evening the odds for females

[darkness]

Hello

So there's this problem for female martial artists. We aren't as naturally strong as men. (tired of hearing about it, but it unfortunately is true) How does one train to help match up? What do you think is best worked on? Flexibility? Speed? Pure skill?

I'm not content being seocnd class sparrer forever. What does one do?

Darkness

[karate carolyn]

Just cause someone is strong does not necessarly make them a good fighter I was at a turnament one year and saw a massive guy knocked out by one (very good) hit from a not so big man provoking the question-

whats the good of strenth if your technique is poor?

Well for me i try to be light on my feet and have good balance i danced for a number of years and sometimes i find that i am at the advantage because of this. i can control my kicks better and can keep my self grounded. Also dancing has left me pretty supple and have no probs with my stretches were some guys seem to find it hard.

What im tring to say is you will have many good sparring qualiites that is to your advantage because you are a girl and i think that concentration on your technique will win through for you and that the others will come in time.

- just my opion what does any one else think?

carolyn x

[Shotokan-kez]

I agree with you Carolyn, just because there is a large person that does not mean they will win the fight. I'm only very small myself but i think that gives me more agility and speed.

I think if this is something that bothers you i would go to improve fitness speed and agility. My mum used to say to me when we were growing up and going through high school. "the bigger they are, the harder they fall"

[Orion]

"the bigger they are, the harder they fall" you also have to watch out because the bigger they are the harder they hit.....

Anyway back to it. I was sparring yesterday and in the junior section it was 1 girl and about 8 lads and she won. Ok there isn't a great deal of difference but it comes down to skill, even guys who have more skill can beat bigger guys (trust me I came 4th on Sunday and I'm huge).

[bushido_man96]

You have to work to your strenths, and play to your opponent's weaknesses. Strategize, formulate, and attack. Maybe defense and counter-attacking is what you should do. Maybe you should try to overwhelm them. Maybe it's about speed and not power for you (although speed will generate power, but I digress.....).

There are so many variables involved in a fight, that each time it is different. That is what makes it challenging and fun.

[username8517]

You have to work to your strenths, and play to your opponent's weaknesses. Strategize, formulate, and attack. Maybe defense and counter-attacking is what you should do. Maybe you should try to overwhelm them. Maybe it's about speed and not power for you (although speed will generate power, but I digress.....).

Very good information listed here. I would also recommend that you work on your speed if you feel your strength is lacking. Remember, I can take a large rock and throw it at you. If it hits you, yeah it will probably hurt a lot. But I could take something much smaller and lighter--like a bullet--and project it at a couple hundred feet per second and do much more damage.

[lordtariel]

Some of the female black belts we have might not be able to match me for strength and solidity, but they don't need to because they have the distance and timing down way better than I do. Technique and timing are all you really need.

[Adonis]

1. Depending on your height,weight, body composition, flexbility, balance while moving your feet or footwork, your balance when throwing hand techiques and foot techniques, as well as your timing, distance from your opponent, your body mechancis while doing the technique for the greastet effect of the technique, speed, and power of your , and postion of your opponent in relation to yours. Are all important factors in how you will do in your sparring.

I don't have time now but I have some ideas that may help you out so you can do better while sparring.

The other posters have great suggestions and methods also.

[Adonis]

I messaged you with some quesitons? when you awnser those I can give you a better idea of things to practice help you out.

In the mean time here some basic stuff that will help.

1. Get a note book and a Pen/Pencil to take to your class with you. Write down your strengths and weakness of that class, such as what techniques you have a hard time learning, what techniques you feel your good at, what are your higher percentage techniques that seem to work for you. ect,ect

2. Talk to your assistant instructors or your instructor for that class, and ask what you need to work on to get better, ask your training partners also it can help give you an outside perspective.

3. Focus on your strenghs developing them more, using good timing, and distance, accurancy. Ask your instructor for diffrent drills or training methods help you better develop those techniques and attribues.

4. Take a private lesson with your instructor before you do that though. Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you want to work on before you take the private. Many people just show up and don't know exactly what they want to work on or they ask advice on wrong stuff they need to work on, or they don't stay on topic and ask and end up getting a multiple techniques, where they more know more techniques after the private but can't use them because they don't have a clear understanding of how to set the techniques up to make them work.

So figure what techniques are your higher percentage techniques and see if you can get details from your instructor in a private and in class on how to better exucte them or the set ups for them to work against your opponent, example using fakes to set them up. Diffrent foot work to close the distance to land the technique, or how y our opponent uses there foot work which puts them in a bad postion to where you can get the technique in. How to work your techniques so you don't telegraph them as much.

Diffrent things like that. You focus on them and drill them, over and over until your body has a better chance of remembering.

Note: To often students will do a technique a couple of times and then ask more questions which lead to other techniques or get to much detail and they forget how to apply the orginal details so they go away with a half understanding or forget most of the details any way. You shouldn't over load your self in a private. Your paying money for the private make sure you get something out of it.

Just remember getting to where you can apply it right away doesn't often happen over night. It just takes time and hard work.

So a recap.

1. Note book to class

2. Seek instructors advice, and peers advice,

3. Take Private lessons with your instructor or assistant instructors.

[Adonis]

I Need to learn to be a better writer, besides my grammer, punctuation and spelliing stinks. LOL I ramble to much. hehe! Hope the advice helps.

Good training to you!