Disadvantages of sparring?

[Killer7]

Do any of you find that you do not like sparring or feel restrained by sparring rules? At least in the rules for the type of sparring in my style, I feel my training for self defnese and "real world" situations are contradicted by sparring. I often feel like sparring is too much of a glorified version of tag rather than practice for actual combat.

In class, we do many other things that are simmilar to sparring that are more advantageous I feel. We do one on one self defense (one person attacks you repeatedly and one must counter them), line drill (a string of people attack one is succession), and wrestling/grappling type activites.

I just think that overly focusing on point-based sparring is not as effective to teach a student how to fight as some other self-defense drills. Any thoughts?

[DKizzle]

Yes, that is why I am not a fan of point sparring. At our school we do either point or continuous, it's up to the people who are sparring. I always choose continuous. I don't feel too constrained by the rules since we're allowed to do most things except neck/intentional groin strikes.

[brawler1245]

Sparring should be accipable to real life situation as a beginer you should start sparring by pulling punches but as you become more experienced your instructor should allow you to make mild to moderant contact. Then when you excel to dan (black belts) He'll often allow them to make full contact.

[JusticeZero]

It appears realistic but isn't.

For one thing, while sparring, a lot of the time you will see people held away by kicks. In such a situation, the only reasonably realistic thing to do is to move in through the kicks. If there is a call to break, IGNORE IT, and go for close range techniques, because a snappy tag kick certainly isn't going to end a frame. If someone turns their back to you, punish them brutally for their insolence. There's a few others, but you can see that all of them would make most sparring types pale in horror.

Basically the problem is that people are learning dysfunctional rules, and furthermore are acting in a nonagressive way unlike people who actually want to hurt each other.

[fallen_milkman]

Most of the people in my school agree, point sparring isn't a good representation of combat. We especially feel this way because of the way we fight: we keep hitting until the job is done. Besides, timed sparring is more fun, and a better workout. We only do point sparring if someone is competing, so we can help them get ready.

[karatekid1975]

I do hate the rules in sparring (WTF TKD rules). BUT there is a benifit. I like sparring for the conditioning, workout, ect. But if someone knows the difference between "sparring" and self defense, they will be ok.

[fallen_milkman]

It depends on what kind of sparring you are talking about. I am not in the best shape as of yet, and even I barely break a sweat in point sparring. Timed sparring? Now THERE is good conditioning! Five three-minute rounds one after another is an amazing workout at my current physical conditioning. I am drenched and sore afterwords, but I love it.

[Killer7]

Most of the people in my school agree, point sparring isn't a good representation of combat. We especially feel this way because of the way we fight: we keep hitting until the job is done.

Exactly my thoughts. We are taught to drive through and not let up. In your dojo do you do line drills? We have about six people line up in front of one person, and the people come at the one person (slow at first, but then moving up to full speed) and we do a series of non-chorographed attacks. If controlled it can be somewhat realistic to a real fight. Second degree blackbelts and up do "double line" where two lines charge the person at once. I love it.

[jarrettmeyer]

Exactly my thoughts. We are taught to drive through and not let up. In your dojo do you do line drills? We have about six people line up in front of one person, and the people come at the one person (slow at first, but then moving up to full speed) and we do a series of non-chorographed attacks. If controlled it can be somewhat realistic to a real fight. Second degree blackbelts and up do "double line" where two lines charge the person at once. I love it.

We do the same thing! We go a litter earlier. Two line drills are required for Shodan. Single line drills start at blue belt (5th kyu).

Sensai makes a very clear distinction between self-defense and sparring. Sparring is a game: I can hit you with a clean, controlled technique before you can hit me. We work full-power on specific techniques. (Example: You know your attacker is going to throw two jabs, followed by a cross.) We work full-speed on any technique, but it's under controlled power. Do to safety concerns, it is very difficult to practice full-speed + full-power without someone getting hurt.

[Sabumnim]

Point sparring is not preparation for real combat, but you do learn to focus and exercise control over your techniques and their power.

You should go to a teacher that does pressure testing, John Thompson wrote a book on it called Animal Day.