How often do you do sparring

[evergrey]

Heh, "if you break your toys, you can't play with them any more."

Bruises are common in our dojo but we try to not actually damage each other beyond that. We have work to go to in the morning and stuff...

Usually we do kumite twice a week. Once a month we have an event that is open to all styles of martial art, and that's usually 3 hours of sparring, maybe a bit more, though people take plenty of breaks of course.

Sometimes I spar outside of class too, with one of my instructors. :} I COULD spar 4 times a week every week, if I could afford to go to my dojo 4 times a week. It's a 45 minute drive each way though.

[tallgeese]

Sparring is only unimportant if it used improperly as a training tool. It's one of the best tools you have at your disposal if it's done properly. It's that last sentence that's a problem usually and it hinges on looking at your martial goals and realistically assessing how best to integrate sparring into your training pattern to achieve those goals. This will be a radically different tool if your in for sport vs. self defense, ect.

In my more stand up oriented days, I probably sparred 1/4 to 1/3 of the time spent on the mat. Now that I'm doing BJJ, I'd say that at least 1/2 of the time I spend on the mat is "sparring" in the form of free roll. Maybe more.

It's one of the advantages of a grappling art, it's WAY easier to spar for a much larger percent of your training time, at a high level of intensity with out the risk of injury.

[bushido_man96]

Our school doesn't do enough sparring, in my opinion. Also, when we do, we wear entirely too much gear. Not that I'm a big fan of pain, I just don't like the restrictions of the gear I wear.

[Naked Snake]

I Spar Because I Like To Fight But Because I'm Not A Bad I Spar Like Kenshin Himura Said “With a sword, the people within my sight can at least be protected.”

[ps1]

. That sounds crazy to me, what do you guys think?

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...you're right, it's crazy.

Honestly, it depends why they train. Remember that Karate is a very new martial art. It was created post Meiji Reformation and is imbued with more philosophy than martial skills did prior to that time. To many people, Karate Do is simply a way to stay in shape, sharpen the mind, and have fun.

But there's no doubt. If you want to be good at fighting, you have to practice fighting.

[DoctorQui]

We tend to do light sparring for about ten minutes, 3mins at a time at the beginning or toward the end of every session. At the end of the day, Karate (or any martial art) is about self defence and you don't want to be in a bad situation to find out that you're technique doesn't work. We don't use pads either as we are training in focus and control. I'm not trying to hurt my sparring partner anymore than he is me and I don't go in hell for leather! It trains and desensitises us for the Kumite we must do to attain 1st Dan.

I have to say that I fundamentally disagree that sparring is underrated or not useful and does seem to be the way of a lot of McDojos these days who seem to advocate non contact martial arts (in which I see little usefulness but am prepared to be pursuaded)

In terms of a Shotokan sensei not advocating sparring, I am surprised by this as, like Gojo Ryu, it is one of the most 'contact' arts out there!

[Dobbersky]

Question on this Topic,

How many of you Shadow Spar, I do it almost daily as it gives me time to put techniques together etc

[DoctorQui]

Question on this Topic,

How many of you Shadow Spar, I do it almost daily as it gives me time to put techniques together etc

I do, in fact, I actually find myself doing it unconsciously sometimes at the most embarrassing times I also regularly 'shadow' bunkai too to give my kata definition.

[FangPwnsAll7]

1 hour on saturday and on weekdays it's usually depeneding on how many people are in class that day.

[bushido_man96]

Question on this Topic,

How many of you Shadow Spar, I do it almost daily as it gives me time to put techniques together etc

Not much, although I should. Sometimes around the house I'll just throw out some random TKDness from time to time, but nothing much. I should do it more often, though. With some focus.