[Sportsandrec] Audible Boxers

[Everett Gavel]

Hi Kelly, and all,

Thanks for the usable tips.  I understand what you and Justin (I think it
was Justin, anyway) are saying about muggers not wearing bells, etc.  But it
isn't a mugging, and it isn't even MMA or martial arts.  It's straight-out
boxing in the beginning here, with my wanting to learn to hit better, take a
hit better, move better, etc.  And all that you mention below, to learn that
as well.  So thanks for the tips and thoughts shared.  They are
appreciated - and useful.

Strive On,
Everett


----- Original Message ----- 
From: kthornbury at bresnan.net (Thornbury, Kelly)
Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 12:02:04 -0600
Subject: [Sportsandrec] Audible Boxers

As for boxing and kickboxing, learn to listen for the "tells" of your
opponent, and almost everyone I've ever sparred with has them...be it a
shuffle of a foot before a strike to a change in breathing...Things many
sighted opponents don't pick up on because they don't rely on such signals.
In class we even have a competition occasionally where two fighters stand in
front of a punching bag with the lights off, and the first one to hit the
bag once the lights are turned on wins...Sounds unfair for a blind
participant until you consider listening for the light switch to be
"flipped." I win more often than I lose, and I have no usable light
perception.
Believe it or not, but if you receive a visual stimulus and an audible one
at the exact same time to your head, processing the audible signal is faster
in the brain...The reason the humans  relies so much on visual stimuli is
because the stimulus travels faster over longer distances, but in the brain
the audible signal has a shorter distance, fewer neurons to travel through,
and fewer "go or no go" decisions to be made to be processed.

Use your sparring time to learn what tools you truly have and how to use
them. Also, learn to take a hit (these lessons do come with a price), and
learn to react quickly to follow a punch back to your sparring partner with
a volley of strikes...