I did this in boxing. My coach was very fond of drills. I remember my first week (5 trainings a week) he only taught and drilled me how to move. No punchs, nothing. Just the various movements, rotation, how to shift weight, etc.
I did it for about 3 months like this, with maybe, maybe a 30-45 minute spar session per week (and at this time, I was doing 3 trainings a day during week, 2 on saturdays).
Had my first fight around the 3-4 month mark and won it without much difficulty.
I see this now that I am learning padel tennis. Been playing for a year or so, but I hardly do any games, mainly practise/drills with my coach (4 times a week). Maybe 2 games a month. I started in September not even knowing how to play, to surpass most people in my trainings, since the drills make me play in games as I practise, since it was drilled so much, while 95%+ of the people do one movement in practise, then get to a game and change it all, reduce speed, or just hit it wrong because they end up 'practising' more the matches with wrong technique/no correction, vs the folks that repeat the same movement 1000 times with correction. In a few months I may even get my beginners coaching certificate.
As Bruce Lee said: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
~3% of the time for sparring seems very low to me, even for a beginner. 15% to 35% is AFAIK more common among competitors (I practice Thai boxing).
Your first fight matchmaking may have been somewhat imperfect(?), or you are gifted :-)
I'm not an expert but observed that the best way to progress as a fighter, for most, is not by overwhelmingly drilling. Drills are necessary, and may be the main component, however to win bouts sparring becomes more and more determinant as technical flaws become more rare.
AFAIK B. Lee said "A fighter who trains without sparring is like a swimmer who hasn't immersed in the water" and "Remember, actual sparring is the ultimate, and the training is only a means toward this".
I did it for about 3 months like this, with maybe, maybe a 30-45 minute spar session per week (and at this time, I was doing 3 trainings a day during week, 2 on saturdays).
Had my first fight around the 3-4 month mark and won it without much difficulty.
I see this now that I am learning padel tennis. Been playing for a year or so, but I hardly do any games, mainly practise/drills with my coach (4 times a week). Maybe 2 games a month. I started in September not even knowing how to play, to surpass most people in my trainings, since the drills make me play in games as I practise, since it was drilled so much, while 95%+ of the people do one movement in practise, then get to a game and change it all, reduce speed, or just hit it wrong because they end up 'practising' more the matches with wrong technique/no correction, vs the folks that repeat the same movement 1000 times with correction. In a few months I may even get my beginners coaching certificate.
As Bruce Lee said: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.