I suck at kumite.

[kkennedy219]

Ignore this post if you're not interested in listening to me whine. I suck at kumite. I'm still in the lower grades and we only do actual free sparring every so often, so in my own defense I haven't had all that much opportunity to practice it, and sensei is always saying how it takes years of training to really develop the skills. So I know I shouldn't be too hard on myself, but it's just in my bones to be hard on myself, so I feel like I should be light years ahead of where I am in terms of skill. My big problem is that I just don't see opportunitities when they present themselves...like if my opponent leaves himself wide open, I'll totally miss it and miss the shot.

Any advice on how not to miss these golden opportunitities?

I'm testing for rank advancement this weekend! I'm very confident in all my other abilities except for kumite. Hopefully it won't be too big a factor on the test.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

good luck with your rank advancement but aside from that theres not real 'drills' i can think of that you can do to know miss open target areas, its kind of a martial arts common sense thing...hit the open area. but one thing you can do is work on light sparring with your partner and have them not throw strikes but leave certain parts open so you can recognize and strike them. then as you advance, have your partner throw a technique as well as leave a spot open and see if you can, block, identify the open spot, set it up, and counter. and also, look at the 'belly button' when fighting keeping the 'triangle' (head is tip, hips are base) in your vision, this will help, they simply cannot move without you seeing it. good luck. hope this helps.

[pittbullJudoka]

What you mentioned just takes time in training and free sparring. You will eventully be able to mentally slow the fight down so it doesn't seem so fast passed. When this happens you'll begin to see the openings with more ease. But trust me you'll see stuff and still miss it as a high level fighter and kick yourself for that too. But the more you spar the easier it will be to see the openings. Just giving time my friend.

[Throwdown0850]

have faith in your skill and believe that you can and will win.. and i mean it..

it has helped me.. I have faith in my skill, so much that I honestly see myself winning before the match starts.. and I do win.. and it comes as no surprise.. cutting your self down is actually slowing your advancement in Sparing.. so stop!!

[yingampyang]

I think you major problem is time , you need to relax more and take your time dont worry about getting ahead , worry about doing the best you can at the stage your at.

[KarateEd]

As the others have said, it will come over time. Also, ying&yang makes a good point, relax. Relaxing may not be your problem but if you are too tense when you spar your reflexes will not be as quick and you will run out of "steam" early in the match.

Ed

[bushido_man96]

NEKyosa makes a good point about working on seeing the openings. I still don't see them all. What you should look for is when an opponent throws a technqiue, something is available; maybe the ribs or abdomen, maybe the head. The next thing is thinking about how to get a technqiue there.

Your one-step sparring should be helping you to do this. As you do the one-steps, also look for other techniques you could use to counter with. This will help you see things as well.

As for sparring, use your offense to set up things. If you kick to their head, they have to block or get hit. If they block, use it as a setup to attack the body. Eventually, you will get better at this.

Throwdown is right about thinking positive about yourself as well. Even when you have a bad class, you need to take something positive away from it. I try to do that by logging my class times in the Health, Training, and Fitness forum. If you can reflect back, it helps you move forward.

Keep your head up, and keep plugging away!

[granitemiller]

Kumite is very hard, just keep trying. You will get better and better.

Try focusing on one or two moves that you can do well, with a lead that causes your opponent to block high/low, and then a second move to the opening you created, and only work on/throw those moves until you are able to score at will with them, then add more to your arsenal.

One that I like is the step-up backfist to the head, followed by a side kick.

Good luck!

[white owl]

I am also not good at sparing but with practice I have gotten a little better the problem I have is setting back and waiting and not take the opening when I get them. But practice, practice is the key. and being loose and not thinking to much. I also think to much.

[Sandan-]

you know when you are there when you don't have to think about what you throw, it will happen with time... good kuck