sport fighting

[shazaam]

The more realistic the contest, the better able the martial artist can prove his techniques will work or won't work in a real situation.

[Valithor]

But "real" situations are so varied and different.

[monkeygirl]

And "unrealistic" fighting can also be just plain fun!

 

Point fighting may not be terribly realistic, but look at it this way:

 

How do jumping jacks prepare you for a real fight? Are you going to defend yourself by doing jumping jacks near your opponent? No, they help with endurance, warming up your muscles, etc...the same goes for push-ups, jumping drills and other warm-ups/strength-building exercises you may do in class.

 

IMO, point fighting works on your ability to strategize and adapt to a fight, as well as working on your speed and control. Of course you won't kick your attacker in the head during a "real" fight, but you will be light on your feet and very observant of how your attacker fights. Point fighting helps to focus and magnify those parts of fighting, rather than doing it all at once in realistic fighting. You can practice putting them all together when you do realistic, self-defense fighting in class.

 

I maintain that every drill has its purpose.

[shazaam]

What is your definition of "realisitc, self=defense fihgting"

[Reklats]

You fight how you train. If you're used to pulling your kicks in sparring, you'll have a hard time adjusting to using full power.

[TJS]

Point fighting creates false confidence and develops bad habits

 

I agree there is nothing wrong with it as long as the students are informed that you are playing a game of tag.

[shazaam]

TJS is spreading correct.

[Sasori_Te]

I think moneygirl has a valid point. Point sparring allows you to learn to think fast on the move. A little is okay as long as it's not all you do. You need to have heavy contact training as a part of the routine as well or you will develop the bad habits everyone is talking about. The old maxim is true, "you WILL fight like you train".

[Drunken Monkey]

i believe that everything has value.

 

after all, even bad technique has value because after you do it, and you find out it doesn't work, you have learnt something.

 

point sparring has it's place in your training and, in my opinion, is as important as full contact sparring, which is as important as "shadow boxing" type training, which is as important as forms training...

 

you have to train everything.

 

for example, in a full contact sparring session, you cannot possibly execute moves perfectly, smoothly, calmly etc etc, which is why you need to practice the move in a form (or however you choose...)

 

in a point sparring session, you don't get the real idea of impact, range, struggle etc etc so you need to go full contact.

 

neither really allow you to practice speed so you need to go to shadow box type training to build speed and fluidity.

[Reklats]

It also depends on the art. Grappling sparring is basically the real thing. I go full out, up until the moment that I realize I'm about to get my arm broken then I tap... When I point spar (striking) I realize that combat isn't being simulated nearly as well.

 

I think if I had to get in a real fight, my grappling would adapt to dealing with real strikes better than my striking would.

 

As far as the overall value of point sparring... everything you do may have SOME value, but some stuff is definately more valuable than others. I think full contact sparring helps me the most, but I certainly can't do it all the time. So I do complementing things like pad work, and that leads to point sparring becaue the other people holding pads want to do that next...