Testing Sparring

[YoungMan]

Our sparring matches at testings are controlled sparring, with offensive and defensive footwork. We use WTF sparring rules, with some adjustments depending on the situation.

Lower gup students are expected to go slower and show control. Higher students fight black belts and are expected to be able to contact them without causing accidents. If a student cannot contact, he doesn't pass. Additionally, higher belts are expected to showcase higher techniques while still showing good form.

[KarateEd]

In my school we spar at most of our testings. However, it is not a requirement and doesn't determine whether the student passes or fails. We have a few different scenarios during testing.

1) Students that are testing and of the same or are close in rank spar each other. They "go at it."

2) Students will spar a higher ranking student (who is also testing, if possible). The lower rank is expected to take it to the higher rank and the higher rank is expected to demonstrate some degree of restraint in the techniques he/she uses against the lower rank

3) Sometimes students will spar a non-tester which is usually of considerably higher rank. This is done to test the lower ranks ability to "take it to the higher ranking student." The higher ranking student understands, in this situation, that it is not his role to show off his skills.

Ed

[bushido_man96]

When black belts test at our school, they have to spar a higher dan rank. In this scenario, the tester has to try to "earn the rank," and the other has to "defend their rank." This makes it kind of fun.

[wingedMonkey]

I'm in ATA and we don't really try to show our best moves.., It's just free-sparring so the judges could see how much you've learned during that belt.

[bushido_man96]

When I was in the ATA, our testing sparring was used to show off what we had learned, so we did some of our more advanced techniques in our combinations, if we could get them to fit.