TL;DR: 25M with a boxing background joined a Kickboxing/BJJ gym for 3 weeks. Gym seems to not have proper fundamentals classes, so I have next to zero kick fundamental or defense. Stupidly tried sparring today, chaos ensured, matched with random opponents regradless of experience or weight class, finally matched with a smaller but big-framed 16yo who landed a heavy hook on my temple and dropped me (light KO/saw flashes). Gym handled the aftermath okay, but is this lack of structure and unfiltered sparring normal for kickbox?
Hi there,
I'm 25 ish y/o male with average height and weight, i had done boxing and had sparred in boxing before with minor success. Unfortunately the gym burned down, so i gotta find a new one, and i thought to myself that i might as well try new thing.
So i decided to join a kickboxing/BBJ gym, the first week of trial class was fun and i enjoyed it. But now that i've been here for 2,3 weeks, i felt like there's barely fundamental classes at all, my punches are not bad imo due to my previous boxing experience but i had no idea how to kick and how to deal with kicks. Coach did show me how to do them a bit but i felt like i just kept on drilling with people who's more experience than me without learning any fundamental.
And i made the biggest mistake today, deciding to go to the sparring class (there's no filter with the sparing class, you can go in at any level), despite only being here for 3 weeks, and after doing a BBJ class, thinking it'd be more technical sparing so i can practice kicks more on real person. But all hell basically broke loose when we went into sparing, we kept switching partner each sparing round, coach doesn't sort out weight class or experience. Some are ok to spar with, some destroyed me with kicks. And finally i went with a 16 yo with with big frame and obviously very experience, he went very hard, i was able to hold my ground for a bit until a big right hook land straight on my temple which cause me to fell down. It's not like a straight KO where i get totally unconscious, but more like i lost control and see flashes, then regain concious quickly after feeling the ground. 16 y/o dude was shocked, and did ask me if i was ok and apologized, and the coach told me to rest for 1 round, and then give me to a very experience collegue to only do very light body touch spar for the last round. I think they handled the situation quite well, and the 16 y/o told me he'll never spar me again since he can't control his power.
I'll definitely take a long rest after this KO, but i am also frustrated with not having a proper fundamental. I think the gym is good but feel it cather more for experience fighters knowing the sport already. Is it normal? Or am i just too impatience, or i am not suited for kickbox at all?