Is "bouncing" while sparring wrong?

[JusticeZero]

Dunno. speaking as a Capoeira guy, bouncing looks ridiculous and vulnerable. I have to wonder if those people like being swept off their feet.

We generally are too busy doing things to ginga. If we are in some sort of lull we will ginga and move around because standing like a statue creates no new opportunities and hides nothing. I dont know that jumping up and down does either of these well.

[GeterDone]

Our kumite allows and often involves ashi barais (foot sweeps), throws and take-downs. Our full-contact kumite also allows thigh kicks. I don't bounce up and down because I feel it makes me vulnerable to a well-timed ashi barai and it's energetically expensive. Instead of bouncing, I move around by lifting only one foot up at a time keeping it as close to the floor as possible. I tend to stay on the ball of my foot on my rear leg. My lead leg is less so on the ball of the foot. My rationale is it allows me to spring forward, backward and side-to-side, all while minimizing the risk of a foot sweep.

[BarbedTerror]

I personally don't like to bounce, yet to tend to move around and shift my wieght quite alot. Bouncing does waste energy, as you find yourself unable to continue very soon into the fight

[FangPwnsAll7]

In my honest opinion, bouncing is good. My instructor said that you should always bounce when fighting. It doesn't matter if you're sparring or just practicing.

[bushido_man96]

In my honest opinion, bouncing is good. My instructor said that you should always bounce when fighting. It doesn't matter if you're sparring or just practicing.

Does he tell you why its a good thing, though? I used to bounce a lot more, but now I don't so much, and I haven't noticed that it ever helped me out that much.

I have seen some correlation in bouncing and sparring, though; the lighter the contact permitted, the more bouncing I see; the harder the contact, the less boucing I see.

[Kuma]

Does he tell you why its a good thing, though? I used to bounce a lot more, but now I don't so much, and I haven't noticed that it ever helped me out that much.

I have seen some correlation in bouncing and sparring, though; the lighter the contact permitted, the more bouncing I see; the harder the contact, the less boucing I see.

Good points. I also see it as a waste of energy to be honest even when you do it with rulesets where you can get away with it. I'd rather use my energy on offense or defense rather than just hopping in place.

[darksoul]

My instructor said that you should always bounce when fighting. It doesn't matter if you're sparring or just practicing.

See... I find that fishy.

I don't bounce. I did once and got caught with a roundhouse in the calf that, if standing still wouldn't have done anything. Instead, I got sweeped and landed square on my side. As was previously stated, bouncing, while concealing your attacks, give a predictable tempo.

I now love to do full contact sparring against a bouncer, I just gauge their timing and attack when they're mid bounce. 7 times out of 10, I knock them off balance, the remaining 3 times they're on the ground.

I do shift my weight though which can soft of give the illusion of bouncing, but to a much lesser extent.

[FangPwnsAll7]

Well, my instructor has said it was good because when you don't bounce or move around, then it is very easy for your opponent to tell when you are going to strike. However, when you are bouncing, it's hard to tell when you're going to attack because you do it more quickly, I should say.

When you attack, you get a certain position. If you're moving, then your opponent can never tell what you're going to do.

[JusticeZero]

But a bounce seems like the worst possible movement you can hide that in. Very vulnerable.

[Liver Punch]

I've been known to alternate between a straight line death march and literally bouncing around like a lunatic. When it become second nature, rhythmic, and dictates your pace and movement, it's a problem.