Having trouble with sparring

[krunchyfrogg]

I need some advice and help with my sparring. I don't know what it is, but it seems like I lose a whole lot.

 

Granted, I'm a white belt (I'll be promoted two ranks in a week!), but I'd figure after 9 months of training hard, that I'd be a better fighter than I am.

 

I know nothing beats hard work, and showing up to class. I show up in my dojo more than most (3 or 4 classes a week), and I don't know what else I can do to improve my sparring.

 

Any and all advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

[TheDevilAside]

What problems are you having with sparring? Give us a few R/D/F's and we might be able to help you better.

 

But without much detail, I can only say that sparring makes you better at sparring.

[krunchyfrogg]

What is R/D/F?

 

I can tell you that I know part of my problem to be psychological. My fiancée is a therapist (no, not mine) and says that I lack a "killer instinct."

 

Last night I lost to a guy I always thought I could beat (he's the same rank as I am), and that really killed some confidence.

 

I typed the original post above shortly before class, and I'm typing now after having come home. When I got called up for kumite tonight (against a brown belt), the first thing that went through my mind was "I'm going to lose" -- another psychological factor, and I've never felt that way before.

 

We bow to the Sensei, and then to each other before starting the kumite, and right in that instant, I cleared my mind, and shut out that losing feeling I had. I told myself that I CAN beat this guy, and ya know what? -- I'd say it was a draw tonight. Not bad for a White Belt sparring a Brown Belt.

 

I can't say for sure what happened tonight, but hopefully I've turned a corner and my sparring will get better.

 

On the other hand, maybe this guy was just having a bad night, and I took advantage. Whatever the reason, I'd still love some advice on how to improve myself.

[ramymensa]

Get over the losing thing. You are not losing anything. You win some more experience and have a good time. That's all that matters.

 

I've had the problem you mention and the only way for me to get over it was to ... well, get over it I started ENJOYING the sparring and put behind the losing/winning aspect. I'm best friends with my coleagues and instructors and always looked at a kumite session with excitement, because I knew of the benefits. My fear was to get hurt and make a fool of myself. Still, I tried to get over it and good instructors and nice higher ranked coleagues did the difference. I told them straight in the face I have some fears and I'm new to kumite (jyu-kumite ... free sparring) and they took care of me. I'm deeply in debt in front of my coleagues and sensei for making me feel OK. They just showed me how to react, some good techniques and never stopped encouraging me. Though they could have swept the floor with me, they never used excesive force and preferred losing some "points" just to make me see my techniques could actually work. And now I work with lower belts, who are not as scared as I was, and feel it's my duty to act as careful as my coleagues did with me when I was "little".

 

I'm ranting here, but I hope you see my point.

 

So ... my precious advice Try to fight empty minded ... leave all worries, anger, fears and pride (it's killing us) and just try to land the techniques. We all have good and bad days so it's not the end of the world if you're losing or winning. Concentrate on the techniques and on "feeling' your opponent. And it would be OK.

[Legion]

same as above but less ranting

 

everyweek i spar one guy beat me without fail .. but everyweek i jump in that ring trying my best to make less mistakes and take in his attacks and why im being attacked

 

now its all just fun and its great being beate up ...beating people up (never too much mind) but its fun MAs are fun !!

[aes]

I agree with Legion.

 

Every week I spar, some nights I do better than others. Many always beat me, but I always think about the lessons learned and slowly get better.

 

Generally, the higher belts do not try to slaughter the lower belts, but spar at a level that challenges the beginner yet does not leave him/her frustrated.

 

I just keep thinking about:

 

- what did I do better this week

 

- what could I do better next week

[Dijita]

Totally off topic.... but Krunchyfrogg.... your name sends shivers up my spine for some reason.

[TheDevilAside]

Aaaawww man they all beat me to it :[ But, yeap, what everyone else said.

 

And R/D/F is a type of outline or can be used as a method of taking notes. RDF stands for Reasons/Details/Facts.

 

'Nother question, how do you fight? Are you aggressive? Do you fight as if you're trying to drive the opponent into the wall? Are do you fight defensively? My problem used to be that I was too defensive, because I didn't actually want to hurt the other person, heh. Sometimes I would even apologize if I hit them a little bit hard

 

See, I'm one of those "sleeping lions", I really don't like to fight very much unless I'm provoked. If it's just a friendly sparring match, I always hold back.. not just in power but I miss out in opportunities. I can only really only fight well if I'm angry and have a reason to seriously harm the other person. I've gotten over that mostly, though, except when I spar women... sorry.

[Ravencroft]

Yeah dude i know what you mean i am exactly the same way. Especially if im new i dont want to be too ballsy. i just try to be kind of defensive and lay back a little seldomly attacking.

[krunchyfrogg]

I usually try to fight as if me or a family member were to be hurt if I don't win this match. I try to beat the other person.

 

BTW, my dojo never uses any points, we've never entered any competitions, and the Sensei doesn't appoint a winner or a loser.

 

You just kind of know, that if that fight were to happen on the street, who would have walked away.