Two questions about sparring

[Geminias]

1.) I've recently made the switch from traditional martial arts into MMA. I was wondering how I break myself from pulling my kicks/punches etc. at the last moment. I feel I have great technique but, I don't seem to be able to follow through.

2.) Is it natural to feel real low energy levels after sparring? I'm aware that it takes a lot of energy to spar but, after sparring I often feel more drained than I would if we were doing a full day of circuit/cardio training.

[tallgeese]

As for breaking yourself of the contact issue, it may take a while. Depending how long you spent in an art that stressed limited contact and how strict they were with it.

Spend alot of time on the heavy bag. Do it by rounds with a break in between to regain your wind, that way you can concentrate on applying power throughout the strike and not lose form. Work on the mitts as well, again, focus on striking completely through the target. I always stress that you're not striking at the target, but through it. You should mentally envision blowing directly through the impact sight of the mitt or bag and striking something on the other side.

Make certain that you are actually strking in a manner that will give you maximal power. Utilize your hips to maximum capaicty and generate power from the ground up with every strike. Also, practice shifting your wieght while shadow boxing to make certain that you are putting your weight behind every shot.

While working on the mitts, make sure you do combinations while moving in a sparring fashion. This will condition your body and mind to throwing strikes with power while in a sparring situation.

As always, condition your mind to the contact. You may h ave to work to reset the switch in your head that governs the acceptable rules on engagement for your training. Really focus on turning this up prior to stepping on the mat to fight.

And spar, alot. And then spar some more. And Repeat. Get used to the contact and really push yourself to throw the stikes at the same level of impact as your new partners.

As for the feeling of exhaustion, I'd say that's definatly normal and nothing to worry about. Also, don't forget that the mental stress associated with a new method of training is also adding to your fatigue levels. This will get better as you gain more comfort in this particular style.

[bushido_man96]

To help with your energy levels, you may want to shift from aerobic training to more of a focus on anaeorbic training using intervals. When fighting, you fight in short bursts, as opposed to a long marathon or jog.

[Johnlogic121]

In answer to your first question, I would say that learning the acceptable amount of contact permitted by your Mixed Martial Art dojo is something that may take a little bit of time. I find that using fifty percent power is usually the optmum amount of power to use for most martial arts training, but then, I don't usually encourage full contact sparring. If you are going to truly hit people harder, you need to adjust the distance at which you normally strike in a traditional martial art. Most traditional martial arts will stop a punch a few inches in the air before hitting the surface of the target, but to get a solid punch, you need to be almost six inches closer so that your arm hits the surface with a bent elbow that can still deliver force beyond the surface level of the target. You want to focus your punch to deliver maximum impact about three inches inside the other person's body rather than right at the surface, and if you have practiced thousands of repetitions in which you never touch the other guy, then this will seem awkward for a while. Plenty of practice on hitting a heavy bag will make the contact punching method easier, and after that, you just need to get the mental comfort zone of punching the other person with moderate power. As for being drained of energy after sparring, this is something that does happen, but you want to careful that you don't over exert yourself. People can have cardiac arrest at any age, so don't push yourself too much. Doing circuit training or cardiovascular training all day should really build up your stamina, but sparring has a higher intensity so it depletes energy faster. If your low energy doesn't recover rapidly after class, you may just want to check things out with a medical doctor to make sure everything is OK. Usually people are surprised about how much their bodies can recover after just one minute of rest, especially if they engage in endurance training regularly enough to be reasonably physically fit. You can do more cardiovascular training at higher and higher intensity levels, but the human body does have natural limits, and you don't want to train extremely rigorously unless your goal is something like a triathalon. Even then, building up the body slowly over a long period of time with consistent workouts is better than rushing your training and getting injured. Good luck, -JL

[JohnASE]

Is it natural to feel real low energy levels after sparring? I'm aware that it takes a lot of energy to spar but, after sparring I often feel more drained than I would if we were doing a full day of circuit/cardio training.

If you're more tired after sparring than after cardio training, maybe you're kinda like me.

In general, when I play sports, I get pretty pumped up. When I'm done, sometimes I feel kinda week and occasionally even a little shakey. It's not just being tired. It's like I'm coming down off of an adrenaline high or something like that. While I'm playing, I'm fine. It's not until I stop that it hits me.

I used to think it was just exhaustion. But now I think it's adrenaline, because I noticed that sometimes I get a similar feeling after being in danger, like when I'm driving and just barely avoid a bad accident, or if I'm involved in a confrontational situation where I'm pretty angry. It's like I get pumped up, then I crash.

Just a thought.

[tallgeese]

You're not imagining it. This drop in adrendal activity is called a "para-sympathetic backlash" by people way smarter than me.

Basically, it's a near shut down (in a functional sense) of systems after an inital adreniline dump occurs and the body processes it.

[Vladko]

I maybe wrong, but it seems that you go from throwing 3 hard punches to win to having to do a lot more techniques. Just a change in that pace could be tiring.

[humble monk]

I would agree with bagwork. As for the adrenaline dump, I would spar all day at the dojang with no ill effect, but I was so pumped at the first tournament I ever did that I was useless after the first match. I won the first, but immediately had to fight again, and felt like my pads were made of lead. So I'd say there is something to it.

[joesteph]

If you are going to truly hit people harder, you need to adjust the distance at which you normally strike in a traditional martial art. Most traditional martial arts will stop a punch a few inches in the air before hitting the surface of the target, but to get a solid punch, you need to be almost six inches closer so that your arm hits the surface with a bent elbow that can still deliver force beyond the surface level of the target. You want to focus your punch to deliver maximum impact about three inches inside the other person's body rather than right at the surface . . .

I really liked the way you explained what is usually referred to as "striking through the target," John. It's not just stretching your arm more; it's firing off the shot from a closer position to bury your fist in the other guy.

I think it refers to kicks, too, of course, and I have a sort of "problem" when it comes to kicks in self-defense techniques, where one person throws the lunge punch, and the other practices the technique. Other students aren't as close as I am to the face of their partner when they throw their punches at what is a stationary target; there, I have it down to the right spot automatically. When performing a kick, though, I tend to be close--striking distance close--so I wind up not fully extending the leg. If I did, I'd connect within the targeted area.

When I practice with BOB, I have no problem driving a punch in. When it comes to kicking, I use a WaveMaster, and I find myself either kicking too light or too heavy. It's as though I kick too light when I want to control the strike (which also implies distance), and too heavy when I'm less concerned about control; I get right in there and just want to slam away.

Your advice about punching is certainly sound. I think it just takes longer when it comes to kicks.