Developing kumite techniques

[catlike]

Graded recently to 5th kyu Wado Ryu. All the test was going reasonably well until the sparring. I totally fell apart. Going against a guy much better than me demoralised me a bit. Got a few whacks to the head and i pretty much gave up.

Sitting down after i realise that most of the things we do are responding to attacks, not developing them.

Obviously, I'll chat to my sensei. But has anyone any other tips?

[mushybees]

Spar more and relax. For me personally there is no technique that I'm trying to slip in and no strategy that is playing out in my head. If your focus is on waiting to recognise an opening or an opportunity you'll fail. The opportunities will present themselves, you need to be fluid and able to capitalise on anything instantly.

Effectiveness in sparring is a reflection of my total training, not just my kumite skills.

In short; it'll come in time so stop thinking about it and enjoy.

[Wado Heretic]

Work hard on the role of the Uke in the Kihon Kumite, and the Ohyo (If your group does them), and just do those roles against the air like short kata. They will help you develop good basic set-ups for sparring.

A good drill for developing your defence if you can find a partner:

Key thing to remember is that you are in that tricky phase where talent still has a big part to play in sparring ability. All I can do, is as Mushybees stated, is to enjoy yourself and focus on getting experience.

[JR 137]

As you said, absolutely talk to your sensei. He/she sees you day in and day out and knows your strengths and weaknesses. We can’t see what you’re doing right and wrong.

But general advice, stay calm and focused, regardless of how well or poorly it’s going. Once you get overly anxious, things will fall apart. Once you feel truly defeated, things will fall apart.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of gaining more experience. There’s no substitute for experience. Experience will help you better see the openings, the tells, give you more confidence, and all that other good stuff. Quite often the more experienced person knows what the opponent will do before the opponent even knows what he’ll do because he’s seen it over and over again. And he’s responded in many different ways, learning what works for him and what doesn’t. There’s no substitute for experience (did I say that yet ).

There’s a saying in karate that goes “knocked down 7 times, get up 8 times” and it’s applicable here. Don’t let this event keep you down. We all question and doubt ourselves. We’ve all had days where we’ve asked ourselves “what have I learned the entire time I’ve been here?” We’ve all been completely shut down by someone much better than us at one point or another. What keeps us all going is doing everything we can to not allow it to happen again, even though we know deep down that it will.

I’ve sparred with people significantly above my rank and my abilities practically every time I’ve tested. I can’t remember a test that I didn’t, but there may have been one in there somewhere. No teacher/examiner in their right mind is expecting you to “beat” that person; he/she is expecting you to do your best, push yourself, and watching how you’ll react to the setbacks. IMO that’s the truest test.

We’re typically our own worst critics. That can and should be a good thing. In some instances it works against us. Don’t let it work against you. Fall down seven times, get up eight!

[sensei8]

Kumite as often as you breath...and then some!! Not just Kumite endlessly, but these suggestions...

1) Against those who are much more adept than you in Kumite.

2) Drill, while engaging in Kumite, with those areas that trouble you the most.

3) Face any fears that you might have within the scope of Kumite

4) Be terribly honest with yourself across the board

What I've suggested above, is exactly what I've done with my students who experience similar difficulties involving Kumite. What I might be suggesting could seem quite unfeeling and harsh, but they're meant to help them to improve their MA betterment.

Dai-Soke was always expressing this to everyone when they were struggling...

"You are not mature in your Karate-do. When you become mature in your Karate-do, you'll be effective. Find that maturity, and find it soon" Well, soon can be a very long trying road, full of many potholes, yet, repairable...in time.

Those words for me, when I first heard them, and when I often heard them, for quite a long time, were very difficult to swallow. However, one can only take so many bricks to their thick skull before they start figuring just how to no longer be struck with bricks anymore...and they/we/I finally did, for the sake of our MA betterment.

[Fat Cobra]

Fight, fight, and fight.

Practice sparring constantly, the more the better.

Bushido!!!!

[Wastelander]

Honestly, while the general response to this is going to be that you need to spar more--and you do--I think the bigger thing right now is that you need to DRILL more. You mention that you mostly spend your time responding to attacks, rather than developing them, and it sounds like you aren't so concerned with your defensive ability as you are with your offensive ability. You need to be drilling offensive combinations and tactics, extensively, and THEN start working them into your sparring. The key to that will be that you have to spar with the intent of trying to use the methods you have drilled, rather than trying to "win."

[catlike]

Honestly, while the general response to this is going to be that you need to spar more--and you do--I think the bigger thing right now is that you need to DRILL more. You mention that you mostly spend your time responding to attacks, rather than developing them, and it sounds like you aren't so concerned with your defensive ability as you are with your offensive ability. You need to be drilling offensive combinations and tactics, extensively, and THEN start working them into your sparring. The key to that will be that you have to spar with the intent of trying to use the methods you have drilled, rather than trying to "win."

Yep, yep and yep. I don't think I conceded many points other than going off the mat. And the head whack. I feel like so far, my Karate has been in defensive mode, and that's kind of fundamental in the art. 'There is no first attack', etc.

I'm not feeling so down about it atm, hope to put some stuff together over the next few sessions.

Thanks all!

[Wastelander]

Honestly, while the general response to this is going to be that you need to spar more--and you do--I think the bigger thing right now is that you need to DRILL more. You mention that you mostly spend your time responding to attacks, rather than developing them, and it sounds like you aren't so concerned with your defensive ability as you are with your offensive ability. You need to be drilling offensive combinations and tactics, extensively, and THEN start working them into your sparring. The key to that will be that you have to spar with the intent of trying to use the methods you have drilled, rather than trying to "win."

Yep, yep and yep. I don't think I conceded many points other than going off the mat. And the head whack. I feel like so far, my Karate has been in defensive mode, and that's kind of fundamental in the art. 'There is no first attack', etc.

I'm not feeling so down about it atm, hope to put some stuff together over the next few sessions.

Thanks all!

The trouble I see with that is an overemphasis on the literal interpretation of "there is no first attack in karate" (karate ni sente nashi). Even other masters pointed out that this is a philosophical idea (karateka shouldn't start fights), when in actuality you DO sometimes have to attack first in order to protect yourself. It's an important lesson to learn, because reacting is slower than acting, and if you ALWAYS train from a purely defensive perspective, then you are ALWAYS putting yourself at a disadvantage. In sport fighting, especially, that becomes a problem

[bushido_man96]

Being defensive is tough. Action is faster than reaction, so if you spar defensively all the time, then you constantly put yourself behind the eight-ball.

Work on some offensive set-ups to get yourself started. Find what works for you and what doesn't. Use mid-level attacks to set up high attacks, and visa-versa. Experiment and see what works for you.