MUST WATCH BEFORE SPARRING... Good VS Bad Sparring Etiquette

[@Tj45677]

I'm the one in red shorts don't want you to take all the blame haha! It was a misunderstanding on both sides for clarification, and wouldn't want it to seem as if Jeff was abusing me. Definitely an intense match but I was very happy to be there in the moment and look forward to being able to spar you once more! 🙏 🙏 🙏

[@Yeahitsme101]

The last guy ? ..

[@Tj45677]

@@Yeahitsme101 yes right before the backyard scene

[@gutse007]

Youre such a man of honour!

[@Tj45677]

@@gutse007 😭👏🏼 just feel bad that Jeff went out of his way to apologize for a moment that i really enjoyed!

[@brucele2776]

I want to spar with you

[@fighttips]

Hey Jeff, this is a very important topic that you're covering here -- one that I feel very passionate about. You bring up a lot of great points like how sparring can often be ego-driven, and how important communication is between you and your teammates. However, I have to correct and stress something you mentioned, saying that "there's nothing wrong with hard sparring." You have to remember how wide-ranged of an audience you have, from pro level fighters to first-timers. All of them have the right to know about the risk of head trauma and CTE, and that hard sparring has a high risk of injury. After taking a big hit, it's natural to want to hit back even harder. But for you and your partners health and longevity, it's better to swallow your pride after taking a big hit and say to your partner, "I'm trying to get better, I'm not trying to get hurt." Also, these clips all seem to be fast-paced, and on the harder side (even the "good etiquette"), especially to the untrained eye. Some slower or drilling clips would have been nice for beginners to see what 5% or 10% looks like, and to explain the difference of speed vs power, or that you can go harder to the body, but light to the head, or to keep the hand open inside the glove vs a tight fist, etc. We all know you're no stranger to competition, and will take on any challenge, Jeff. You're a gladiator, for sure. But I believe sparring should RARELY exceed 50% power when striking to the head (you can throw at 100% speed, but impact/power should always stay low). Head kicks should not be thrown unless the fighter has PROFICIENT control and is able to pull them. Same with all spinning techniques. I truly mean no disrespect by this comment -- I just feel that with our level of reach and authority in the combat sports world, I must take full responsibility for what is being taught and who I'm talking to. Just wanted to share my view to the others who watch this video. Thank you and take care 🙏

[@allmostovr2223]

ever since i started sparring light i've improved way more than when i was going hard so i agree

[@joshweleacho1518]

Hey Shane ! How are you hope u doin fine since the I've gone into a sparing let alone an MMA gym before but I usually train on a heavy bag I have at home is there anything I can do improve my skills with only the heavy bag as my only equipment?

[@MMAShredded]

I can agree to that Shane! Thanks for the comment and sharing your knowledge!! Keep doing your thing bro!

[@HutchMeister24]

Big ups on this one. So many situations of escalation and injury could be avoided entirely with a simple "Hey, lets take it down a few notches" after the first hard strike or two. You're not being an asshole or a wimp for asking to go lighter, you're taking care of yourself AND YOUR PARTNER. The whole "hit as hard as you get hit" is good advice for figuring out what somebody else means by "light sparring" or "moderate sparring" etc. but its not meant as a tool to teach somebody a lesson. You have to use your common sense if you want it to stay at a reasonable level. If you want somebody to ease back, quite possibly the worst thing you can do is to hit them just as hard as they just hit you. If you're into the idea of a spontaneous hard sparring session with someone you've just met, go for it, I guess. But like Shane said, not everyone is into deciding mid-round to risk serious head injury.

[@theartoffighting1643]

Come to 🇮🇳 india.......

[@v9237]

My dad was a successful Muay Thai fighter in Europe. And he ALWAYS wore something pink when he trained or when he fought. Never understood it. But I always wanted to fight like him and reflect him since a child and watching him train. Sooo naturally I’d wear pink hand wraps, gloves, ankle wrap etc, with no real reason expect paying homage to my dad who was the most humble fighter I knew. Until one day I visited my grandma in Europe, and my dads brother was there and I showed him a pic of me fighting and he said “wow humble like your dad. Wearing pink to show you left the ego at the door”.

[@MMAShredded]

thats awesome!!

[@ahverypro]

awesome story

[@scottage_teaches_jujutsu]

Just a guess, because he knew he was a role model and wanted to make what he had to teach/offer more memorable? Everybody remembers the guy who wears pink and kicks butt, :)

[@tempest_2222]

is it because pink is a feminine color? im trying to get a grasp of this

[@dookieshoes66]

​@·shnki ·yu that's my guess. I wear pink wraps because the other colors are boring.

[@TheMathPipe]

Sparring really has its own mini culture to it.

[@MMAShredded]

100%!

[@coocheeze503]

@@MMAShredded 90 - 95% 😂

[@OGC558]

Most hobbies that many enjoy have a mini culture to it

[@dammianreyes7139]

Yes😂😂

[@yunggblack25]

I agree!

[@robertnguyen9493]

Rules of sparring that I abide by are quite simple. 1) Check the ego at the door. 2) Only hit as hard as you want to get hit. 3) If you want to go harder/lighter make that clear with training partner. 4) If they start to go harder than you want, politely request that they turn it down. Disclaimer: this is me personally, 5) Don’t ask more than twice, if you’ve asked twice already now you accommodate them.

[@MMAShredded]

100%!

[@robertnguyen9493]

@@MMAShredded I feel it’s worth mentioning that #5 also applies to gym bullies.

[@TheDosage-Music]

At our dojo, all sparring matches begin with a TEMPERATURE CHECK: We square off low, shoulder to shoulder, head by head, and throw soft uppercuts to the body to see how hard we want to hit / be hit. This goes on for 2-3 minutes as a warm up round. No matter the experience of either opponent, this practice is mandatory. I'm unsure if everyone is taught anything similar, but it trains great restraint and respect for sparring partners.

[@MMAShredded]

cheers!

[@crawler9065]

very interesting.

[@momoasraf3348]

aye this is next level, i gotta try this at boxing

[@TheDosage-Music]

@@momoasraf3348 our boxers do it too. I believe my sensei, Robert Edwards Jr. of Seattle, Washington, got it from the Wilbur Brother's Boxing gym when he was younger.

[@ives3572]

Light technical sparring is always best, speaking based on my personal experience.

[@MMAShredded]

me too!

[@salamangkali-allmartialart4836]

Same.

[@angelsjoker8190]

@ThotSlayer69 You develop toughness that way, but you'll lack in skill if you go hard all the time. As Jeff mentioned, at high intensity, you'll stick to the stuff you already can automatically. You won't try new tricks, because you need a lot of repetitions and errors to get the new movements ingrained and finetune them, but you won't do them if every single error gets punished hard. When you're comfortable with a new technique, then you can do hard sparring once in a while to pressure test it. Unfortunately, and that's something that is rarely talked about, the capacity to take damage/having a chin is a huge factor in how far you can get in fighting. That makes "tough" fighters often neglect perfecting their technique and thus leaving potential unused. And later it's much harder to correct flawed technique than spending the time on it early on. That's why you see, even on high pro-level, many fighters with flawed technique.

[@amnfox]

@@MMAShredded but a few weeks prior to the fights fighters will start getting I tense. I'm training as a hobby, but all the fighters start slinging overhand rights.

[@seetsamolapo5600]

@@angelsjoker8190 brilliant. How would you split the sparring between hard and soft in days, if say, you're sparring daily? And what's your views of facesaver headgear - can I use that only for hard sparring?

[@galanoftaa6439]

This is one of the hardest part about sparing. When you don’t know your partner any perceived increase in intensity can be interpreted as a challenge.

[@MMAShredded]

yeah!

[@PartyController]

@Beat Mymeat legit...thank you. I never thought about it this way but it makes sense.

[@mylesfranco3545]

I find it interesting seeing the psychological control, or lack of when someone does not find immediate success. If you can not win by matching technique for technique, the next step is to ramp intensity until an advantage is perceived. However the victory in sparring is not from winning but from learning.

[@Frenchy78ify]

@Beat Mymeat until that challenge come bak like 3-4 times, taking off after one hard perceived shot is too soon, but if the guy continue several times while you're still going pretty easy then challenge accepted lmao

[@yungjohnathan1188]

I usually tell new guys I’m sparring that I’m going to keep it technical. I also tell them to let me know if I get carried away and that I’ll let them know if they get carried away. Solid communication can help mitigate starting off lite, to turning into hard sparring thing.

[@MMAShredded]

definitely agree to that!

[@RamboRichardson]

That too is what I always do, but being 125 pounds it's often taken as I'm soft...until they see my technique and how hard I can hit pads or the bag. I'm also very good at pretending were fighting, so if someone ignores my request to go light and tries to test me...I will slip the cross to the outside with a fast and hard drop step at a 45° and throw an overhand lightly to the chest at the same time. The loud stomp lets them know all that power could have gone to their chin as they were stepping in. Even as a Flyweight you command respect with that. I also have a solid chin and a mean look when someone upper cuts me hard...they never do it a 2nd time.

[@yungjohnathan1188]

@@RamboRichardson Sometimes a mean look is all it takes. facial expressions are also a great way to let someone know that they’re going too far. I’ll sometimes just say “ damn bro you tryna take my head off?” If I notice my partner is swinging like a damn mad man haha. Usually beginners don’t mean it, other guys just wana be tough. If they wana take it there then it is what it is. Just be ready 😈

[@imacryptid5254]

@@yungjohnathan1188 when I first started mma I was in 8th grade and an adult man told me that if I hit him hard during sparring that he was gonna knock me out I learned nothing sparring with him that first impression was kind of bullshit I think the dude was mad because an 8th grader was twice his size

[@michaelbruno1134]

I really like how you included examples of YOU being at fault yourself. That shows humility and that is good.

[@MMAShredded]

thank you!

[@CullyGotHands]

In my experience, light sparring is great when you’re just training/learning. Although, when you have a fight coming up, i think it’s 100% necessary to spar hard. Otherwise, you’ll be overwhelmed by the intensity of a real fight.

[@MMAShredded]

I 100% agree!

[@utarian7]

No Thais spar like that and they're the greatest strikers in the world. @@MMAShredded

[@rico14]

@@utarian7it’s cause they fight way more frequently, so they’re used to the intensity of a fight. Whereas guys in the west fight maybe 3 times a year, so they need to feel that intensity.

[@utarian7]

@@rico14 Then you may as well fight. Why take damage for free?

[@zachf8855]

A lot of people need to watch this video

[@MMAShredded]

thank you!! hope it can be shared!

[@infidel900rr]

Great video. At my old gym sparring was always at 80-100%. We often had guests who would come in just to spar us. It felt like a war every time. Hard to grow in that environment.

[@MMAShredded]

cheers!

[@CoronaryArteryDisease.]

Wish people understood that gyms are for training and community before anything. Many people love to fight but not in a way that will increase their chance of brain issues. Glad you survived that gym.

[@isaiahkenny3544]

That's not sparring that's fighting!

[@belikewater420]

My gym wouldn't let that slide. Someone fresh comes in hitting amateurs that hard, they put em with a pro who will match or exceed them to show them how it feels. Mostly, they get humble, start flowing, and all is well. Sometimes they cannot disengage the ego and get beat out of the gym.

[@FiniteMan1933]

Bro I have the same problem 😭

[@187Cazcrash]

I boxed for 10 years, trained with pros and olympic athletes. This video is a rarity : I agree with seemingly everything you said about sparring etiquette. One key difference is sometimes the guy you don't know and that hits hard is indeed an asshole. I was going 50-60% with a guy I didn't know, who was getting ready for a fight. I had arrived at the gym (I'm a regular there, he's a guest) 15 minutes prior to the sparring session, my coach knew I was game to spar short notice because I'm that guy who would rather spar than do anything else. He's going 75-80% l, I'm a HW, he was a cruiserweight, I understand the difference in intensity. I'm circling left to right getting closer to him to allow him to work the inside, he uses that moment to go with a left hook from my blindside, KOs me cold. He said it was because I was winning the round that he needed to amp it up. The coach was furious about this explanation : the guy went 100% on a blindsided hook because he was losing the sparring session. That was also the only time I ever got KOd in sparring, because the change of pace caught me by surprise. I also sparred an ex-USSR HW champion, classic fencer style, his sparring was always 100% but I knew about that as he told me beforehand. He was banned from the gym later on after he destroyed a young hockey player learning how to fight, in front of his father and little brother too. I'm rambling now, good video!!

[@MMAShredded]

ahh wow, that sucks. thanks for sharing your experience man! thanks for watching!

[@rickymort135]

More rambling!!

[@zedka5261]

Hey men i need some advice here, I’m not a professional or a « veteran » in kickboxing (been practicing for over 2month now) and in my last session of sparring with a guy that went hard on me (like 100% power ) he KO me with a high kick that i didn’t see coming at all(we don’t have head protection when we sparr cuz the coach expect us to go only 50% of power I actually sparred a lot before the incident but idk i feel like if i go back im gonna have some sort of ”special treatment” at the gym that i don’t want to have and therefore i think im gonna stop kickboxing I got KO really bad like went out for 5s i think So i need some advice on how to continue like should i go back to training as if nothing happened or just stop and im just simple not fit for that

[@187Cazcrash]

@@zedka5261 I went back to the gym the very next day, yes the guys and the coaches took a few minutes to give me the "special treament" as you called it, a bit of ribbing, saying I looked pretty with my black eyeliner ect.. I didn't spar for a month as a precaution and eased back into it after that. I went back as if it's part of the game. A game I still enjoyed and that's the key part : do you think you still enjoy kickboxing? Even after getting KOd? Answering that question will likely tell you where you go from there. But honestly from what you wrote, doesn't seem like you enjoy it anymore. There is no shame in quitting if you don't feel safe and if you don't enjoy the sport anymore. Being cut out for fighting has nothing to do with it, no one is good at first, they should have never put you in a situation where you can get Kod after only 2 months of training, that isn't your fault.

[@utarian7]

My grappling coach advised me against training with someone. Said "he goes really soft and then out of nowhere ups the intensity. That's the most likely way to get injured."

[@fitheskeper2114]

I love your videos! I’m an old guy who doesn’t train anymore. But watching you it’s motivated me to start working again. I love your humility. As well, you have some great insight on fighting and are a great student as well as a teacher . Keep up the good work . You got an old guy off the couch , thank you young man!!

[@MMAShredded]

thank you for support and I am glad I had a positive influence on you!!!

[@daxisperry7644]

I’ve noticed when people are relatively inexperienced, sometimes they can’t go fast without going hard. Like they can’t separate the two. Also, I had a sparring session where we were going fast (not hard) but right as I threw a Cross they stepped it and leaned their head back and I cracked them right in the nose. I felt so bad Dx

[@MMAShredded]

yes I agree, sometimes its just not the students fault and its just that they are inexperienced!

[@closeredge5198]

One thing that was practiced at a few thai gyms was open hand in glove for daily sparring.... it kept the arms loose, but you could still move fast without cracking someone...you may not be comfortable safety wise with that but it helped many to Amp things down and learn to control themselves

[@hillauch]

Iam a beginner sparring bigger much more experienced guys. They tell me exactly what you discribe... Any tips on how to go fast without going hard?

[@asdfasdf-ob7mo]

​@@hillauch alright so big disclaimer, this was probably rly fn stupid, but i guess i was lucky enough to never injure myself doing this and i feel it did really help me gain much more control in the end (meaning i felt way more confident in sparring in any martial arts i did afterwards in regards to not injuring my partner, BUT i never actually fought and if you want to actually compete, not just train, this might be counterproductive): i started "kicking trees" in my backyard as a kid WITHOUT(!) touching them, and later very lightly touching them (while going full speed tho). Saplings are obviously better than big fat tree trunks, and while doing it with your span feels totally badass when you get it right i guess you might break your foot if youre not careful. I practiced both kicking with the span and the ball of the foot, I'd strongly advise against using your shin doing this. I "only" hurt my foot twice from this, and it only hurt for one day each BUT i was practicing my kicks a lot on mitts during practice, by running my taegueks (TKD kata), and by just kicking air a lot. Like a lot lot, imagine a hyperactive kid living in the countryside with no soccer buddies around lot lol. Now that i'm older and my knees are kinda fucked up from playing a lot of football later in life, i wouldn't do this the way i did back then anymore, because a) i dont like the hyperextension you get in your knees from kicking air fast without any resistance at the end + snapping back into stance and b) it's kinda imprinting bad aim/technique because you train to have full extension before you make contact with your target instead of keeping a technique where you kick through your target but taking the power out before making contact, which would leave you with a bent knee when you make contact - like you see Jeff and other good fighters do it when they spar (imagine me doing a snapping roundhouse, fast but zero weight behind it, very different from kickboxing or muay thai roundhouse and only good if you catch your opponent without him seeing it coming - which is the whole point of that snapping headkick) so take all this with a HUGE pile of salt. I do feel like doing this has helped me tremendously in controlling my kicks tho. In case ur wondering how a kid could be this stupid: we spar with wests in TKD, and as a kid i thought that gave me the green light to just go all out on my sparring partner (back then i just saw him as my "opponent", dumb competitive 10yo mentality). Long story short, i was so in the zone one day that i legit didnt realize i was beating this other kid up so bad with body kicks that he couldn't hold back his tears anymore by the end of the round (not tryna brag, i was being an ass beating up a very casual yellow belt as a hypercompetitive green belt transitioning to my blue belt so i should've known much better). After that i felt so bad that i wanted to have enough control over my techniques to safely spar without hurting the other folks even with headkicks (which we weren't allowed to do in sparring as green belts yet btw). I was always paired with the older dudes after that incident and i think they kinda tried to teach me a well deserved lesson for it lol, good times and learned alot by getting my ass handed to me by the brown belts :) had to get used to those tibia cuddles real quick lol PS: tbh if you use a ball hanging from a branch or the ceiling that could be a useful tool to do what i did back then the smart way, just try kicking it as fast as you can, making contact but without booting the ball into the ceiling. Let's you keep proper form, easier on your knees, and no risk of breaking your foot. I might actually try that tomorrow :D

[@theoneseraph]

Especially with some of the bigger guys, I've seen new members come in to the gym and throw bombs not realising how strong they are, but then they go too light and passive because they're scared of their own strength, it's a tough middle ground to find but once you find it, man you're golden. Another thing too is understanding your sparring partner, we had a boy come in who had autism and didn't understand how to control himself so his parents brought him in to get some discipline. He started out as a very shy person, not asking to spar and just hitting the bag instead so I took him to one side and explained that even if he accidentally knocked someone out, as long as he was sorry, it would be OK. Handed him over to one of the coaches who wrapped him up and put him through his paces with a training partner who could handle him if it got out of control.

[@thatbroman6409]

I feel like more people need to see this ,we all have one or two people who go skitzo in the gym

[@MMAShredded]

haha yeah.. :/

[@mrspud2547]

I have this tall lad I spar with and hes my only sparring partner sometimes we have good spars and sometimes he dominates me but when he dominates me its cos I'm flustered from his jabs and because its boxing I want to throw a multiple punch combo but you cant really do that with punches being slowed down cos you just get countered instead of being able to fluster him and pick my shots have and I just feel like I'm being pushed into a spar that is made for me to lose when I'm told to chill out after being popped five times from the outside😂 Have I been getting duped? Or am I just too emotional?

[@mikegoodwin5951]

@@mrspud2547 you shouldn’t be getting countered just because you’re throwing slower. There’s reactions to counters and counters to counters. This should be practise for those techniques

[@H33t3Speaks]

Maybe you should watch your mouth?

[@anthonysosa9299]

@@mrspud2547 Figure out his ⏱ timing. Also move your feet and head more so they jab doesn’t hitz

[@MrHabsfan89]

Haven’t done Muay Thai in 3 years because someone was sparring so hard I was puking after shots to the head. Definitely great tips in here, and please use your words if you think your partner is going too hard!!

[@MMAShredded]

I hope you have recovered and I hope you give training a chance again! cheers brother!

[@bricktea3645]

R u sure they weren't body shot? I am inexperienced I didn't know u can puke taking head shots,dizzy and a headache sounds realistic.

[@MrHabsfan89]

@@bricktea3645 yeah I mean it’s just like any contact sport. Get hit hard enough in the head and you can feel dizzy and nauseous, like a concussion

[@theelysium1597]

@@MrHabsfan89 Because they are concussions

[@THIS---GUY]

@@bricktea3645 look up the different levels of concussion and their symptoms. Important to know what you're getting yourself into.

[@ayomarvo]

I like this, Sparring etiquette wasn’t something mentioned during Muay thai class. It was usually Spar,Spar, SPAR… I found myself being the only one that would apologize if i felt i hit someone hard.. I’d usually be hard on myself bc i didn’t think it mattered. No one ever talked to newbies or encouraged me to talk to my sparring partners the level we want to spar at. Thank you Sensei

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for watching :)

[@mylesfranco3545]

Great video! This brings back so many memories. It's so hard to keep ego out of it, I think all martial artists are competitive by nature. Its hard to maintain the perfect balance between technique and intensity when your heart just wants a sense of victory. The best sparring partners are the ones who only care about perfecting the art together, sparring partners are teammates not enemies!

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for watching!!

[@isaiahkenny3544]

Exactly

[@mezzuna]

I've always enjoyed watching these videos on your channel as the blistering speed and teachnique is so pleasant to watch. I did boxing in my youth from 16- around 22. Every spar (almost) was hard sparring and not only do I find myself in my 30's tripping over my words, I really believe I never reached my potential. I hope martial arts as a whole spreads and fast, light technical sparring most of the time becomes the norm

[@MMAShredded]

I def agree, light sparring is the way to progress!!

[@brunobonini4920]

Like you said, it's always better just talk with your partner when things start to ramp up, but it hurts our ego so bad that we tend to choose for a bad training session

[@MMAShredded]

haha yeah been there so many times :(

[@kalenhouse]

I spared from bjj, boxing, and kickboxing. I remember a time I was sparring with a fellow classmate who's a fucking beast at least 20lbs bigger than me. Anyways we started out light and I went a little to hard without realizing it and my classmate stops me and ask, "hey do you want to go light or do you really want to go hard, cause I'll go hard and we both won't get anything out of this sparring session ". At that point I knew I fucked up lol. I apologized and we went back to light technical sparring. I would say light to medium sparring is where it's at to really learn.

[@brunobonini4920]

@@kalenhouse yeah, I think you need hard sparring from time to time to pressure test what you know. But light sparring should definitely be the basis

[@h.r.169]

@@brunobonini4920 agreed. hard sparring can have its benefits but it shouldn’t be the goal since injuries happen. probably best to just spar lightly.

[@jayceeinvincible]

Oh I definitely remember that one incident in Bali. To this day still glad you bang him up my brotha

[@MMAShredded]

HAHA thanks brother!

[@Dtchmastrkilla7]

It´s often really hard to balance between fast striking and hard striking. You might accidentally hit hard when you just meant to strike fast. And like you said in this video, your partner might confuse fast strikes with hard strikes and it can escalate quickly.

[@MMAShredded]

100%!

[@JukemDrawles87]

It’s really admirable how you keep composure even when their egos get heavily involved. My ego never gets involved

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for watching!

[@fizziz_1035]

Chad guts

[@kickboxingunderground]

This is a good video to have students watch before they start sparring. Or even maybe for new sparring partners (if there is the opportunity). Setting a proper understanding of sparring, and of expectations between partners, goes a long way towards keeping sparring productive and not combative.

[@MMAShredded]

100% man!!! thanks for watching!

[@cehinton]

@@mmoj416 Yeah, I don't mean playing it before class. I mean it's a good video to share with people when they're interested in sparring, kind of like a "reading list" is when you're taking a class.

[@Parkeraust1n]

“to be honest 90-95%”😂😂

[@MMAShredded]

LOL

[@karimshebeika8010]

another important point he makes is the speed/power/weight problem. Being a light guy, it is easy for me to be quick. Sparring heavier opponents made me realize that, if someone heavier wants to reach the same speed, their shots automatically increase in power (obviously cause massxspeed=force).

[@lzrshrk0412]

@@karimshebeika8010 yeah that depends on how much they're pulling their punches

[@karimshebeika8010]

@@lzrshrk0412 what does "pull punches" actually mean? Decrease power or stop before full extension?

[@karimshebeika8010]

@@lzrshrk0412 The point I was trying to make was: Heavier guys cant match speed without going harder naturally

[@Moist_yet_Crispy]

This video should be shown in every gym in America on a regular basis. So many students quit due to safety or injury from sparring and breaches in sparring etiquette for whatever reason. This video is absolute gold for MMA or MA in general. I know I pulled out of sparring at various points in nearly every gym/school I went to because I couldn't trust my sparring partners.

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for watching :)

[@KevinLeeVlog]

Keeping a great communication between you and your partner is so important! Great video bro!

[@MMAShredded]

100% man! thanks!!

[@aanghel]

Brother in your “why you transitioned to mma” video, what’s the name of the last instrumental you used? Hope all is well with you.

[@MMAShredded]

hey brother, the artist's name is OGGY BEATZ!

[@Nug_Lord]

I subscribed because of this interaction

[@sytokai6653]

@@Nug_Lord Fr tho 😂😂

[@Rich-tl7nm]

@@Nug_Lord same. 😁

[@nicksalvatore5717]

@@Rich-tl7nm just subbed. He's really cool for replying to every comment

[@OldWorldNY]

Thanks for educating the youth my mans 👏🔥🙏 sparring can literally make or break a fighter.. watch n learn folks!

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for watching brother!

[@YamiYoshii]

Love this. Intensity and speed does not have to mean power shots when guys go "hard". Some students have a hard time understanding that. I had a few instances where I would increase volume but not power, and typically newer guys would think of that as a slight challenge to go harder with power shots.

[@MMAShredded]

100%

[@angusmurray6578]

As someone who spars very rarely and likes to keep to grappling and a few muai thai classes this was really helpful. My biggest fear when sparing is not being in control of my actions with someone levels above me, throwing a shot which was not in line with tempo and getting lit up as punishment. I would then lose the opportunity to learn and they are getting very little out of the spar. I see it happen all the time in gyms. I see it as a conversation, good faith conversations happen again. Bad faith conversations make us feel ugly, and in the case of fighting..give us brain damage.

[@MMAShredded]

cheers!

[@sebastianlencina8549]

the way u are in this entire video , show a true warrior , disciple and master of life and martial arts , thx for the motivation about who u are , i train martial arts and sport all my life ( about 33 years of practice ) and this is the first time to see something like this about true respect , honor and wisdom for partners , humans , masters and disciple's , i enjoy a lot urs vids

[@cryptomo8794]

I applaud you for sharing so openly and honestly about what makes good & bad sparring partners, and having the honor to show when you were in the wrong. Thank you Jeff, I learned a lot from this video and look forward to taking it to the dojo

[@jorxaunfiltered]

I've had sparring partner who would say "let's do a light sparring" and try to land hard strikes and then would apologize or get mad when i picked up the pace... people like then are down horrendous 🙄

[@MMAShredded]

haha 🙄 I see! I hope you can find better partners too!

[@silase2029]

This channel is such a blessing

[@MMAShredded]

thank you man!

[@coachronhelpingtoheal7135]

Thank you Jeff for this video. My injuries from long ago are healing and I am getting back into training after 18 years off. This is a great refresher for me and to share honorable sparring etiquette with fighters at a gym that I am training at. Hoping to meet up with you one day and have fun and spar.

[@MMAShredded]

thank you man id love to meet up one day!

[@jmueller8081]

The two I loved watching were you and your “lifetime” sparring friend. And you and the gentleman named Manuel. He was incredible to watch and seemed good mannered.

[@FoxySpartan117]

Amazing! This is really important to feel out and know, especially for someone like me who isn't good at recognizing others and general emotions.

[@zrod6348]

Your coaches head movement is crazy!!!! Best I’ve seen maybe lol

[@MMAShredded]

haha yeah he's good!!!

[@plexq]

Really great to watch. I was sparing last week in my gym, and the guy I was sparing with just wouldn't pull back. He kept telling me that that _I_ should be pushing through my punches and kicks more. I ended up with a bruised breast-bone so much so I couldn't really do any partner work for more than a week. I'm fairly new to the sport (like just 6 months under my belt of 2-3 a week partner training), and maybe only a half a dozen or so sparing sessions, and I have to say, I'm feeling concerned about going to back to sparing after that experience. Your comment about going back regardless of a single bad experience is encouraging, and it's nice to see that misunderstandings do happen, and often its easy to correct with good communication and sort it out. Thanks for posting this.

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for sharing your experience, cheers!!

[@Legkicker]

Wish my old Muay Thai coach would see this. I was loving it and would have some hard rounds occasionally. He never listened when I asked for light sparring because he injured me on multiple occasions within 3 days of training. One night I had done 2 hours of training and over 20 sparring rounds and I had him to end the day, I kindly requested light sparring. He didn’t listen, knocked me out cold, gave me a concussion that lasted for 3 weeks and I haven’t trained since (This was just over a month ago). So now I’m looking for an MMA gym with a good environment for sparring because it’s not sustainable taking damage like that in training especially at a young age.

[@MMAShredded]

oh wow that's crazy. Glad you are not with that coach anymore. A good gym environment is the most important!

[@Legkicker]

@@MMAShredded He put me in hospital until 4am when I had university the next day.

[@HariOmRadhaKrishna]

I agree with your opinions on how to pace a sparring match. We do so much sparring on tests, that we've split all the upper coloured belts & Dan tests into 2 days. Forms, & Drills on day 1, Sparring & meditation on day 2. We start with Continuous or Technique Sparring, which we call Kickboxing. We do a little Rolling sparring for fun (5 minute rounds - no points). Primarily we practice padded single stick Eskrima-Kali-Arnis sparring + some padded double stick, sword & dagger, & padded knife fighting.

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for sharing your experience!

[@HariOmRadhaKrishna]

@@MMAShredded I am not experienced in MMA, but have been training in Eskrima-Kali-Arnis & Karate since 1987. This was a very well thought out explanation of why one doesn't need to hit hard/full-power during friendly sparring matches. This attitude applies to Karate/Kickboxing & E-K-A sparring as well.

[@inigocenozhuarte6362]

So cool to see you sparring with your friend Fred that was wholesome

[@MMAShredded]

fred is awesome!

[@Nepthu]

Great video! I love sparring but new people are always terrible at it because they can't control their intensity. I view sparring as rough play and do it for fun and exercise, not injury.

[@MMAShredded]

yeah its true! gotta value those experienced sparring partners!

[@ashb4275]

Exactly, I think new people don't know how to control themselves and get a bit overanxious when sparring someone they know is more skilled than them. I always find if a new person is getting a bit too out of hand, a well placed hard body kick usually settles them down haha.

[@koberowland9798]

Just about to go to sparring and u post this stop reading my mind!!

[@MMAShredded]

HAHHAHA

[@HudsonKane]

'Misunderstanding' is the key repeated phrase. I think its a good idea to discuss expectations with every partner, every round. Even just 'same as last round', 'ramp up power a little', 'lets go light this one'.

[@MMAShredded]

I can agree with that!

[@dcgregorya5434]

Just like a marriage lol

[@ThirdLawPair]

Especially for novice fighters who are trying to simultaneously learn to gauge/control their power and learn good etiquette. They need the verbal feedback as much as they need the physical feedback.

[@williamsilva7358]

Great video that should be seen by everyone who spars regardless of the discipline or style of fighting. I find that most of best fighters have excellent control and consistently work on technique rather than being focused on just winning. Sometimes when you spar with new people they try to bulldoze you and it is necessary to match or slightly exceed their intensity. I enjoy heavy sparring occasionally but it has to be done without ego. Some guys don’t mind dishing it out but dislike being on the receiving end of the punishment. I have been both the hammer and the nail but I always work on being calm and considerate during my sparring sessions.The mental game is just as important and developing the physical attributes of fighting. Usually it’s best to communicate the desired level of intensity with new partners. It’s appreciated that experienced fighters such as yourself are willing to share some insight on the subject. Thanks!

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for watching!

[@CKpremium1992]

that sparring during the good etiquette segment was beautiful.. like my god thats what art in martial arts looks like. good stuff bro.

[@mace_xuo3818]

That is one of the trickiest things to learn in early combat sport. Sometimes people don't realise that connecting with speed =power shot. It's about knowing how to pull out at that last second to still connect and still close out the shot without injury to partners. Most people take a long time to learn this and you end up having 70-80% sparring sessions until people get more familiar with the sport.

[@MMAShredded]

true!

[@JamesJohnson-pz8pu]

I have done boxing and kickboxing for many years now and I’ve experienced all of these problems. As I am now experienced and matured in the sports, I have found the key to safe sparing is to communicate with your partner beforehand and quickly agree on a pace you’d like to spar at and you’ll find that most people would say around 50% to 70%. Sometimes it might even be ‘light to the head and hard as you like to the body’. I’ve heard people communicate before sparing and they’ve said “I’ll hit you as hard as you hit me” and this really isn’t good because you can accidentally land a hard shot and to carry out the rest of the spar at 100% isn’t safe 😁 hope you guys appreciate my comment and that it helps you when you’re next in the gym, stay safe 🥊

[@MMAShredded]

true, I agree!

[@hassanalialqadiri]

just came back from sparring with a heavier guy where we agreed to go lighter. as time went, we upped to power and it ended up being like 90%. after landing really good shots i felt bad. i think within the heat of the moment, it's difficult to stay focused while worrying about the power of the shots. i find that sticking with a good partner is key so etiquette isn't an issue because both sparring partners know what eachothers' limits are

[@MMAShredded]

true!

[@mattiasandersson8693]

That’s why I personally only go harder with people I know and have sparred with for a long time. You know their preferred level and they know yours, so you don’t risk something getting out of hand

[@drae408]

I tell people this, I will give you what you give me. You do a great job with telling people the difference.

[@MMAShredded]

cheers!

[@patricioferraggi505]

I watch this often on fridays since that is sparring day for me. It is a good reminder. Have a nice day.

[@10t0esdown]

Great content again, Jeff! I think most guys who have been in the mix for a while, know this all too well. The good ones let the other dictate the pace, they keep the primal instinct, but leave the emotion out. Those are the partners to stay with. 🙏 🥊 🦵

[@MMAShredded]

thank you for watching man!

[@alaskatoburningmen4549]

Damn, slamming you into the floor in sparring 1 st time with a 50 lbs weight advantage...i'm at a loss for words...what a meathead!!

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for watching!!

[@daslick6085]

and he still got owned lmao

[@martynkaa6450]

I was told a story by someone who was once a newbie and the instructor let or even made him fight with much more experienced fighters who went much too hard on them. The person eventually became as good as who he used to fight against, maybe even better but they also became egoistic and would offer to spar complete newbies or ppl who never trained the sport (I was one of his friends he would spar) and would go too hard on them causing injury. He did that to me but he also must have not liked me much as he was more aggressive towards me than others.

[@LeoLeeGaming]

I haven't practiced martial arts in a long time(sparring), but I always communicated during sparring sessions. It's too easy for things to get out of hand if both people remain silent. I think it's just better to agree on intensity beforehand and let each other know if there was a strike that was too hard. Keep the anger in check. With that said, my favorite was always fast with medium intensity to the body and light with everything else. Nothing better than sparring with someone you are good friends with or someone with mutual respect and trust. Love your videos man!

[@youngdinkaroo8952]

Stumbled across a more recent video of yours before this one and after seeing this, I learned quite a bit. I myself am new to sparring and am glad to have learned so much from this. Thanks!

[@guyver0005]

You and Gabriel Varga should do a collaboration!

[@MMAShredded]

would love to one day!

[@mndeg]

Oh yeah, they're both Canadians

[@broakenlag]

Second this, great idea!!

[@mndeg]

There's bazooka Joe too. He's also in Canada.

[@overtflow]

great vid

[@MMAShredded]

thank you!

[@marceldouwstra5847]

This is also a responsibility for instructors I think. I've noticed that quite often people find it difficult to tell their sparring partner they are going too hard, especially when they are new to the gym.

[@MMAShredded]

I agree!

[@jc360able]

I've been seeing you for many years, you've changed, you've got the face of a fighter

[@MMAShredded]

haha thanks!

[@thebay1642]

This has been really informative! Thanks for going through Sparring etiquette in depth.. knowing is half the battle!! Another great video Jeff!

[@MMAShredded]

thank you bro!!

[@DeeBeeScribe]

When you have a CLEAR advantage on your partner that's when you have to have to slow them down, decrease your own intensity below theirs and turn the session into a lesson. When you're clearly the more experienced and skilled fighter it is really selfish to use the rounds to pummel the inexperienced fighter.

[@MMAShredded]

I can agree with that! cheers!

[@rriicckk787]

Always always always gotta be ready for when someone tries to take your head off when its someone you haven’t spared with before. I feel like he guy that dropped you was having trouble with your quick feet and couldn’t land anything unless you were in close. It looked like a frustrated shot but not intentionally meant to hurt you. A lot of props for showing that clip though.

[@MMAShredded]

thank you for the support!

[@tigahstyle]

This should be shown as like an employee training video to new students. "Welcome to the academy. Please sign this waiver and watch this video."

[@MMAShredded]

HAHA true

[@ryansandoval507]

Amazingly honest. explained in a manner in which I aspire to conduct myself.

[@MMAShredded]

thank you Ryan!!

[@lordhanzo7544]

Bro you seem like such a humble guy much respect. Thank you for the lesson. Such a positive fighter 🙏🏾

[@MMAShredded]

thank you brother!

[@stevena3333]

6:09 he didn’t throw an elbow, it looked like he was just pulling away or simulated where he might have thrown an elbow. Watch it at .25x

[@zrod6348]

Jesus loves you!❤️ you’re awesome!

[@MMAShredded]

thank you!!!

[@oziaus]

It's all good until the dude throws an oblique kick and then all the rules fall off the table.

[@MMAShredded]

I agree as long as it is a controlled oblique kick! but yeah a hard one would piss me off too haha

[@ivanpinto8723]

Thanks for putting this online, speaking about all of this behaviours in the "sparring" makes me realize its not all about power in terms of training methods and objectives, really its amazing!! Thank you a lot, greetings from Argentina.

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for watching!

[@Brandon-w3o]

One of the best channels out there! That's the bigger bro I wish I had...!!

[@MMAShredded]

thanks man :)

[@320speed]

Jeff you the Man! I love your content and I've been a long-term supporter for years. My only thoughts about this is when you travel to other gyms and spar, some people (not everyone) who already train there can take it as a challenge, especially if you come from a rival gym or have trained at high level. It's mostly a ego thing, that's what it is. Technical sparring is always the most effective and efficient way of sparring.

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for the support brother! and yes I can agree, some people see the camera and definitely want to beat me up haha!!

[@320speed]

@@MMAShredded Yh i bet, just like the old adage says, ego will only get you so far. People that are driven by ego will eventually become stale. Successful business men can leave that at the door. That's why you're doing so much better for yourself productively and financially then they are.

[@Irowthe1x]

I love your channel. And I am so jealous- back when I was young, I practiced traditional martial arts, we trained hard and hit hard with no gear whatsoever- but MMA is superior- but we didn’t know back then and I miss being young and strong and being able to spar - those days don’t last forever so enjoy them!

[@MMAShredded]

thank you!!

[@turbofister6000]

this is one of the best videos ive watched on youtube, seriously. and you reply to a lot of comments, thank you

[@MMAShredded]

thank you man I appreciate it!

[@turnerkevin3]

Great insight mate and yes sparing is hard to get right for sure but I agree leave the ego outside and follow their lead on the power

[@MMAShredded]

cheers!

[@22leggedsasquatch]

People can communicate during sparring.. this avoids misunderstandings and corrects mistakes. It's also very clear when someone deliberately goes hard and when they are lying about it being an 'accident'. In which case, teach them a lesson. Good video.

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for watching!

[@martinmaciulis44]

You are amazing bro, your humility is that had become you in a great martial artist. Thank for your video

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for watching Martin!!

[@TsukiyoHeiki]

You earned yourself a new sub, man! I love the way you explain things calmly and in detail, truly inspiring. Keep it up!

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for the support brother!!

[@idotatu]

i share 100% of you opinion. your attitude is on point!

[@MMAShredded]

thank you!!

[@VRBOXING]

Superbe video Jeff. I'm always amazed by your content.

[@MMAShredded]

thank you!

[@-007-Warzone-MW3-MW2]

If you ever open a gym in Toronto please let the people know I will join you are a treasure chest of knowledge and I am very proud as a Canadian to watch you grow

[@MMAShredded]

thank you Liam!!

[@ziapsp4167]

Man, that sparring session shows how well rounded you are and skilled. Very impressive. Dude had it coming. You still stayed cool. You let him off easy. ✊

[@MMAShredded]

thank you brother!

[@Subject__]

i love sparring so much its a beautiful demonstration of self expression. I hate bad gyms that focus on nothing but "hard sparring brings harden fighters" respectfully im a long time martial artist (not a champion or anything like that just been practicing for a while) and Jeff is 100% correcr with his philosophy on what brings the most learning. If your new to a gym then gusse what? you do NOT need to prove yourself by topping anyone. they are your team and things like ego or attitude do not help anyone. LEARN from them, work with them ALL and youll be much better much faster. Jeff you really do embody the essance of a good Martial Artist i think. im definitely making a trip to Canada once covids over and visiting to see if i can meet you bro 😄 thank you for always showing people the right way!!

[@MMAShredded]

thanks brother, I would love to train together one day. If you really do ever visit Canada, hit me up via instagram @mmashredded or email me at [e-mail]!

[@Subject__]

@@MMAShredded I greatly appreciate it!! since i found your channel bro you've been a mega star to me 😂 it would be my honor to sparr with the King

[@TheUmmahFightCamp]

I have been training for 50 years. This person speaking is very wise beyond his years and right.

[@MMAShredded]

thank you sir!!

[@DoYouDontYou89]

The powerbomb as a defense for a triangle choke is a big part of why I ALWAYS try to hook the leg. You never know when someone might try to elevate you. Hooking the leg also makes the choke much tighter and energy efficient imo.

[@MMAShredded]

cheers!

[@tjnmma]

Sparring etiquette is huge. This is why I came from a martial arts “school“ as opposed to an MMA gym. Lots of crappy people out there and sadly lots of crappy gyms. Keep up the good work Brother 👍🏻

[@MMAShredded]

100% man cheers!

[@Canal_Marte]

That's what i say, what is accorded by both sides, will never get expensive. Perfect video.

[@MMAShredded]

thanks Marcell!

[@Autorall]

Man, you were in control ALL the time, even with the 'axxholes' trying to hurt you. Fast, precise and strong. SO GOOD! A lesson to learn. Congrats on your work. Following you here.

[@MMAShredded]

thank you bro!

[@parasimon8723]

Fr one of the best videos on yt Such a nice style of fighting as well as video making

[@OLDMANNATHAN]

Fred is an amazing instructor. He was in Peterborough for a seminar before covid hit, and I honestly couldn't get over how much I learned in the few hour visit.

[@MMAShredded]

he's the best for sure!!!

[@truecrimeradio1488]

Wonderful video that all martial artists should watch and I will be showing my students. Many of these rules are unspoken and good coaches are quick to correct these issues as there can be serious consequences. That slam was a violation for many reasons and could lead to serious injury. Subbed to you 2 minutes into this video great work!

[@MMAShredded]

thanks for the support matt!

[@gerylagrande]

When lockdown is lifted next week in my country i'm hitting a new gym so that video is very helpfull cause in my old gym we all knew each others fighting style. Thanks👍

[@MMAShredded]

sweet!

[@tinyman_101]

this is a great video for anyone confused on what they should be doing in the gym

[@jasoncontreras1648]

Your approach to sparring etiquette is spot on. Very mature and very sound. Incredible vid. 🤘🤘

[@MMAShredded]

:) thanks!

[@cjayx]

I like the phrase physical agreement. A lot can be conveyed by your movements and actions.

[@MMAShredded]

thank you!

[@lucascyrne6301]

Man, this video is GOLD! Thank you very much. This experience you had is a dream and its amazing, congrats for that :)

[@MMAShredded]

thank you bro!!