Any sparring advice for a small woman?

[tufrthanu]

Well the heavier the uniform the stiffer its going to be. Sweating in it and washing it will eventually make it comfortable but it will probably always be a little stiff unless you get some sort of silk outfit like the kung fu practitioners have. I recommend http://www.martialartssupermarket.com/index.cfm?action=main

they have basically the same brands and stuff as AWMA except that they are about 40% cheaper.

[aefibird]

Good luck with your sparring taekwondomom!

I'm only 5'2" but can beat guys of 6' and over. Being small doesn't necessarily mean that you can't spar/fight effectively.

If you think you need specific advice about your techniques then ask your instructor.He/She may pair you up with an experienced higher grade who will help you to develop self-confidence and sparring ability.

Remember, it won't happen overnight. I had a very bad experience in my first competition (I was an orange belt, the first colour in my style, and I was against a black belt who made mincemeat out of me even though she could see I was a scared beginner). It took me a long while to recover from that beating, but I managed it and I'd like to think that I learned a lot from that experience. Even if nothing else, it taught me to spar at the level of my opponent and not just go all out just because I can. Anyway, I digress.

Good luck! Oh, and welcome to Karate Forums!

Good to have you on board.

[krzychicano]

Dont get hit? :

[ladyj]

Don't Quit. If you do you will be selling yourself short. As a female who is not tall and as a mother of a daughter who trains and is not tall, you need to use techniques that are appropriate for your body structure and pick targets that are appropriate for your body structure. ( you wouldn't want to try to kick a 6ft tall person in the head, can it be done yes but it will be more difficult than if you kick them in the chest) You also need to learn how to close the gap between yourself and your opponent while you are moving in your sparring stance. Know that once you get inside;close enough to strike you must stay there and continue to strike until break is called. Not everyone is comfortable sparring, but you can learn to be comfortable, it takes a good sparring partner who intrest in not only in their improvement but also in yours, they also need to have good control so you can become more comfortable with the idea of sparring and not having to worry about an injury.

[cjburns77]

I love everything "JaseP" has to say.. I am a particularly short man of 5' 6". Even though I am fast I was very scared of sparing in the beginning.. I found I if I "Play" or to put it another way just have fun, I enjoy it alot... But in time and only if you give it time will find what your nack is.. And I love the precision of well done forms..

Good luck,

[taekwondomom]

I like your idea of finding out one's knack at TKD. Actually, at my school, the head teacher is a forms expert, and the other head teacher has expertise in sparring. So even in my own school, there are models of different ways to focus in TKD.

[SloMo]

Hey TKDMom,

Don't try to meet force with force. I have a student in my kids class who is small for his age. He's very accomplished but his sparring is very weak. He makes the mistake of trying to spar like he sees the older ( and taller ) students do. Because of his size he doesn't have the physical mass to be able to counter the way some of the other people do. I'm teaching him how to evade, and use the other persons force against them. If someone throws a round kick he steps back out of the way and uses his hand to push the kick past him. It usually will throw the other person off balance and give him an opportunity to get in, which is the proble he's having. He also moves a lot which tires out most people he spars before he gets tired.

If you are enjoying TKD, then stick with it. You will get better at everything over time. The important thing is that you have fun.

[Bull]

keep in really close to ur opponent so it is harder for them to kick you. Whenever they move to try to hit u do fall back kicks. fall back double rounds, fall back rounds, and jumping backs are my favorites. make up ur own combinations.

[Gilbert]

dont look at the height, the builtness, or whatever that might bring you to say that you wont be able to beat or even be match againts your opponent. get in your fighting stance. relax, for he is just another opponent. let him kick you and just wait for an oppening and counter. if he kicks to high move in and unbalance him quickly and counter with punches quickly. i know in tkd they are teaching you alot of good kicks but only use the ones neccessary when sparring. remember stay relaxed and see those openings. its easy.....

remember you are sparring to learn about yourself and to get a feel of fighting.