Martial Artists different styles meeting for "sparring&

[TheBuzz]

How do you feel about students from different MA styles getting together once or twice a month do have "sparring" time. A time that is just to see other arts and try to better educate yourself on other forms of attacks and styles. This would not be a "my style is better than yours" or "you should quit your current style and come to the right one". It would be "hey, lets all get together and learn from each other". This is something my instructor said he would like to implement and I thought I have the opportunity to ask an entire online community of MA's about their thoughts on the subject.

Style at the Dojo in question-Aikido.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks.

[MasterPain]

As long as everyone involved has a good attitude towards it and everyone stays strictly within the rules established and contact level agreed upon, it's a great idea.

The trouble with Aiki-based systems is the heavy use of standing joint locks that a person either willingly goes with or gets injured. Best to establish beforehand what your goal is, say to capture an arm in a certain way, and stop there. Otherwise you'll be getting punched in the face while you politely refrain from wrenching their arm from their body.

[Wastelander]

I'm all for it--my dojo hosts open sparring events 3-4 times a year, and I periodically visit other schools to spar with them. Aside from the occasional person with something to prove, it always goes quite well. MasterPain has a very good point about the standing locks, though. Setting up rules and expectations in advance is definitely a must!

[tallgeese]

We actually had this set up while I was in college. It was our "Saturday Sparring" session. We had kempo guys, some karate, boxers, a kick boxer or two, the occasional Chinese stylist even. It was a fantastic learning time.

I love this sort of thing. Like MP said, layout some ground rules ahead of time. This will go a long way to keep things in check. Also, some styles spar harder than others set some contact limitations at the start.

Good luck and let us know how the experiment goes.

[TheBuzz]

MasterPain, Wastelander, and tallgeese. I sincerely appreciate your feed back and experience with the same concept. I will inform my instructor of your advice and I will let you know how it works out, if we get it set up. Thanks again!

[bushido_man96]

These are great opportunities to learn and grow as a Martial Artist. In today's Martial Arts environment, you don't see nearly as many people staying within their own MA bubble as seemed to happen in the past. Opportunities like this are good ones, so long as everyone that attends has the same ideas in mind, and is taking the same learning approach to the session.

Hopefully, everyone comes to the session with an idea of what they would show that day, making for a fun exchange for all.

[Hawkmoon]

Yup!

100% do this.

A great way to test yourself and learn.

No matter who or what the style you are going to gain some serious experience and lean to detect tells in the person in front of you!

a different system is not going to produce a different type of fighter they will do stuff in a way your not seen so you'll be more alert (hopefully) to spotting the tell of a punch or kick..you get the idea!

[sensei8]

How do you feel about students from different MA styles getting together once or twice a month do have "sparring" time. A time that is just to see other arts and try to better educate yourself on other forms of attacks and styles. This would not be a "my style is better than yours" or "you should quit your current style and come to the right one". It would be "hey, lets all get together and learn from each other". This is something my instructor said he would like to implement and I thought I have the opportunity to ask an entire online community of MA's about their thoughts on the subject.

Style at the Dojo in question-Aikido.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks.

I say YES, and why not!?! After all, this takes place at every Open Tournament on the face of the Earth.

Exchanging with other styles should be something that a MAist would want to do because our attackers are not from cookie cut-outs, and in that, they're approaches aren't similar either.

Exchanging doesn't mean recruiting, imho!! Two separate things that shouldn't share the floor!! There's a good time for that, AFTER, said exchanging is done, if desired.

[jaypo]

I'm for it. We periodically have students from other dojo's come to train with us, and our Sensei usually holds a sparring session. I think he does it to guage his students against other styles. We had a 2nd degree TKD student train with us, and it was very interesting to go against him. He had beautiful kicks, but he left so many openings that it was pretty easy to score on him. But he was very agressive.

I think that as long as everyone understood that it was a "learning" session, a lot could be gained from it.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I think it is a great idea for those from different martial arts to come together to spar.

As long as rules are put in place so safety came first and the amount of contact is agreed upon. especially if the style focuses on locks etc.

Learning, safety and enjoyment of all parties are extremely important.