Reality Sparring

[Kajukenbopr]

well, u shouldnt fight hard unless you have some good ma or mma experience. remember that sparring, and drills are not the same as fighting. you do drills and sparring to get a "feel" of what a fight really is about, then you try it for real.

eventually you work yourself up to sparring and/or fighting at a higher level.

as for the training drills, yes, i think you should have someone different every time so you expect something different every time you practice a move and prevent urself from getting too comfortable with someone.

[bushido_man96]

I think that training drills with a partner every time you practice, will give you a good feel of how to move (IF YOU CHANGE PARTNERS EVERY TIME) - so you don't have the same types of attackers and attacks every time.

Would it actually be better to change partners every time, or would it be better to work with a particular partner for a number of times, in a sense "figuring out" his fighting personal style, and then move on to a different partner, who will have a new personal style, and sparring with him for a number times, etc.?

I wonder if changing partners every time is something that only a seasoned fighter would profit by, as those of us who are of lower belt ranks/not seasoned need more background, more experience, before getting hit with something different each time.

I think that either the seasoned or the inexperienced fighter can benefit from training with different partners every time. It won't necessarily work the same the first time you really have to use it, so learning to adapt early on is the key to success.

[tallgeese]

I don't think it matters much as to how often you change partners. Different energies are good and practice with different body mechanics are a must. Probibly the size of the club will dictate how often you rotate. In the end, learning to adapt is the important thing.

[Tiger1962]

I think changing partners in class is good so you get a feel for different types of fighters. Even paired with someone who is not so adept at sparring is good because you learn what NOT to do and you can also use that opportunity to focus & work on other parts of your technique. Every instance is an opportunity to learn something - you just have to apply yourself.

[bushido_man96]

Every instance is an opportunity to learn something - you just have to apply yourself.

This is a key point in training for anyone. One can even learn from a beginner, whether it is how to defend against technique that isn't as sharp and may be unorthodox, or working with a different body type. Finding what it is you can learn may be different from what it is you are trying to work on, though. Recognize it, and try to learn from it.