Sparring Against Little Control

[Goju 4 Life]

If you don't want him hitting you in the face block.

 

And I would say the sidekick is really good at keeping newbs off of you...But i guess it doesn't work when he is so much bigger.

[Hudson]

Along with what everyone said, fight as if he were at you out on the street.

 

I didn't say attack, mind you. Fight. Always be defensive and always be offensive.

 

I think a large part of martial arts is making it your own. Think for yourself, sit down and meditate upon it, think of strategy and break it down. When you fight him, watch him, note him, and form plans. Know him and win. Like I said, make it your own.

 

On top of that, all the usual tips: Keep your hands up, be relaxed, don't give away yourself and be AWARE.

 

And fight as if losing means the end of the world.

[SevenStar]

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?

 

same thing you would normally do - make him fight your fight.

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?

 

you don't need any tricks. Make him fight your fight. you say he disregards his legs, right? use that to your advantage - leg kick him to death. Also, you have to make him respect you. That happens alot. There are some newbies who have an attitude of "I'm strong, and I know I can beat the higher ranking guys" - and they will try to. When he hits you hard, you have to hit him harder, faster and more often. That's how you keep their ego in check - it's amazing how humbling a good butt kicking is.

 

Also, have fun with it. Hard contact fighting is good experience for you, and IMO, is a must for all MAs.

[SevenStar]

And fight as if losing means the end of the world.

 

No need for that. it's not the street, nor is it a competition - it's merely a sparring match. it's attitudes like that that stagnate learning. you focus too hard on winning, which in turn hurts you, as you can't focus on using the techniques you may have just learned, as you are too busy trying to "win". I'm an assistant coach, and I get hit all the time by the guys I'm teaching - who cares? we aren't in the ring. Also, it gives them a chance to work their techniques and for me to work mine. When I want to work something, I will spend the entire match looking for an opportunity to use the technique as often as I can, regardless of whether or not I get hit in the process - that's how you learn.

[SevenStar]

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.

 

see the train of thought here? points.... you got beat, but won on points. That may be part of the problem you are having, and is the part of the reason why I absolutely HATE point sparring. In the street, the points won't matter. In the ring, points go with the beating. Either way, YOU need to DOING the beating in order to win.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Amen, SevenStar. You should always try to win at the "game", but only in a way that would also work if you were in a real situation. You may not win as many "games" as before, but you'll win the more important one in the long run...

[ninjanurse]

Pain is a great teacher....for both parties!

 

[longarm25]

000

[Kreisi]

Run away call him fat * and when he is tired of trying to get you, attack

[Hawkeye]

Hi, Knifehand.

 

I can empathize with you. Even though I am one of the bigger students, when sparring, my opponents never hesitate to 'remind me' when my defense is less than rock solid. Remember, a bigger opponent means a bigger potential target. Use your speed to put yourself in a favourable position to attack; use all of the ring to avoid his linear attacks; develop a solid defense to deflect his attack when it is on target and practice your defensive kicks so your leg length will help even out the advantage of his longer reach while still being in a defensive stance. Developing some good, quick inside counters wouldn't hurt either. I'm sure that all of this has already occured to you but I find that it never hurts me to be reminded.

 

One other thing. When you are training to meet an opponent in a point sparring match, keep in mind that you are training to win a match. That means that it will be one-on-one and that you both have to stay there until a victor is decided. It is for fun. A fight 'in the street' is an entirely different matter. There are no rules. It is not for fun and it is entirely possible that people are going to get very hurt. Your goal is to survive long enough to get out of danger. I would suggest your training for that kind of situation would differ some than the training you do to win a point sparring match. I know mine does.

 

Best regards and good luck.