Sparring Against Little Control

[KnifeHand]

So you're in class, getting padding up to do some sparring. Generally this is a fun activity and you look forward to it, as it lets you really try out your techniques. Then your instructor matches you up with a newbie white belt who is 6'5'' and weighs twice as much as your 5'6'' 130 pound frame. What do you do?

 

This happened to me tonight. Normally this is not a problem, as it is more realistic for me to spar with someone twice my size, because that is who will generally pick a fight or try to mug me in the street. But this guy has a few problems. For one, he is there to become a pounding machine and usually disregards foot and kicking techniques, ignores kata emphasis, and begs Sensei to spar. Number two problem is that he has little control. Tonight I was backfisted and reverse punched in the face 5 times, one in the nose that had me all teary-eyed. I realize this is probably good for me, but do you have any tips as to how to effectively spar with someone like this? I know, I know... "don't get hit." But really, any tricks I could use?

[Mu Ryuk]

Sometimes it is effective to blitz in and jam their legs and fire away at the body and jaw with your hands. This could A) get you in there to attack and B) teach him how to use his legs more.

 

Good luck,

 

Tang Soo!

[cross]

Theres no shame in being beat-up by a white belt.

[P.A.L]

this reminds me of a belt test in which a brown belt with your size had to spar againt a 3rd dan with your opponent size , our brown belt started to move in and 3 times took him down to the floor. he did realy good, in very close range the tall guy was not able to use the full power of his fist and legs.

 

if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger.

[Master Jules]

Ill try to go with some advice that I base on "real life", not just sparring scenarios at the dojo.

 

Most people generally consider me somewhat of a "big guy"....Im 6'1", 205 lbs, with very little body fat......HOWEVER.....as a bouncer, Im NOT considered a big guy at all ( some of these guys are built like houses.....ya know 6'5 300+ lbs).....when I "fool around" with them after work (theyre always asking me to teach them stuff)......I find that the bigger guys usually move a little slower.......I wait for them to throw a punch, and kinda "zip in, strike, and zip out" kinda thing......If you can get inside their "reach", you can jam them up......just dont let them grab you unless you really know how to grapple.......

 

As far as your "big guy" at the dojo.......the fact that he is a newbiew and has little control.....well.....try to use that to your advantage.....if your gonna get hit.....and it seems like he likes to hit, or at least cant control his contact.....take it........remember....youre still in a "controlled" environment.......get used to what its like to be hit.....that way.....if it happens in "real life".....at least youre "used to it" and it wont shock you.......plus....itll toughen you up a bit....also.....sparring against a "newbie" keeps you on your toes, so to speak, cause you have no friggin clue whats comin next.......they probably dont either......anyway...........good luck !!!!

 

PS.....btw......KEEP YOUR HANDS UP AT ALL TIMES......his size is obviously his advantage.......study him.....find his weaknesses.....everyone has 'em......so observe him.....learn his weaknesses......and then exploit them to the fullest......again......GOOD LUCK !!!

[Drunken Monkey]

......i don't get it.

 

him not really knowing what he is doing, clocks you with good hits....

 

shouldn't you, the more advanced student be stopping him from doing this,

 

as opposed to relying on him to pull his punches?

 

something i tell everyone i spar/drill/practice with.

 

if i get hit, it's my fault.

[KnifeHand]

Thanks for all the advice so far. I guess I will just have to be more aggressive. I also talked to my instructor about it, and he said he left me in there to fight against someone who couldn't control their punches, it was good for me to get beat up a little bit. In that light, I have turned this frustrating sparring situation into a great learning experience. Next time I spar with this dude, I will be more alert, more aggressive, and use my small size to my advantage. I know he can't kick, so I'll just block or sidestep his punches, break his flow, and sneak in little kicks for points. The funny thing is that I did win as far as points go, we don't get any points for face contact. It just sucks that I got more of a pounding, haha. Any more advice like this would be great, I really appreciate this forum.

[DD]

What you have to do is get inside his head at the very beginning of the match. Don't attack. Wait for him to make the first move. You say he disregards foot and leg techniques in class so you know he won't kick you, so wait for the punch. As soon as you see that arm begin to extend, to launch a good side kick to his stomach or armpit where that arm came from. My instructors have done this to me when I was more of a beginner, and believe me it will make this guy second guess himself before he attacks. So at the beginning of the match, just counter. Then begin to move in when you become more comfortable.

[Rich67]

This should actually be an eye-opening experience for you. Think about it this way- is this what would happen to you if you were in the street fighting the same guy? Would you let him clean your clock there, too? The object here is to fight smarter than him. I see some good advice, and I would agree with the defensive reaction tactic. If you see him move in, use your small size to get inside his area of control... you probably can move faster than him and if you are in closer, you may reduce the effectiveness of his punches and kicks. Move from side to side too. Note which leg he likes to kick with and which punches he likes to lead with. Parry them and move SIDEWAYS instead of straight back, then counter quickly and get to his back. Moving quick using your small size should frustrate him. Make it a goal to not let him score a shot to your face the next time you spar. Do whatyou can do...stuff him and get inside. Then hammer him with bodyshots and get out and to the side while he is backing up. Good luck! But don't be afraid to go up against this guy. I had guys I used to hate sparring for that very reason. Had my lip split open by one, too. But you gotta get in there and keep up- don't let a noob show you up!

[Shorin Ryuu]

Excellent point, Rich67. I was going to write something along those same lines. The fact that he is a beginner with no coordination should not be an excuse for him hitting you. In effect, he is doing what people want to do to you on the street, which is hit you. Obviously, there will be no control used on the street, so you should prepare for that using him.

 

Take this from the other angle. Say he had the best control in the world. If he never hit you, and instead just simply stopped the merest fraction of an inch from your face, does that change a thing? The only difference here is that you are not being hit. Either way, you are failing in your duty to not get hit or have someone with control stop their hit directly in front of your face.

 

Everyone else has mentioned the great points of moving sideways instead of straight forward and back, or other tips. I would, however, like to really emphasize Master Jules's advice: keep those hands up. It sounds so obviously easy, but having hands that slip down are very common, whether you do karate, kenpo, boxing or (fill in the blank). Since you obviously keep getting hit in the face, you might want to cover it.

 

My brother (he's young and still lives with the parents back home) does a more sport-oriented karate and is consequently sparring on a very regular basis. The one thing his instructor, my dad and I always tell him is to keep those hands up, since he usually rushes in there with one of his hands down by his side (I attribute it to watching too many movies) and always gets clocked in the face if he does not overpower his opponent. It's relatively simple to fix, if you work on it.

 

And, you have a good attitude about it since you say you want to use it as a learning experience, so keep it up (the attitude and the hands)!

 

Edit: One more thing that I forgot, I was really hammering on keeping the hands up, because this story really emphasizes how much you may have to change things like your "usual fighting stance" dependent upon who you are fighting, how tall/big they are, etc. I used the quotation marks, because it really should be at least slightly different every time, depending upon who your opponent is.