Sparring against a shorter opponent

[tallgeese]

Where's Zanshin to translate when I need him .

All kidding aside, I think still prefer a more frontal stance, even though it might hinder the preformance of some kicks. the side stacke keeps your front torso covered, but exposes the vuneralbe targets of your leading kidney and spine to a degree. Also, it makes it easier for someone to get behind your weapons and take back on you.

Just a thought.

[Wa-No-Michi]

Where's Zanshin to translate when I need him .

All kidding aside, I think still prefer a more frontal stance, even though it might hinder the preformance of some kicks. the side stacke keeps your front torso covered, but exposes the vuneralbe targets of your leading kidney and spine to a degree. Also, it makes it easier for someone to get behind your weapons and take back on you.

Just a thought.

I think you're right. I'd be reluctant to stand side on to an opponent. Perhaps this lends it self to point scoring karate but as you say tallgeese.. leaves to much exposed to attack.

Also, it protracts your ability use of the arm / leg that is furthest away from your opponent.

And yes, Zanshin was a quality contributor to these boards. I hope he will visit again soon.

[Shotokan-kez]

I can totally relate to this topic. I myself experience it a lot as i am only 5'2 so i rely on stomach kicks and punches to make a point. Although my speed isn't brilliant so i have to be quick with my punches, i am better with using dstance and getting in a side thrust kick to the stomach. Occasionally i can score with uraken to the face if i'm lucky.

Now i am a little naughty because i will take advantage if i am sparring with a shoter person. But it teaches them to keep their guards up if they are sparring with someone taller than themselves. I have this problem. I keep my guard up to stop people getting my head but the problem with that is i leave my middle area wide open! Anyone know how to deal with that one?

[tallgeese]

Use the elbows.

When your hands are up at your face your elbows fall into a naturally defensive posture at the midsection. It will only take a small rotation of the upper body and/or shoft in the forearm to stop incoming shorts to the midsection either from kicks or punches.

For the most part: hands cover the head, elbows cover body, legs cover legs. There are always exceptions but that's the primary scheme.

[joesteph]

For the most part: hands cover the head, elbows cover body, legs cover legs. There are always exceptions but that's the primary scheme.

I've seen and followed this advice by Tallgeese when sparring, even though it's non-contact that I'm doing, even when I practice with BOB, to keep myself trained in what is, to me, the right way to protect myself.

What's funny about this is that the opponents I have in sparring sessions don't use the leg up, as it's not in the art I'm studying. I don't know that I'll definitely be attending the school I'm visiting this week, but I do know that sparring is a regular activity, and it incorporates contact. That means hands, elbows, and legs in all the right places.

Edited November 3, 2008 by joesteph

[bushido_man96]

I have used elbows in blocking to great success, especially against kickers. It works wonders.

I have a pretty good frontal stance that I usually use, and I can slug pretty well from it. I can use a front kick from it to gain distance, but side kicking from it is a bit tougher.

[tallgeese]

Glad that system has worked out well for you joe. It's the best thing I've found to date.

Side kicking can be a bit harder when squared off. Stomping with them to the knees and groin works a bit better from this posture than raising them up. To get height, it's usuallyeaiser from a more frontal posture to chain them with another kick to get the hips set more favorably.

[Shotokan-kez]

Cool all that sounds really good, i will defo be giving it a try...us smaller people have a tough dead lol

[bushido_man96]

When discussing a topic like this, it is important to know what context we are discussing it in. For instance, using my side-on stance is easier for me to get away with in my sparring sessions, due to the rules of our sparring. But, as you can notice from tallgeese's advise, you can see that his sparring has different objectives than that of my class.

Its important to note the situation and the circumstances when making adjustments to your stances.

[tallgeese]

Good point bushido man.