The fear of being punched is a common problem, particularly for beginners. After all, how can you fight well if you’re afraid of getting hit? Here are 3 KEY TIPS to overcome it.
The fear of being punched can cripple even the best fighter.
It’s a common problem, particularly for beginners. After all, how can you fight well if you’re afraid of getting hit?
Fortunately, it is possible to overcome this fear.
Let’s look at the three underlying causes and their solutions.
1. PHYSICAL PAIN RESPONSE
Let’s face it, punches hurt. Nobody likes getting hit but the good news is that fighters can become better conditioned to punches through sparring.
The major key is to spar with LIVE PUNCHES that are intended to hit you.
As a beginner, don’t go faster and harder than you can handle. Perhaps surprisingly, sparring with people of your own skill level, size and strength is a highly effective way to build your reflexes and confidence in dealing with punches.
Unfortunately, some martial artists train only drills without real sparring, the result being that they never experience a punch! Don’t be that guy.
2. PSYCHOLOGICAL FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN
Not knowing where the punches are coming from can lead to anxiety in a fight.
Less experienced fighters often lack the ability to see punches, let alone detect different kinds of punches and respond accordingly. By the time they see a punch it is too late.
The solution is to spar, but spar slowly.
Take the pace down. The slower the sparring, the more you can see and the more information you have and you can respond appropriately.
This kills the fear of the punch.
3. EMOTIONALLY UNPREPARED
Accept that you’re going to be hit.
Many people train martial arts to avoid just this, and spend their time training against pretend punches hoping they never will be.
In reality, you should expect to get hit. That way, when it does happen it’s not a surprise. It lessens the shock factor and the ego takes less of a beating.
One major difference between beginners and experienced fighters is not that experienced fighters don’t get hit, it’s that they don’t panic when it happens.
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