Sparing Help

[ps1]

I tend to disagree with some traditional methodology here. Kata, while it has many benefits, will not make your sparring better (particularly at higher levels). It helps beginners because it instills some basic techniques and some basic coordination.

However, to get to a black belt level of sparring ability, you must focus on footwork and timing. The timing comes from two sources. Ippon Kumite (one step sparring) is the first source. Your goal should always be to tell your uke to actually try to hit you with his/her technique. The second source is actually using your ippon kumite techniques in sparring. The more you attempt them, the better your timing will get.

Footwork is something you can practice anywhere. At first, focus on the footwork you learn in your one step sparring techniques. Then, you can start putting together footwork patterns that work for you.

If you master timing and footwork you'll be a very formidable opponent.

[Kross]

i should have elaborated i am not a complete begginer, i got to my yellow belt a few years back, and had to give it up because of my families financial situation. so i do have some experience. In my style yellow belt is the third belt, and i was about to test for my orange. when i spar it is usualy against a higher belt level, generaly green or above, so i am outmatched, are there any drills that will help my reflexs besides sparring?

[JusticeZero]

Lots of things will "help your reflexes", but they will be less effective at helping your sparring than sparring.

In any case, your response seems to indicate that you have not actually listened to what we have told you about not focusing on winning. Go back and reread it. Concentrating on "winning" your sparring matches is the absolute worst thing you can do; down that road lies the way of the completely ineffectual rules lawyering martial athlete.

These are the people who, in fencing, approach a martial art to learn about swordfighting by flicking their sword at people so that the thin gauge for safety foils will bend around to lightly tap the button on the tip of the sword against the back of their opponents' head and score a point. We may not be fighting with swords anymore, but most people would appreciate at least keeping the pretense that one is learning to use an actual blade, rather than a springy piece of wire with a button on the tip.

This is where you get the martial art people who's defense against being punched, kicked, or knifed is to turn their back on their opponent and abandon any sort of defense, because if they turn their back it is illegal to attack them. You can imagine how well this works against a rapist or furious mugger.

Concentrating on winning in sparring is like learning to play football, and focusing all your attention on learning how to move the tackle machine, explicitly and knowingly using a technique that would be ineffective to use against an actual opposing football player, apparently out of some desire to look good in front of the team by really shoving that training device around even though it's going to get you sunk when the game rolls around. Just work the stuff you're practicing!

[Kross]

you are right i may be focusing on winning a little to much, but at the same time my sensei approached me about competeing in an upcoming tournament, so i am really trying to get my bearings. i will try to not focus on winning as much in the future, thank all of you for your replys!!

[ps1]

You should be trying to perfect new moves on people with less skill than you. If you can not hit a particular combination on a white belt...you'll never hit it on a green, brown, or Black belt. Once you've really gotten good at hitting the moves on white belts, then try it on people of your own skill level. Once you get good at that, try it on people better than you.

When you spar people who are better than you, don't try to win. That's pointless. Try, instead, to learn. If you throw technique x, what do they do. Learn the habits they have. Then you can take those moves they do on you and try them on white belts. So the cycle continues.

[Kross]

i am a white belt, but i had my yellow belt before i stopped a few years ago. so i do have more experience than most white belts but i dont have as much experience as a true yellow belt either. so when i spar it is usualy against an opponent of a higher rank, i have only sparred with another white belt on a few occasions, agian thanks for the replys i will deffinately put them into practice.

[bushido_man96]

I agree with many of the others. Spar with something in mind to try to learn or make work, and then make adjustments as needed to get it to work better. You will learn what you like to do, how to make it work, and then how to make other things work by incorporating it with what does work for you. This will help you develop an overall strategy after a time.

[SlowHands]

i should have elaborated i am not a complete begginer, i got to my yellow belt a few years back, and had to give it up because of my families financial situation. so i do have some experience. In my style yellow belt is the third belt, and i was about to test for my orange. when i spar it is usualy against a higher belt level, generaly green or above, so i am outmatched, are there any drills that will help my reflexs besides sparring?

-shadowboxing

-jump roping for better foot work

-simple combinations that you can pull off easily

the object of kumite in the dojo is apply the stuff you've learned in class so that goes with out saying that you should do just that. however, you have to learn what works best for you in terms of your body type and your mentality.

are you a defensive fighter? practice your counters, block + punch/kick, switch it up a little shift, parry, counter, counter, counter, etc whatever your imagination comes up with

are you more on the offensive? practice entering at different ankles from the left or the right of your targer, and try putting together combinations that flow together and target different planes (high, middle, low)

[bushido_man96]

are you a defensive fighter? practice your counters, block + punch/kick, switch it up a little shift, parry, counter, counter, counter, etc whatever your imagination comes up with

are you more on the offensive? practice entering at different ankles from the left or the right of your targer, and try putting together combinations that flow together and target different planes (high, middle, low)

I agree here that figuring out what one's tendencies and preferences are while sparring is just as important to developing the strategies that will go along with one's sparring. It will help when figuring out why something might not be working well. Its also good for guaging one's own strengths and weaknesses, and tailoring training to suit.

[Nevinyrral]

You should not worry if you lose a sparring match with a higher belt. I'd say before sparring you should think about combination or two and then try to use them in sparing. It would not matter that you lose. For now you should just try to land one clean hit, then two and so on as you get more experience. Also you can always ask your senpais that you spared with for advice.

And you are not planning to go to competitions soon right? So for now just practice, and good luck