking. Hypertrophy in your muscles won't do you much good in striking.

[@thewingedboy]

Would you say there are any bad habits you could pick up from the boxers when you are kickboxer/muay thai fighter?

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Yes. Too much head movement (running into head kick). Getting too low (danger of head knees).

[@kevinw693]

Does a one legged duck swim in circles!? Ofcourse we wanna see it!😁

[@mohamedeldimerdash373]

How many amateur fights did you end up having Gabriel?

[@buckets3628]

W

[@wildexperiense]

Can you give me a short list of animals you think you can beat in a fight?

[@hexnrxchdiemvsch1n356]

anything below the size of a medium sized dog, although with the dog it depends how determined it is to rip you apart. if the dog is not about serious business, a very hard kick could make it tuck tail and back off.

[@BL-161]

I definitely agree with this approach! I always think if I was ever to be in the UFC or fighting in kboxing/ muay thai I would train my hands in a boxing gym, taekwondo for variation of kicks, leg speed and flexibility and then I would train MT for gelling them altogether. Of course if MMA I'd be wrestling and Bjj too.

[@SonOftheBattleCry]

Karate I’ve tkd for me I was fortunate to meet my coach who’s a 3rd black belt in Budokai karate and now he’s a BB in Brazilian Muay thai

[@markmessi9020]

@@SonOftheBattleCry black beltch in Muay Thai? Borra there's no beltch in Muay thais

[@yomi_jeremy3964]

maybe he's talking about black arm bands to represent the same thing.

[@SonOftheBattleCry]

@@yomi_jeremy3964 yea pretty much the arm bands are consider the belts

[@SonOftheBattleCry]

@@markmessi9020 look up Ariel machado He’s glory lhw kickboxer my coach got his black belt under him

[@isisdaddy1]

Not taking the step with the jab and quick clenches with shoves world pretty well against boxers. They watch for familiar movements to anticipate your strike. Move differently.

[@coltonstrickland7750]

I feel like you stated my experience word for word. I trained fir Muay Thai for about 9 months but never really sparred like that and no boxing sparring and I was getting starched by people with boxing experience who didn’t train it made no sense until I got used to all ode these factors he’s talking about, boxing sparring not being pretty much turn based and the fact that pressure and dirty fighting works are both things I learned through real hand experience and it’s so cool to see @gabriel varga had the same expiriences

[@Tommy-vv3vq]

That would be cool to see sparings with pure boxers.

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

I'm looking forward to sharing some boxing rounds.

[@edgarguzman2666]

@@GabrielVargaOfficial Yes to this!!!

[@BT-ve5pv]

I sparred with alot of boxers. It's called kick boxing for a reason

[@3941602]

Should we lift weights? Most old school boxers had great success with no weights

[@CP888.]

Yes b awesome if u spar

[@hdeyniz2986]

Are lerdsila look at the chest when fight?

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Eyes on the chest. Yes sir. That's where I look.

[@hdeyniz2986]

@@GabrielVargaOfficial sir i watch your video about eyesight and you say you talk with the highest level guy, who the highest level guy look at the chest?

[@ibominc.3087]

Connor Mcgregor.. I think you mean Floyd Mayweather is the master of the pull counter. Using distance deception to set that up ....

[@Tommy-vv3vq]

Guys,whats your picks? Volkov vs zombie ? Yan ve Sterling? Burns vs chimaev? 🔥🔥🔥

[@canismajoris6733]

Volk Yan chimaev. Honestly I think all these fights are pretty one sided