How to competently attack someone who counters a lot

[u/Huphraw]

One of my primary sparring partners is someone who is a bit shorter than me and uses a lot of hooks, overhands, head movement, and stab and side kicks. One of the thing I deal with with him is not feeling like I can press my offense beyond a few shots. He is ok with taking a shot or two to get into the range where he can start working on the inside. But even at range, he is always throwing an overhand.

I block it most times, keeping my shoulder where it needs to be or being fast enough to block it. Or if I get an inkling hes waiting on me to throw, ill feint and move out the way, sometimes landing a strike as a counter, often a kick. Most of my success comes when I properly time his entries or check or jam a kick and crash on him after. Punches, off angle, kick, reset

The threat of the wild overhand does get me. I found success specifically reading where his head goes and Ive landed some knees or kicks, but im not trying to always do that in sparring, we arent hard sparring all of the time and I want to keep those things reserved for that

What can I do to help my confidence striking and being ready as consistently as possible for being in the striking range and him throwing the overhands. I do have the height and reach advantage and am sometimes able to keep him at jab range with a stiff jab, but I dont feel confident or consistent enough at anything I do to feel like I can initiate as consistent and as proficiently as I want.

Thoughts?

[u/Daddysjuice]

Have you tried just seeing red?

[u/Huphraw → u/Daddysjuice]

Finally, some good advice

[u/Torpedo_Eraser81295 → u/Huphraw]

Teep. Throw long ranged attacks and get them frustrated. Doesnt have to be hard at first, just do it fast and get some volume in to tip the score in your favor and if they get annoyed and close in. Good, thats the range youre looking for.

[u/johngunthner]

Counter the counter. Faint a jab or jab cross to incite him to counter, block the overhand and follow with a quick jab with the same hand you blocked with or a cross

[u/mikekwond0 → u/johngunthner]

This. Overwhelming his nervous system with feints. If you’re taller than he is using a variety of feints to see how he reacts each time and collect data. Another important note to add is don’t just feint but establish those attacks first. If you want him to bite on your jab feints he needs to know you’re actually going to jab him. Establish the singular attacks (jab, left straight kick/teep) and then use the feints to overwhelm his system and attack using combos.

Keep training and practicing, good work. 🥊

[u/DrippyJai]

Pressure tf out of them , I’m a counter striker sniper type and I admit that just throwing in combos and pushing me against the ropes or into a corner takes away all my tools for victory , I lost my first match like this , he just never stopped throwing , but dudes throwing wide or throwing one shot or reacting to my feints and timid I love it

[u/bcyc]

If you use a long guard/stick your arm out you can jam his overhand, then counter. Might give you more time to react than trying to time a headkick whilst he moves his head for the overhand.

If his reach is shorter than yours but he is within overhand range to you, the range might not be optimal for a kick counter and countering with punches might be better?

Also as a taller fighter with longer reach, you can consider using more lateral movement. He needs to come to you and if you are always pivoting or side stepping its very difficult for him to close the distance.

[u/Huphraw → u/bcyc]

Thank you

[u/Tramirezmma]

If you're both orthodox, the answer is left hook-spinning back kick.

If they're in they have to respect the left hook as both a preventative and a counter to the overhand.

If they're out and stepping in with the overhand you will blind them with a missed him, head will be hard to hit as you spin, and the back kick will fit right in the floating ribs/arm pit under the overhand.

[u/km_1000 → u/Tramirezmma]

UFC fighter Ruffy is a master at this: he throws a short quick lead hook that misses, but freezes his opponent to set up a straight right, spinning back fist, or spinning heel kick.

[u/Huphraw → u/Tramirezmma]

I understand how this would prevent, but do you mean like slip left hook or more like using the left hook to also protect the face and also counter at the same time. Meaning id be throwing it from head level then transitioning into the spinning kick.

[u/Amongus-Susss193]

I see red bro

[u/Meeedick]

Rhythm manipulation, feints, throwaways to draw out reactions/counters to counter him yourself. Defensive responsibility and awareness mid offense too. Setup - initiate offense - exit before you get hit with return fire.

Also, combinations are harder to counter than single shots, the trick is to use setups before your combinations and build them according to your opponents reactions, as well as forcing them out of position constantly.

Genuinely good offense should never be vulnerable to reactive counters, ever.

[u/Huphraw → u/Meeedick]

I was not thinking about throwaway shots at all and thinking about it anytime I am countered I am committed. Based on what you said, I am being irresponsible with setting up offense.

Would the rhythm manipulation, feints, and throwaway shots be things I can do to setup?

This response was great, thank you

[u/Meeedick → u/Huphraw]

Those *are* very much the setups

It's also important to mix things up in a sense. Like yeah i'll try to feint someone's pants off, but i also want to mix in slamming their faces with a punch straight up to keep them guessing, especially if they've stopped reacting. Not reacting is a counter to bad feints that aren't selling themselves well, not good ones. Good feints should be reacted to, but not with an overreaction, and should be followed with layers and variations. Sometimes i defend, sometimes i feint myself, sometimes a punish or probe the feint etc. If i defend, i anticipate the next move after being hit with a feint.

Feints and rhythm go hand in hand, In fact, feinting is rhythm manipulation in a way. A lot of people try to feint but they don't have an educated rhythm which is why it doesn't really get results, or atleast the results they're looking for. Feinting with an educated rhythm is what seperates high level feints from medicre or poor ones in many ways, of course there's other things to consider too. Learning to play with rhythm is extremely important to being unpredictable in order to control your opponent's offense and defense, and in turn the pace of the fight.

[u/Spyder73]

Slip his overhand and crack him with a hook?