How do you Spar Against Aggressive Opponents in MMA?
Whether you train in BJJ or boxing, every single martial arts practitioner has been in this situation. Everyone has, at least once, found themselves sparring against the aggressive student who is sparring too hard.
Initially, this situation is dangerous because the majority of injuries happen out of aggression and going too hard. But at the same, this is also an opportunity for growth because sooner or later you will need to deal with aggressive people both in competition and in real life.
So in this article, let’s take a look at how you can get the most out of this experience and turn sparring against aggressive opponents into a productive workout.
Maintain your composure
When the partner is going too hard, be sure to recognize the intensity, acknowledge what’s happening, and stay calm. Do not overreact, try to answer with aggression or get emotional in any way. Being scared is also fine because the survival instincts are kicking in.
However, letting the emotion overwhelm you can lead to mistakes and leave you vulnerable. You need to stay calm and keep breathing in order to have a clear mind and make rational decisions.
Most of the time, aggressive students are relying on their instincts and they are making a lot of technical mistakes. Thus, dealing with them is not super hard if you manage to stay calm and look for the openings.
Keep Your Defense Tight and Technical
Always keep your guard up to protect yourself from incoming strikes. Whether you’re using a high guard or a low guard, make sure your hands are up to protect your face and body. Your hands should be close to your head, ready to block or deflect incoming attacks.
Aggressive training partners rely too much on power and explosion to quickly overwhelm you physically and mentally. This will naturally force you to be defensive and work hard on weathering the storm by focusing on defense. Even if you are backed up in the corner, stay focused on defense.
While it’s essential to maintain a guard to protect yourself, don’t keep it static. Keep your guard dynamic. You should be able to adjust it based on your opponent’s movements and the specific situation.
Also, it’s important to keep your guard up, and avoid tensing your muscles excessively. Tensing up can lead to fatigue more quickly and slow down your reflexes. Instead, stay relaxed while keeping your guard up, allowing you to react quickly and move fluidly.
Fight Back
Aggressive opponents go hard not only to hurt you physically but also mentally. They try to use quick and intense approaches to scare you and break mentally because a lot of people will go into a fight or flight mode. But not you, you are going to fight back and earn their respect.
In the best-case scenario, you will do this as soon as possible. Do not let them settle in and get comfortable playing with you. Focus on attacking back at least for a split moment to show them you are still in this and that you are not intimidated. Let them know that they will have to work hard to break you and that you are not one of those people who crumble under bullying.
Whether it is aggressively trying to stuff a takedown, reverse a position, or landing a counterstrike, always fight back. Always remember that you are one move away from earning the respect back and destroying their momentum.
Aggressive opponents often leave themselves open to counter-attacks when they overcommit to their strikes. Practice timing and precision to capitalize on these openings with well-placed counter punches or kicks.
Stay Mobile
Use footwork to move around the ring or mat, keeping your distance from your opponent when necessary and closing it when you see openings. This can help you avoid being cornered or overwhelmed by their aggressiveness.
Most of the time, aggressive sparring partners are focusing on moving forward and are putting too much force into their grappling attacks or strikes. They are not too strategic, or technical, or have high enough awareness to be extra technical in these situations.
You should turn this to your advantage by focusing on mobility. If you are on the ground, constantly try to scramble out and work on changing your position. On the feet, use footwork to move in different directions, often feint your movement to confuse the opponent.
Moving from side to side and forcing the sparring partner to chase you around will frustrate them even more. Why would you stand in front of them, in their line of attack, and absorb damage? There’s no logic in that approach.
Always be on the move, and never stick in one place for more than a second.
Clinch and Control
If your opponent is charging in recklessly, consider using clinching techniques to tie them up and control their movements. This can help you neutralize their aggression and set up your own attacks.
When the opponent starts swinging like crazy, try to duck under and initiate a clinch. Grab the under hooks or over/under position and push them against the ropes/cage wall, or hold tight for a few moments.
If the partner keeps the aggressive momentum upon separation, do it again. Do it again and again. Apart from stopping their momentum, clinching is also exhausting and burns a lot of energy. An aggressive opponent who already uses a lot of force is quickly going to tire out carrying your weight.
Stay Patient
Patience is key when you are dealing with an aggressive sparring partner. Aggressive opponents may tire themselves out quickly if they’re constantly attacking. Stay patient, conserve your energy, and look for openings to capitalize on as they begin to fatigue.
Next, aggressive fighters often have predictable sequences of attacks or habits that they fall into when under pressure. By staying patient and observant, you can start to read their movements and identify openings for counter-attacks. If you remember the UFC rematch between Adesanya and Alex, that’s exactly what happened.
Depending on the situation, you can let them work. Let them come to you. Keep your defence tight, stay mobile, and bite them in. Use this to spot the holes in their attacks, let them fatigue a bit, and then start attacking back.
Not being able to break you will also destroy their aggressive momentum and force them into a defensive mode.
Clinch and Control: If your opponent is charging in recklessly, consider using clinching techniques to tie them up and control their movements. This can help you neutralize their aggression and set up your own attacks.
Stay Focused on Technique
Avoid getting drawn into a brawl with your aggressive opponent. Instead, focus on executing your techniques with precision and efficiency. Maintain good form and technique throughout the spar.
One key aspect of staying focused on technique is maintaining control over your movements. Avoid rushing or being overly reactive to your opponent’s aggression. Instead, move with purpose and intention, ensuring that each technique is executed with control and precision.
Next, resist the urge to get drawn into their game plan. Instead, stay grounded and focused on maintaining your technique, even in the face of intense pressure. Trust in your training and stick to your game plan.
Final Thoughts on Sparring Aggressive Training Partners in MMA
After the spar, take time to reflect on your performance and identify areas for improvement. What techniques were effective? Where did you struggle? By critically analyzing your performance, you can identify patterns and tendencies that will inform your training and help you continue to refine your technique for future sparring sessions.
Sparring against an aggressive partner might be scary the first couple of times. But remember, these sessions are productive in the end. Sooner or later, you will face an opponent in competition or real life that fights the same way.
