Sparring: The Basics

[DWx]

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community.

Sparring forms are an integral part of many martial arts. Whether they be continuous, point-stop, full contact, no contact, competitive or pure self defense, virtually all students will experience it regularly within their practice. When two students face off they are testing their proficiency and their physical abilities. In a way, it is the ultimate test of martial skill in the dojo as it is as close to a “real" situation a student can come.

So, where do you start? The following method for teaching beginners to spar is what I believe to be effective and is a result of how I myself have been taught by various instructors and the methods I have used. Although the sport sparring rules I am writing for are those lain down by the ITF, this method could be applied to many other styles and other forms of sparring.

1. Acquiring the Techniques

Before placing a beginner student in a free sparring environment, you have to first spend time equipping them with their techniques. In my own experience, I have found it best to take these techniques out of the sparring scenario completely and have the student practice them in lines and against a stationary target such as a pad. Facing off against an opponent initially can be a little bit overwhelming for some and the techniques themselves tend to suffer because the student has to think about other factors such as distancing and finding appropriate targets.

Start with a few basic techniques, in general I would say no more than two or three so as not to cause confusion. My personal choice would be a straight jab (with either arm), front leg roundhouse and back leg roundhouse. In my opinion, these are the simplest and most common techniques used in sparring and with just these three, there are many different combinations which can be worked on later. (Front and side kicks are also an option. However, I've found that front kicks tend to promote a more forward facing stance which at this stage I personally want to discourage and side kicks can be a little difficult to get used to).

At first, you want to just get the students familiar with these techniques and able to perform them with a reasonable proficiency. Don't worry about combinations or chaining the techniques together yet; just get them to a position where they can do singular techniques ready to practice against one another. Things that need to be stressed are a good guard and remaining in control after the attack. What I mean by this is not falling forward after a kick or punch and to work on retrieving the arm or leg ready to throw another attack if needed.

2. One-for-One

Once your students have the techniques, it's time to put them into practice against a moving target. One-for-one sparring is invaluable in getting students used to facing off against a real moving opponent so this is the next step that I would introduce. For those of you that don't practice it, one-for-one is basically sparring but the fighters take it in turns to do one technique. Essentially in one-for-one at this level I don't care how slow they want to go. The idea is that they just learn to translate what they've been doing in line work and on the pads onto a human body.

Your students should have been made aware of appropriate targets for each of their techniques, such as to the torso for roundhouses, and they should be aware of where they should not strike, i.e. the back of the head. Distancing is something the students should begin to pick up, as well as hopefully more control over their techniques. There shouldn't be a great deal of moving around in this setting but the students shouldn't be static either. One-for-one is great preparation for free sparring and is something I think even higher grades should return to frequently.

At this point, it may be useful to introduce some higher grades into the class (if you haven't done so already) to pair up with the beginners. Their role is not only to show the beginners how it's done but to also offer feedback on the techniques and to suggest areas for improvement when necessary. The earlier points I stressed such as a good guard and retrieving the technique should be reiterated and the students should be encouraged to block or parry incoming techniques.

A good intermediate exercise is to get the pairs to play a modified version of tag. They face off and the goal is to touch the opponent on the head or body. They are allowed to dodge, block and parry. This may be an opportunity to take some time out to introduce ways of dodging, blocking and parrying that leave you in a position to counter attack.

3. Development

Once you are comfortable with the way your students are using their techniques in one-for-one, you have several options. You could introduce further techniques and repeat the process again. If you do choose this option the techniques you introduce should still be fairly simple. Maybe kicks such as the side kick, front kick, hook kicks, etc. and a greater range of hand techniques. However, do not introduce too many too soon. In general, I've found that it's best to introduce only a few and then stress the importance of building up combinations with a handful of techniques rather than having an arsenal of many more techniques but lacking in effective combinations and transitions between them.

Instead of introducing more techniques, another option is to begin to work on footwork and positioning, incorporating the techniques you have already taught.

One good drill that I like to use begins with students standing in a pair, just within range of each other so that they can just about touch if one of them reaches out. One person plays the role of the “attacker," who has to move forwards, backwards, left and right by shifting and stepping and can switch their stance so their opposite leg is forward. The “defender" has to mirror their movements to stay within range (or just out of it) depending on what the attacker does.

Although it may not seem like much, this drill is an effective way of making sure that the students are consciously aware of their distance and it also gets them thinking of how they can cover ground and maneuver themselves into a more advantageous position. When combined with the tag drill from above, this effectively simulates sparring but without the techniques and is a great tool when you want your students to concentrate on the other aspects of the fight besides kicking and punching.

4. Semi-Free Sparring

Next, my preferred option is to begin semi-free sparring. What I am referring to as semi-free sparring is a situation where each person takes turns performing combos while the other person defends and counters. At first, I think it's better to work a format where for each attack, a kick or punch, the attacker takes a step forward. This just gets the students used to moving forwards and backwards during a spar. It's also a good idea with beginners to agree on a set number of attacking techniques coming forward before a counter technique. This just makes sure the sparring flows a bit more as most beginners won't have an intuitive feel for when a combination has ended or when an opportunity for a counter has opened.

Once they have a good feel for it, you can gradually relax the sparring until it resembles a free sparring situation. Begin by relaxing the number of techniques on both attack and counter attack. Then start to relax the rules on stepping so, for example, the student can choose to double step before a technique, shift, or even not step at all. At this point you are basically free sparring apart from that you are only moving forwards and backwards and not as circular as free sparring should be. At this point you can relax the rules completely and your beginner student should be ready to begin free sparring.

[Patrick]

Thank you for the submission.

Patrick

[bushido_man96]

Thanks for this layout, DWx. Very nice.

[ninjanurse]

Thanks for the article. Good read!

[joesteph]

A really good, well thought out article, DWx. I especially liked the first paragraph of 4. Semi-Free Sparring.

[MasterPain]

(Front and side kicks are also an option. However, I've found that front kicks tend to promote a more forward facing stance which at this stage I personally want to discourage and side kicks can be a little difficult to get used to).

Just curious, why do you want to discourage a more forward stance? The trouble I tend to have with beginners is a tendency to get overly sideways, giving up the ability to utilize the back hand and foot, not to mention easy shots at the kidneys, hamstring, and back of the head. An overly forward stance is bad as far as taking a hit square in the gut, but it's been my experience that this is easier to correct later than being too sideways.

[sensei8]

DWx,

Let me just say this one thing to you...SOLID!! An absolute solid article, great read. Your students are lucky to have you as their instructor!!

[DWx]

Thanks for the feedback guys

(Front and side kicks are also an option. However, I've found that front kicks tend to promote a more forward facing stance which at this stage I personally want to discourage and side kicks can be a little difficult to get used to).

Just curious, why do you want to discourage a more forward stance? The trouble I tend to have with beginners is a tendency to get overly sideways, giving up the ability to utilize the back hand and foot, not to mention easy shots at the kidneys, hamstring, and back of the head. An overly forward stance is bad as far as taking a hit square in the gut, but it's been my experience that this is easier to correct later than being too sideways.

By forward stance I mean feet parallel, almost like a boxers stance. I try not to get them fully side on either but opposite to you find its easier to correct this way round.

I personally try to get them to fight from an "L-stance" or elongated "rear-foot stance", I think these are the equivalent of a Karate back stance and a cat stance. Be what I'd call a half facing stance. The problem I have with being full on is that its not so easy to throw a lead leg kick off of... or more that its easier to do from a side on stance. Front kicks being the exception to this. Lead leg kicks are really a core technique for our sparring as they are equally as useful for offence and defence, easy to close the gap or make space, start off a combo etc. Back kicks, reverse/spinning hooks and the like can also come quite easily from the side on stance whereas they are so much more difficult to do from a full facing. The rear leg roundhouse is also a very powerful tool from a side facing stance as the distance it travels lets you build up some momentum behind it and is good for developing the hip action.

You are right in the disadvantages of the side on stance. I actually feel overly sideways isn't so much of a problem for us as very rarely do we use the back leg or arm straight off. It'll almost always be covered by the front arm (or leg) or if you are using it straight off, its a power shot that you've set up for and have the speed and technique to deliver. At a beginner level its also not so much a problem having the back exposed to kidney shots as they're not allowed at this level and hamstring and head shots are avoided via evasion and developing a good guard. Being full on presents far too many targets IMO and I think its a lot harder to develop a good guard for it. I don't know whether its directly related but generally the people who naturally take a full on stance also seem to be the ones who like to keep going forward.

The footwork drills and that which I show from a beginner level are also more geared to being side on as I think they're easier to do. If we take an example where we want to quickly get out of range of an incoming attack: in a side on stance all you have to do it step back with the front foot so that its now behind, you've effectively created a stance's difference between you and your partner. In a fully facing stance its not so easy to create that room going back, even if you step back with one foot you're still in range until your other foot moves. Same applies to going forward.

I think this is going to be in part down to the style and method of sparring. It'll depend a bit on the techniques and goals. TBH eventually we want to get to a stage where the person comfortable with fighting through the full 90° (fully frontal to fully side on) and on both sides with either leg back and they're constantly shifting between this in their fight. But that is much later.

DWx,

Let me just say this one thing to you...SOLID!! An absolute solid article, great read. Your students are lucky to have you as their instructor!!

Thanks Bob! But I don't actually have any students atm... would love to have my own class/school in the future but with all the studying for uni and other things I don't really have time for my own training let alone have time to teach others. These are just some teaching ideas and methods based on my own learning and experiences which I occasionally get to inflict on others at the school I train at and that I'll work on with sparring partners if they're less experienced.

[Jeffrey]

A really great read and some great ideas to put into practice.

thanks,

[sensei8]

DWx,

Let me just say this one thing to you...SOLID!! An absolute solid article, great read. Your students are lucky to have you as their instructor!!

Thanks Bob! But I don't actually have any students atm... would love to have my own class/school in the future but with all the studying for uni and other things I don't really have time for my own training let alone have time to teach others. These are just some teaching ideas and methods based on my own learning and experiences which I occasionally get to inflict on others at the school I train at and that I'll work on with sparring partners if they're less experienced.

Well, then your fellow TKD practitioners are luck to have you to train with and have fun with!! However, when, and if, the day comes to you and you open your own dojang, those future students will be very luck to have you as their instructor!!