Fighting dynamics

[zudo]

Hi, this is my first thread, hope it's good.

So, I was wondering about sparring dynamics. What I mean by that is the intereaction between opponents when sparring, where they go in correlation to each other. I noticed that in beginner belts, they tend to have a more linear fighting pattern, more advanced make circles, I think. Is that true? what other dynamics are their? Lets say your opponent does a round house kick, where would be the best place to be? Where should he go in reaction to that? I want to know about questions similar to these.

Oh! Fighting patterns is what I want to know about I guess.

[Sohan]

It is always better to evade than to parry.

It is better to parry than to block.

It is better to block than be hit.

With regards to "dynamics", I think three of the most important principles to fighting, sparring, etc, are timing, balance, and distancing. Develop these three and everything else will follow.

Respectfully,

Sohan

[jaymac]

You are right, beginners do fight linear. Advanced students will circle each other because they may be more relaxed. They are probably also watching for an opportunity to hit or to counteract their opponent, instead of just going in and striking over and over. Watch how a beginner will stand in close to the opponent and hit, hit, hit, there is no technique and they tend to get hit themselves. An advanced student may look for the opponents mistake and act on that. He/she will do a combination of strikes and move away from the reach of the opponent. As for roundhouse. High kicks to the head look nice, but you need control. A more affective roundhouse kick in my book is a mid level kick. It is more powerful and more effective if you were to use it in a real life situation, unless you were 6'5 and your opponent was not.

[zudo]

is their something more advanced students do, other than circle? a diffeent floor pattern?

[JusticeZero]

It's gonna vary based on what sort of footwork and the like a given art does. For instance, in my art, even a beginner knows to be underneath the knee of a mid level or high roundhouse kick, with more advanced students being able to set up a better counter from there and having a wider range of places to move to after that.

[bushido_man96]

More advanced students can read telegraphs. For example, when you throw a round kick, the more advanced student may catch a shoulder movement or other body movement that will tip them off. They then have a counter already ingrained into them. This reaction makes them seem fast, when actually they have started their counter or block or sidestep shortly after you have begun your technique.

[zudo]

^Nicely put^

What are some things to watch on an opponent to read him, btw?

[Sohan]

Watch his eyes and the movements of his hips. Don't be too fixed on any one body area, but be aware of the entire form. Look for a twitch, a shift, or a particular body position. Most people unconsciously betray their movements on every move. My favorites are the bouncers. I can always tell while they are bouncing back and forth when they are going to strike.

Respectfully,

Sohan

[jaymac]

I have also sparred individuals who will for some reason take a lower fighting stance ( maybe because they love kata or something). They totally telegraph a movement be standing up out of the stance before they strike.

[bushido_man96]

When you spar, keep track of how your opponent reacts when you do certain things. If you throw a round kick, what is his response? If you do the same round kick again, does he react with the same response?

Most fighters will test their opponents like this for the first maybe 30 seconds that they are sparring them. If you fight rounds at a tournament, you can actually study longer.

What you will notice is that just about everybody has a few set habits that will give them away. Good fighters will know this about themselves and work towards preventing them. Sparring is about action, reaction, and counter-reaction.