Steven sparring starts at 7:30 to about 8:00. You should have a mouth piece and head gear. We have some head gear, but getting a good fit might be tough.
Though I haven’t had the guts to participate in it, my 18-year-old has been sparring on Friday nights for some time. He has learned so much. BXP, you will find that every person you spar with will do so at the level you are ready for. The Sifus and higher belts are always offering insight and instruction. It really is a great opportunity. You go first! Maybe I’ll get the courage to join you someday.
As far as gear is concerned, some I ordered through Mikki and some she directed me to the best website. Check with her first. She knows what she’s talking about.
Don’t know why ( advantage maybe ? ) but someone forgot to mention, wear a cup, too. Let your partners know you are just starting out. Anyone at Brand X with experience will monitor the speed to yours so go slowly ! Sometimes the adrenaline, tunnel vision and nerves make people go faster than they can handle in response, so keep it measured and you will learn a lot !
What happened to your sea trip ??
Sparring is the closest thing you can do to real combat and the sparring itself can be made to be either sporty or realistic, it is all up to the school and students. I love it (at about 75-90% combat speed) since it helps me with my techniqes and form. I have found though that I have about 6 or 7 moves I use over and over that are comfortable to me and only throw in something else when there is real opportunity.
Sparring should be looked at as several whys to enter an altercation. That first moves needs to react first and fast. Hudson thanks for bumping these couple of Kenpo threads.
I find sparring like a game of chess, you have to out think your opponent, Its not just the physical part but mental too. Sparring will make you mentally tough. The physical part is also very hard you forget to breath properly, and your adrenaline going crazy so you waste a ton of energy in a short amount of time. My Boxing coach has said to me if you can do 3 min rounds on the heavy bag and go all out, then you should be ready for 1 round in the ring.
In sparring, I’ve learned many lessons.
1. I’m not as good as I think I am.
2. I’m not as bad, either.
3. Getting hit hurts. I don’t like it, but I can (generally) get over it.
3b. You can hurt your own self if you attack improperly - very embarrassing.
4. Sparring is exhilarating like nothing else on earth.
5. I have more power in me than I thought.
6. Multiple-on-1 sparring is a great way to develop keen awareness and an ability to prioritize attackers. Also a good way to cause yourself to pass out.
7. Sparring a complete stranger is nerve wracking, but you have to do it to grow.
8. In sparring, you learn to balance speed and power; focus and awareness. You can try to learn these things other ways and maybe you can. I couldn’t. And I’m still working on it.
Sparring is crucial to learning skill in martial arts. Personally, I feel it really helps you develop skill in regards to footwork and movement, builds your reflexes, places you in different scenarios and against combatants of different skill levels.
I’ve noticed that only through sparring, I have been able to develop by ability to “slip” and evade attacks.
Every strike you absorb becomes a lesson that you can learn from and learn how to defend against.
Bag work is good for fundamentals and cardiovascular endurance. But I’d take a good 10 rounds of Sparring over that any day.
Sparring is important for me because that is where I put together the combination’s I have been drilling all week or working with slipping and getting the timing right. I do not agree with people just sparring just to beat the crap out of the other person. I always to try to pick one thing I have learned during the week and try to use it on my opponent 3 to 4 times in a round. If I can get it, that means I got it but if I can not get it, that means I have to work on it some more. Sparring is so much different then hitting the bag or mitts. I tend to get really frustrated with myself when I spar. If I think too much, I mess up worse. If I do not think, then it is just reaction. I think you need a little bit of both when you spar. Sparring is basically my test to see where I am at with the skills I have learned and the skills I am trying master.
My two cents: I think that the reasons people have listed for the benefits of sparring are all fairly valid. I participate in a Martial Art (Bujinkan Ninjutsu) where we don’t spar per-say, at least not in the way some who does boxing or Kickboxing would with gloves and mouthguard, etc.
I can see for obvious reasons the benefit of being in a non-scripted situation and having to react in a fight where both actors are trying to “win.” Being able to deal with the adrenaline surge and unexpected attacks is a plus, but at the same time I think it’s a bit naive to think that even in a sparring situation where rules necessarily apply that we are training for a “real-life situation” of attack and prevention, a fight, self defense… what ever. In the dojo we respect our companions and we follow the “rules” of the sparring match, the limited strikes, locks, grappling allowed. But in a “real situation” all of that goes out the window. When confronted with a no-rules conflict if the person involved is willing to stick a finger in your eye or twist off your genitals, break a joint or bone or even stab you with their car keys, than you should be prepared and aware of that such tactics exist and are used. This is difficult to practice in sparring, and as we all know, if we don’t practice, than in a time of crisis we won’t use such knowledge.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that as an exercise, or tool for training certain elements of one’s martial arts study, sparring can be an effective and relevant training module, but should never be confused for what a no rules crisis situation can produce. As another member noted, the pizza man who sparred for years and fainted at the sight of his being attacked… this is a case of sparring being useless in the real-word because that man lacked the mind and eyes of a martial artist. These things can’t trained for in a ring, not with gloves, and rules at least. So I think it would be prudent to evaluate the truth behind all aspects of training, see where weaknesses exist, train for our weaknesses and be honest with ourselves… that is when we can understand the truth of Budo and be great martial artists.
I believe that this is a wonderful conversation, all answers are valuable for people studying the fighting arts and so I thought that these ideas could also be useful.
