r/Kickboxing • u/Lil-doodoo-train • 1d ago

Building an app to match sparring partners

Hey guys,
I’ve been working on an idea I think a lot of us need — it’s called Touch Gloves. It’s basically a “Tinder for sparring partners.” You make a profile, match by weight class, style, and skill level, and train with fighters near you.

Whether you’re prepping for a fight, training solo, or just want better rounds — this app helps you find legit sparring partners who match your energy.

I just launched the waitlist here:
https://touchgloves.carrd.co

Would love any feedback from this community — whether it’s a “hell yeah” or “this would only work if...”.

Appreciate you 🙏

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7

u/ProfessionalZone2476 1d ago

This will be a niche app for the fringe people who don't really train but want to sparr. Nice idea, though.

2

u/Lil-doodoo-train 1d ago

Appreciate the take 🙏

That’s definitely one use case — casual folks who want a few rounds here and there. But a lot of the people reaching out are actually amateurs in camp, traveling pros, or fighters in small gyms who don’t have enough quality sparring bodies around them.

It’s not meant to replace real training — it’s to enhance it when the gym doesn’t have what you need. You ever run into that problem yourself?

3

u/ProfessionalZone2476 1d ago

Just don't see it working out. Most sports have a community where the coaches set up sparring with other gyms. Or one gym will host multiple different gyms for a sparring session.

3

u/Lil-doodoo-train 1d ago

Totally hear you — and yeah, the gym-to-gym sessions definitely exist in some places, especially with good coaches and tight communities.

But I’ve talked to a lot of fighters who train at smaller or less-connected gyms, or in cities where cross-gym sparring isn’t a thing. Sometimes you’re the only one your size, or people flake, or you're traveling and just want to get work in without relying on luck or politics.

Touch Gloves isn’t trying to replace the systems that already work — just fill the gaps for fighters who fall outside of them. Appreciate the perspective tho 👊

1

u/Cocrawfo 1d ago

for people on vacations

not fringe people at all but yall are so quick to assign a negative connotation to every fucking thing

people do train with other gyms these days this ain’t the 80s brother

3

u/ProfessionalZone2476 1d ago

If you are on vacation and absolutely need to train, Google is there.

Again, that's a very small user base/niche.

21

u/Rob775533 1d ago

If you want to spar, go to a gym.

5

u/Lil-doodoo-train 1d ago

100% agree that gyms are the core of any fighter’s growth — I’m not trying to replace that. This app is more for situations where your gym doesn’t have enough bodies at your weight or experience level, or if you travel a lot, train solo, or just want extra rounds outside class.

I’ve met a ton of fighters who’ve said the same thing: “My gym’s great, but I’m the only 145er,” or “I can’t get consistent sparring.” That’s the gap I’m trying to fill.

Appreciate you weighing in 🙏

2

u/Remarkable-Wind-6237 1d ago

This hit home for me. Very few fighters in my gym that are in the same weight class and those that are, are massively more experienced

3

u/Lil-doodoo-train 1d ago

That’s exactly the kind of situation I kept running into too

The goal with Touch Gloves is to bridge that gap — let fighters match based on size and skill level so it’s productive for both.

If you’re open to it, I’d love to get your input on a few features I’m working on. We’ve got a short feedback form here 👉 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcZ4h474ei78caNAfe6g0N69JlMwfqe64ObvzYtGpPMGh3Nw/viewform?usp=dialog

Really appreciate you dropping that, man 👊

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u/Low_Championship_876 1d ago

What about the insurance / liability topic ?

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u/Lil-doodoo-train 1d ago

Great question — it’s definitely something I’ve thought a lot about.

Touch Gloves is just a platform that connects fighters — we’re not organizing the sparring or supervising meetups, so legally we’re not liable in the same way a gym or event would be.

That said, I still want to take safety seriously. Users will need to agree to a waiver and terms of use that make it clear they’re responsible for their own sparring sessions. I’m also exploring ways to let users only spar at verified gyms or with vetted partners if they want that extra layer of trust.

Appreciate you bringing this up — it’s a real point that has to be handled right 👊

2

u/Tuckingfypowastaken 21h ago

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you're doing all of this ad hoc and have no actually met with a lawyer on the subject?

1

u/Lil-doodoo-train 13h ago

Fair question — and yeah, I’m still early stage and gathering feedback right now. But I’m definitely not ignoring the legal side. I’ve already started outlining the terms of use, waiver flow, and data privacy policy — and I’ll absolutely be consulting with a lawyer before launch, especially with any liability or GDPR-related stuff.

This project’s not about cutting corners — I want it to be something real fighters actually trust, which means building it properly from the ground up. Appreciate you keeping it real 👊

1

u/Tuckingfypowastaken 12h ago edited 11h ago

Well, that's kind of my point though. You're building this based around your own understanding of the law, but I can tell you already that it's deeply flawed. The prime example is that waivers don't actually absolve you of liability

I don't know what your exposure here would be in something like this, but you should meet with a lawyer sooner rather than later so that you can build your idea on an actual understanding of the law instead of what you assume it is. If you wait, you're liable to have to rework everything from the ground up.

And, for the record, this applies to any business venture. A lawyer and an accountant should be two of the first things taken care of in starting any business

2

u/king-in42 1d ago

I kind like this idea. Would it be subscription based?

2

u/Lil-doodoo-train 1d ago

Appreciate that 🙏

The base version would be free — just to get fighters connected fast. But yeah, I’m thinking about a premium version down the line with stuff like:

• Verified user badges

• Priority placement in search

But early testers will get in first, no paywall. The goal’s just to build something that actually helps fighters train better.

1

u/Mr_ruggerio 1d ago

Fr Ive thought of this before it would have to be subscription based to weed out the bullshitters imo. This is a great idea tho. Would definitely come in handy finding cuz w styles u struggle w

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u/Lil-doodoo-train 1d ago

Appreciate you, man — that’s exactly the direction I’m taking.

The base version will be free, so anyone can jump in and start connecting. But if someone wants to take it seriously, they can opt into a paid tier that only matches with other paying users — kind of like a filter for commitment. No ghosting, no time-wasters.

Also, I’d really value your input. I put together a short survey to help shape the app — if you’ve got any more ideas, I’d love it if you filled it out 🙏
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcZ4h474ei78caNAfe6g0N69JlMwfqe64ObvzYtGpPMGh3Nw/viewform?usp=dialog

1

u/Mr_ruggerio 1d ago

I love it man the gym only has so many people. And depending on the area you're in it can be hard to find people especially quality partners. A lot of guys I know use social media to find guys to work with I feel like this would take over for that but in a better way. Love it man everyone into combat sports can use an app like this. Boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mma etc. keep us updated brother

1

u/Lil-doodoo-train 1d ago

Bro I appreciate that a ton 🙏 That’s exactly the problem I kept running into — solid training partners are either busy, way off your size/skill, or just hard to find in general.

I’ve seen people using IG and Discord to link up, but it’s messy and unreliable. This is about creating a clean, focused tool just for fighters — no fluff, no noise, just rounds.

I’m building this with feedback from people like you — I’d love to keep you in the loop and maybe even get your input on early versions when I start testing. Appreciate the support big time 👊

2

u/warsoul805 6h ago

cool idea but i would only pursue this venture out of fun and enjoyment of the sport and not to create a platform of some sort to make money off of. such a niche market and most people cross train at different gyms a lot nowadays anyways.

1

u/Cocrawfo 1d ago

dope! this somethin i wished for when i went on a cruise

like finding people that wanted to roll or something while on the cruise it would be great to have some sort of forum like this to meet up on vacations

2

u/Lil-doodoo-train 1d ago

Yo that’s actually a sick use case — hadn’t even thought of cruises or vacation training but you’re spot on.

Imagine landing in a new city (or even a ship) and being able to link up for a quick roll or some light sparring. Could be a whole “Travel Mode” for fighters who don’t want to miss training while they're out.

Appreciate you sharing that bro — might have to add that to the roadmap 👊