How often do you do sparring

[TheKarateAngler]

I ask this because I see sparring as an important part of training and I do 4 hours a week at the dojo, 1 of which is spent sparring (half an hour at the end of each 2 hour session).

However I met someone who is a blue belt in shotokan the other day and he hadn't done any sparring at all. He said his sensei says sparring is overrated and unimportant. That sounds crazy to me, what do you guys think?

[JusticeZero]

There is a concern some have that classical sparring can create bad habits. I cannot fault this view. However, one needs to have something in the training methodology to train reaction to unscripted attacks, map control, et cetera.

If they are doing footwork and range drills and responding to dynamic input, I wouldnt worry about it.

Alternately, if they don't give a darn about combat and want to perfect form and fitness and so on, then he does not need to spar because he does not value that skill. Entirely legitemate.

[TheKarateAngler]

It just seemed crazy because aren't the martial arts there primarily to teach people how to defend themselves.

I know some don't train for that reason, I train because it's fun not because I wanna be able to fight well (although it is a nice bonus), but if the MA's were originally intended for defense then sparring would seem to be an important part of it.

I know this is all my opinion, but it just seems a bit obvious if you get where I'm coming from.

[JusticeZero]

Yes, until you hear enough stories about people shooting a thunderingly powerful technique at an attacker and pulling it an inch away.

[TheKarateAngler]

Yes, until you hear enough stories about people shooting a thunderingly powerful technique at an attacker and pulling it an inch away.

LOL

Ok another point taken, but I think I will stick to sparring during training.

If some people don't want to then that's their choice, but I find it useful and fun.

Just out of interest how often do you spar with people?

[MasterPain]

I firmly believe in sparring with honest contact. Honest, as in hitting hard enough that it can not be ignored, but light enough to not cause injury.

That said, live drilling, with random attacks and real aggression is just as important. We do a lot of Attack and Defend, known in some arts as randori, but randori is a broad term with many meanings. Maybe I can post some video soon.

If your sparring technique falls apart when someone comnes at you like they mean it, there is something missing in your sparring.

[TheKarateAngler]

I firmly believe in sparring with honest contact. Honest, as in hitting hard enough that it can not be ignored, but light enough to not cause injury.

That is the level of contact we use when sparring as well. Unless it's one of the blackbelts teaching a kid how to spar in their first few lessons of course.

[Dobbersky]

I firmly believe in sparring with honest contact. Honest, as in hitting hard enough that it can not be ignored, but light enough to not cause injury.

That is the level of contact we use when sparring as well. Unless it's one of the blackbelts teaching a kid how to spar in their first few lessons of course.

Believe it or not, this is predominantly the level that us Knockdown Karateka Spar at too, unless we're in competition or its a specified Full contact sparring, but we never go out to "damage" our training partners.

I'm not too sure where I read it but it makes sense -

"one should take care of ones training partner as if you damage them, then who will you be able to train with whilst your training partner heals" or something like that

[JusticeZero]

We do have an issue in that our dynamics favors large circular techniques. Big circular techniques have two settings: unrealistically slow motion, or plan for large hospital bills.

Platitudes about "control" simply don't stand up - it's too much mass slung too far outside of your center of mass with too little structure devoted to unkicking the kick to stop on a dime. With linear strikes, you can just break up your structure and the strike turns into a lightning-fast foam puff, but there's only so much you can do about "control" when whipping the entire mass of your limp leg in a 360 degree circle in half of a second. And you're going to stop this instantly with a momentary twitch with your quadriceps? Really?

"Sparring" requires different construction to deal with this sort of thing. our "sparring" is not much like a regular "sparring" match as a result. honestly I can't make anything work in a standard "sparring" match. I lose too much of my toolbox. It feels like telling a carpenter to build a house, then suddenly informing them that they cannot use a hammer, screw driver, glue, or any kind of saw to do it.

I get to jogo someone at my level maybe once a week, if it's a good week.

[MasterPain]

I firmly believe in sparring with honest contact. Honest, as in hitting hard enough that it can not be ignored, but light enough to not cause injury.

That is the level of contact we use when sparring as well. Unless it's one of the blackbelts teaching a kid how to spar in their first few lessons of course.

Believe it or not, this is predominantly the level that us Knockdown Karateka Spar at too, unless we're in competition or its a specified Full contact sparring, but we never go out to "damage" our training partners.

I'm not too sure where I read it but it makes sense -

"one should take care of ones training partner as if you damage them, then who will you be able to train with whilst your training partner heals" or something like that

I've said that before.

Anyway as for the OP, about 2 or 3 hours a week of kicking, punching, throwing, grappling, clubbing or stabbing in some manner.