on sparring

[white eagle]

I was wondering how do you all spar ?
Do you get padded up and have at it or do you try to work in your technical material block combos take downs and the like?
I have a hard time even thinking of any of my material to use against a punch or a kick things happen so fast that there is no time to a specific block or counter.
My thought is that the basic reaction to a specific tool being being used at the time is on auto pilot from the basic drills that we do.
Any thoughts on this matter would be apreciated
Thanks..
D:ultracool ....

 

[c2kenpo]

Everyones take on sparring is a bit different and I dont do full contact sparring anymore. I do put on the gloves and foot wear with a partner and a mouthpiece and we light spar.

Each time I spar I try to pick a new idea to practice so for example it might be combinations off the left side and not the right.
Rebounding off of the block into a strike combo
Changing angles and shortning the circles. etc.
Even pulling of a full tech in sparring I love the Five Swords boxing combo!

Regarding takedowns, my general rule of thumb is I keep that to grappling sessions. Different lessons there to focus on and you can't learn toomuch or practice too much at one time. You don't make any progress and you may miss what you were trying to accomplish.

Learn one lesson at at time then try to apply it.

David Gunzburg

 

[ShaolinWolf]

Well, at my school, we spar with head, foot, and hand gear along with mouth piece and cup(shin guards are optional).

No strikes below the belt. No punching to the head(although, some smaller sessions we do when there are people who can box). No stikes to the back. The valid targets are this: Kicks to the head, kicks and punches to the midsection.

1 point for any kick or punch to midsection. 2 points for any kick to the head. Add 1 point to any technique with a jump added to it.

Blocking is almost a reflex reaction, now. And there are a lot of times when I didn't even know the kick was gonna be there and I block it.

I try to work on a new technique everytime, mixing the technique up with others so that I'm not telegraphing for my partner.

 

[HardassHalfPint]

Everything from slow sparring for form, breathing and balance work to full out.

 

[markulous]

We have gloves and headgear(and a mouthpiece and cup of course) and basically we do anything goes. If we aren't wearing elbow pads then we usually don't throw elbows. We will stop when someone taps out or is trapped on the ground and can't defend himself anymore. Then we just reset and keep going.

Once my skill level gets closer to that of my Sifu we plan on going with no gloves or headgear, just a mouthpiece and a cup.

 

[DavidCC]

A the Shaolin Kempo school I attend, we spar with gloves and a mouthpiece. We don't allow contact to the throat, spine, joints, groin, eyes. We go until one person has had enough, whether that means they get submitted, or just whacked until they don't want any more, or if they have satisfied whatever they were looking for (trying specific combos etc)... whichever comes first

level of contact... it's not "light" at all, probably best described as "full" but it's whatver is agreed to by the sparrers. Usually pretty heavy, unless the belt difference is large then the junior goes hard, and the seniors go light (0_o)

our motto is "if you injure your opponent then they can't train next week, and nobody wants that."

 

[kajupaul]

Sometimes we warm up with contact drills on pads or each other.We do blocking and countering drills,comination drills.Then we do light to no contact with no gear during the regular class.After the class the die hards stick around and gear up with foam hands,feet,shins,cup,and mouth peice and we go medium to heavy contact(with respect for the face)most people have to work.After that the really die hards put on the boxing gloves and we box or kick box for another 30 to 60 minutes.

 

[Fortis]

For my Tae Kwon Do class, we gear up in head, chest, elbow, shin, gloves, cup and mouthpiece. 8th gup goes no contact and light contact just to get it in your body. 7th and up goes regular contact unless otherwise instructed. Advanced belts (brown and up) use head contact.

 

[KenpoTess]

we spar from white belt on.. your partner (if a lower belt) defines the pace, they will get hit as hard as they hit
Cups are recommended for the males (no matter what age) and if they don't wear one and get hit.. they take it outside to 'cry'. Below black belt.. no face contact.. no spinal contact though kidney shots are legal. If we are sparring tournament rules (which we only do once in awhile).. no leg shots or take downs.. otherwise we can do front leg sweeps, throws, takedowns and grappling is allowed.
Typical sparring gear- Head and foot gear and hand gear, some wear shin pads ( I tend to over pad as I blocked a kick with my shin and ended up with cellulitis which was miserable beyond any broken bone I've endured~!) Not many over 18 wear mouth guards unless sparring someone outside the school.
Control is used and we utilize our Tecs when we spar, it's a good tool and helps the more timid learn how to take a hit as well as teaches everyone targeting as well as timing

Tess

 

[MichiganTKD]

1. Yellow belt sparring: Minimal steps practice, just facing your partner and practicing alternating kicking to middle and high targets. Very slow and controlled.

2. Yellow Green-Green: Begin using steps and combinations. Light-medium contact. Speed is slow to moderate depending on skill level.

3. Blue-Red: Moderate to fast free fighting, using combinations and footwork. We aim for knocking the opponent off balance as opposed to full contact. Targets are stomach and head. Kicking is to the body and head, and punching is to the body-no face punching.

4. Black belt and above is whatever you and your partner agree on. Some BB will stick with slow sparring, especially if they are tight or have not practiced for awhile. Others look like they are trying to kill each other.

Normally we use no padding while free fighting, although if there is a risk of contact we will use headgear. If our Organization tournament is approaching, I will have the students who plan on sparring wear hogu, headgear, shin/arm pads and mouthguards.