Getting black eye sparring

sesna

Hi all,

I was hoping to try out some sparring in kickboxing, but was wondering how often and likely is it that you get a black eye, even with head gear etc. Wouldn't be great for work if I was showing up all the time like that.

RedRaven

sesna wrote: »

Hi all,

I was hoping to try out some sparring in kickboxing, but was wondering how often and likely is it that you get a black eye, even with head gear etc. Wouldn't be great for work if I was showing up all the time like that.

You should be more worried about getting the zip or the corner of the pillows in the eye.:p

sesna

RedRaven wrote: »

You should be more worried about getting the zip or the corner of the pillows in the eye.:p

Not worried, just dont know how effective protective head gear is or if stray punches can get through.

Peetrik

Very rare to get one, your probably more likely to get one from actually walking into a door, just tell people your girlfriend hits you, at least then you might get a sympathy cuppa tea or a free bickie

themandan6611

your more likely to get a kick in the *ollicks - wear a good cup . I have a bruise the size of mans foot on my inner thigh the last week.

Khannie

Never had one from sparring (have had 3 from fights ). Don't wear head gear. We'd wear 16oz gloves when sparring.

yomchi

sesna wrote: »

Not worried, just dont know how effective protective head gear is or if stray punches can get through.

Don't worry about stray punches they're the ones that miss, it's the ones on target you need to worry about. Try using the head gear that covers your upper cheek bones this limits the amount of immediate impact to the eye area.

Niall Keane

just my opinion, but head gear restricts vision, honestly I don't know why its used? myself and everyone I've trained who's stepped up to pro sanda/sanshou has always agreed all it does is stop bleeds "maybe", it doesn't take force out, and it stops your peripheral vision seeing kicks etc. a big dissadvantage in sanshou were kick takedowns are our bread and butter. we never use them sparring, though I dont object to them being used, maybe its a culture at this stage, some lads wear headgear before amateur fights to get used to it.
As for blackeyes, very rare, after 15 years I could count on one hand how many I've had, same with those I've trained. that being said we compete like some of the other posters here, so guard becomes a focus!
just go for it, you only regret what you dont do!

JohnMc1

sesna wrote: »

Hi all,

I was hoping to try out some sparring in kickboxing, but was wondering how often and likely is it that you get a black eye, even with head gear etc. Wouldn't be great for work if I was showing up all the time like that.

Normally no. Unless you're unfortunate enough to be thrown in with the gym meathead/s that acts like every sparring session is the K-1 WGP finals or a UFC main event.

digme

Khannie wrote: »

Never had one from sparring (have had 3 from fights ). Don't wear head gear. We'd wear 16oz gloves when sparring.

how do you lift your fists up wearing those things?

hisholinessnb

I wouldnt worry about it, I've been sparring since early may and have got some nice smacks in the eye, a few I thought would give me a shiner, but the gloves really do take the edge off the damage and I've been pretty as a picture all along

Disagree with the other poster questioning the merit of headgear.
You never know when a stray kick can catch the back of your head by accident. Better safe than sorry.

Doug Cartel

hisholinessnb wrote: »

Disagree with the other poster questioning the merit of headgear.
You never know when a stray kick can catch the back of your head by accident. Better safe than sorry.

I'm not sure the head gear is going to make any difference here. The damage comes from having your head whipped about from the force of the blow. A thin layer of foam isn't going to do much to stop that. All it really does is prevent cuts.

hisholinessnb

Doug Cartel wrote: »

I'm not sure the head gear is going to make any difference here. The damage comes from having your head whipped about from the force of the blow. A thin layer of foam isn't going to do much to stop that. All it really does is prevent cuts.

In fairness to say the damage comes from having your head whipped about from the force of the blow is a bit crazy.
You can get all sorts of injuries from head kicks or punches, some due to the "whipping" some due to pure impact or the skull, which the helmet protects from.

Niall Keane

In fairness to say the damage comes from having your head whipped about from the force of the blow is a bit crazy.
You can get all sorts of injuries from head kicks or punches, some due to the "whipping" some due to pure impact or the skull, which the helmet protects from.

Impact on skull? You mean getting brain rattled? Again headgear does not dissipate that force. Headgear is either soft cushion i.e. like the opponent wearing in effect a slightly thicker glove, or its HARD foam which if you consider the Newton's pendulum balls thing means that the force simply passes through to the skull where the synovial fluid and hydrodynamics takes care of it and the brain hopefully?

Either way I would love to see some actual science on this, as all the anecdotal evidence I have from fighters is that they are a hindrance not a help.

It should also be considered of course that if you use headgear as relied upon active protection, as opposed to proper evasion and guard, which over reliance will promote, then you're probably more likely to receive more punishment?

Bit of a health and safety paradox, bit like you give a soccer mom an SUV to protect the kids going to school and they get run over crossing the road by another SUV too tall to see them!

hisholinessnb

So basically you are saying protective headgear doesn't actually protect you?

I'll be using my headgear all the same, just in case

**also it a pretty dangerous claim to put out there without proof.
I'd recommend everyone use protective headgear at all times when sparring

Peetrik

I might be wrong but I think hisholiness is talking more about being scraped with a toenail, being cut/hematomas by a stray elbow or at the very least scrapes/scratches on the face from the velcro on the gloves.... which is what the OP was concerned about.. having to be presentable at work.

BTW hisholiness if your getting kicked in the back of the head your doing it wrong

hisholinessnb

was actually talking all round protection to be honest, cuts and scrapes and serious blows.

Better safe than sorry in my opinion.

Doug Cartel

Niall Keane wrote: »

Either way I would love to see some actual science on this, as all the anecdotal evidence I have from fighters is that they are a hindrance not a help.

I'll need to dig it up, but last time I checked there seems to a study that show helmets do reduce head acceleration due to impact under lab conditions. Which does seem to contradict my last post - except any studies based on real world data do not show and difference in the damage that boxers receive (discounting cuts and bruising).

In my own experience, helmets make a big difference if you're doing relatively light contact. As the contact gets harder, the difference feels less and less. That's only an anecdote though.

SanoVitae

Unless your name is Rich Franklin, you'll be fine.