Sparring For The First Time...

[sensei8]

...Is like...

>Motor Crossing Racing while you're sitting backwards on the seat!

[Everything's out of control]

>Salmon fishing with the other bears, except, you're not a bear!

[You're quite out of your element]

>Parachuting without a reserve!

[You know ONE so-so technique]

>Driving an 18-Wheeler truck, except you don't know how!

[You just can't get it in gear]

Try to remember the very first time you every donned all of your protective gear and engaged on the floor to spar, and your sparring partner was much more experienced than you, like, your Sensei/Instructor.

Your turn...what was sparring like for your very first time?

[Wastelander]

Well, I learned to spar in a dojo that was very structured, so the approach was a little different. We first learned how to do pushing-hands types of "sparring," and then moved on to stationary sparring that they called kime dachi kumite (focus stance sparring), which was standing in horse stance at arm's length from your opponent and doing hands-only sparring. After you were comfortable with that, you got to start doing normal sparring, but you were limited on what techniques you could use for a while. Eventually, you were allow to free-spar, but the dojo I was at only did light-contact point-stop sparring, so control was highly emphasized throughout the entire process.

That approach really gets you adjusted to sparring without it being a jarring experience. Of course, that means that my first real sparring session doesn't stick out in my memory. I can't remember who I was sparring with, but I'm guessing it was a guy named Kenny, who would have been a sankyu at the time and was the primary assistant at the dojo. It was pretty uneventful, as far as I can recall.

The first time I sparred in competition was a different story, though! I was fighting a guy who was bigger than me, and very aggressive (constantly pushing forward), and I ended up being disqualified for excessive contact when I punched him in the face and bloodied his nose. I don't do that kind of sparring anymore, so I'm comfortable hitting people hard now, but at the time I felt like a terrible person .

[brickshooter]

I was 11 and 3/4 years old. For some odd reasons, the grading instructors asked me to spar for the first time during my yellow to green belt grading. And we weren't allowed to do free sparing until after we get our greens.

But I was matched up with my cousin. So we ended up bouncing in circles for 10 minutes straight. Apparently we were being specially graded to see if we can skip a grade and go directly to blue. Suffice to say, we were not.

[Harkon72]

I was terrified when I sparred with my present Sensei for the first time. I need not of worried, the look in his eye said it all. It's all about trust, but that little warrior spirit does us all some good.

[bushido_man96]

I was pretty apprehensive when I first stated sparring. I wasn't terribly athletic, nor was I very aggressive, so it was tough with me at first.

[sensei8]

Great posts all...Thank you for them.

My first time, I almost wet my pants; I was terrified because I was afraid of the unknown.

Time heals all fears, well, sparring fears that is.

[cheesefrysamurai]

I was pretty nervous, though there was no reason. Sensei has awesome control.

I really stink at it though so every time feels like the first time all over again. I have sparred several times and dont really know what its like to hit someone. I just cant get in and when I close enough, i have to defend and back out.

Its going to be years before i get pleasure our of it.

Randori and grappling are enjoyable

[AngelAriz]

We sparred'with no protective gear. I was scared to get hit. I kcked alot in order to keep distance between us but it was kind of messy. Still it was some of the best training i had. I was a short bony kid sparring with 6 foot giant older teens. Good times.

[FangPwnsAll7]

I was just moving into my opponent, kicking him repeatedly...

[sensei8]

In the tune of the OP...

What did it FEEL like, or what was it like when you first sparred?

For example,

~Sparring for the first time is like running blindfolded!!

[You're going to run into something quite hard unexpectedly]