"Sparring" .... my new world

[Safroot]

Hi Guys,

Today was my first sparring ... I was completely lost ... blocking kicks with my arms and exposing my face while kicking ... totally lost as I expected

Need your advice guys on how to improve my sparring abilities ... this is my major challenge in Karate since I started and I want to be superior in it

Any advice ??!!

[MasterPain]

Do more of it.

Also, look for good angles but keep a forward attitude. Never take more than 2 steps straight back.

[Wastelander]

At this point, there are only two things you can do to improve your sparring:

1. Spar more

2. Stop "losing"/trying to "win"

Since it's still new to you, any advice we could give you about distancing, feints, combinations, etc. would be lost on you once you bowed in. You need to get more comfortable with it, and that means doing it more. I also noticed that you said you "totally lost," which isn't true--you can't "lose" in sparring, because it isn't a competition. Sparring is a learning experience for both parties.

[Safroot]

Do more of it.

Also, look for good angles but keep a forward attitude. Never take more than 2 steps straight back.

for sure I will, thanks for advice

[Safroot]

I also noticed that you said you "totally lost," which isn't true--you can't "lose" in sparring, because it isn't a competition. Sparring is a learning experience for both parties.

Thanks for advice Wastelander and sorry for not being clear, I meant lost in techniques not losing the sparring !

[jaypo]

I used to dislike sparring, but I changed my mindset. I'm very competitive by nature, and if I can't win and/or perform at what I consider an elite level, it upsets me. So when I first started back, my timing and speed was off. Then I started approaching it as practice and a learning tool. And I started to get better. I saw openings that I didn't see before. And that's when it became fun again! Now, I'm starting to incorporate advanced moves from katas in my sparring, and it's awesome when it works!!

[DWx]

2. Stop "losing"/trying to "win"

This right here is great advice.

It would be a poor reflection on the sensei and his students if a novice student was winning all the time. Right now, when sparring is still very new to you, no-one expects you to win. You don't need to win in training. Sparring is only a tool for practicing your techniques in a live format.

I think a lot of people forget, senior students included, that unless you are in a competition scenario, sparring is practice time and you should be using it achieve little goals. Every bout or training session, pick out something small which you are going to work on. It could be side kicks, it could be using your angles more, to not get hit by Bob Smith's reverse punch or even just to use your left leg more this time. Then work on improving that during each spar. Doesn't matter if you get kicked in the head 20 times in the process or if you "lose" the fight overall, if you can come off the mat and say you've improved a little in your chosen area then that is a victory.

[Safroot]

2. Stop "losing"/trying to "win"

This right here is great advice.

It would be a poor reflection on the sensei and his students if a novice student was winning all the time. Right now, when sparring is still very new to you, no-one expects you to win. You don't need to win in training. Sparring is only a tool for practicing your techniques in a live format.

I think a lot of people forget, senior students included, that unless you are in a competition scenario, sparring is practice time and you should be using it achieve little goals. Every bout or training session, pick out something small which you are going to work on. It could be side kicks, it could be using your angles more, to not get hit by Bob Smith's reverse punch or even just to use your left leg more this time. Then work on improving that during each spar. Doesn't matter if you get kicked in the head 20 times in the process or if you "lose" the fight overall, if you can come off the mat and say you've improved a little in your chosen area then that is a victory.

Totally agree with you & sorry for being unclear, yesterday sparring wasn't competition it was training but i was lost (confused) with techinques.

Thank you for your great advice specially the left leg one for sure I will try it next time

[Safroot]

I used to dislike sparring, but I changed my mindset. I'm very competitive by nature, and if I can't win and/or perform at what I consider an elite level, it upsets me. So when I first started back, my timing and speed was off. Then I started approaching it as practice and a learning tool. And I started to get better. I saw openings that I didn't see before. And that's when it became fun again! Now, I'm starting to incorporate advanced moves from katas in my sparring, and it's awesome when it works!!

Same here, i used to dislike it as I was bit afraid of it (for this reason it was a major challenge for me) but once I've tried it, I liked it.

[Hawkmoon]

Seriously do fight more, and then do some more!

This is a learning process you never complete..ever!

Its not a race, take time to understand why and what you are doing when you are doing it!

The fight will teach the mind to react to the movement of the other guy, be this the shoulder or hip etc and over time you will naturally move in response to the movement, long before you realized you actually moved at all!

The shoulder dropping might indicate the desire to punch, or how they set up to do a low kick, what you need to learn and remember is that they are all tells, and the things you learn when fighting and then more fighting the more you learn!

The great thing about tells is everyone has them you will over time learn to spot them and when you see them react to them.

Soon after this moment in your journey you will start to faint/trigger your opponent to give you there tell and when they do you go to work!

Tells are none negotiable worth more than diamonds and are never to be given away cheaply!

Edited February 11, 2014 by Hawkmoon