Some sparring advice?

[Gerry Seymour]

Are they the same ones being referred to? Because they're by Dr YANG Jin-bang, not Master Sang H KIM.

I have those Dr Yang videos (I actually had them in video before they were released on DVD and recorded them to DVD and later ripped to MPEG, myself) and they're awesome!

Hmm...I don't see them listed on his site at Martial Arts Videos.

 

[drop bear]

What do you mean by this last part?

A lot of catching people, especially for things like body kicks, is hitting them when their guard is not there.

When they are punching is a good time. But that means you have to know about when they are going to punch. Rather than see the punch, defend, fire your own return shot back.

It is just too slow.

I work on probabilities a lot. And then use reaction speed to cover the gaps.

 

[WaterGal]

Are they the same ones being referred to? Because they're by Dr YANG Jin-bang, not Master Sang H KIM.

I have those Dr Yang videos (I actually had them in video before they were released on DVD and recorded them to DVD and later ripped to MPEG, myself) and they're awesome!

Sorry, yeah, the ones he posted the link to are the ones I was talking about. I have a couple of Master Kim's books on the shelf next to the DVDs, and I guess I got their names mixed up in my memory, lol. The DVDs are by Dr Yang.

Anyway, they're great DVDs and I would totally recommend them! Also, Master Sang H Kim (I checked the book this time to make sure I got the right name, hehe....) has a book called "Taekwondo Kyorugi" that has some training suggestions for sparring, including other exercises to do at home to help with your overall physical fitness for sparring.

 

[Danny T]

We do. I was looking for advice on what I should focus my mind on to improve my timing or cut out the slop, or if you have any drills that specifically help address those issues.

Knowing a technique is one thing…knowing when to do that technique is quite another. ‘Timing’ is defined for this example as the ability to do the ‘right thing’ at the ‘right time’…and the ‘right thing’ is an appropriate action for that particular moment of combat.

Drills that can address the technique and how it is to be applied within an ever changing situation are critical. Drills provide a means to rehearse sets of fixed motions in a prescribed pattern while providing the necessarily stimulus for a particular technique to occur. It is then the practitioner’s duty to recognize the stimulus when it happens and respond accordingly. As a technique is mastered in this fashion, more techniques can be plugged into this drill…or the nature of the drill can be changed to suit different conditions or situations.

As the technical aspects of technique are gleaned and understood, it is time to put the technique into a ‘petri dish’ of sorts to rehearse how it is affected by timing and what is required of the practitioner to these ends. Footwork affects timing. Observation affects timing. Reaction time affects timing. Drills help with all of that, provided they are done with a discerning eye for what makes the techniques functional to begin with.

Techniques can and do fail at times…through any number of circumstances, such as bad timing, a change in tactile energy from the opponent, footwork issues, and so on. Rather than abandon all hope for success, it is helpful to have other techniques on hand that ‘dovetail’ into the initial technique, providing for the practitioner the ability to ‘flow’…an attribute valued by any martial practitioner. The concept of the ‘flow’ is based on seamlessly moving from one technique to another, developed through arduous practice and application…understanding what makes techniques work and understanding where the commonalities lay between techniques.

This means that a practitioner must a have a body of techniques that have become functional and that an understanding of timing has been built. Without either, then there is no real technique to ‘flow’ into, nor will the opportunity to find other techniques be evident.

Once those prerequisites are practiced to some degree, the next logical step is sparring. Intelligent sparring allows the practitioner to apply and hone what has been learned about power, speed, accuracy, timing and technique.

It is entirely possible for two training partners to enter a sparring match and simply spar, with no real end goal other to ‘win’. In this possibility, the two training partners may learn something but it becomes difficult to improve in any one aspect of their sparring game if they are not conscious of what they are doing.

If the end goal is to improve existing technique, then intelligent and progressive sparring is what is required. Specific techniques can be worked on in an environment where certain factors can be controlled and altered to the benefit of all practitioners involved.

 

[Balrog]

Sparring is probably my worst subject in Taekwondo. I understand the theory, but I have a few issues.

1. Timing - I have trouble timing when I'm supposed to use my techniques, especially against people faster than me.
2. Technique - Shadowboxing or kicking a BOB I have sharp technique. As soon as I start aiming for a hogu my technique gets incredibly sloppy. My back kicks are with the ball of my feet, my roundhouse kicks have a hard time sneaking past arms, etc.

Does anyone have advice on how I can work on my timing and technique? Maybe partner drills I can do, or just things I can mentally focus on while I'm sparring to improve my performance?

Grandmaster's Sparring Rule #1: Don't block with your face.

Having said that, keep in mind some basic concepts: Reading Opponent; Defense; Offense; Timing.
See if you can pair up with someone and practice some basic drills. Perhaps have them attack with only a front leg round kick so that you can practice blocking and countering or evading and countering. Then change to a reverse hook kick.

Keep practicing those simple drills over and over. They will be a good start for you.

 

[skribs]

Grandmaster's Sparring Rule #1: Don't block with your face

This changes everything.

 

[TrueJim]

Grandmaster's Sparring Rule #1: Don't block with your face.

 

[thanson02]

Sparring is probably my worst subject in Taekwondo. I understand the theory, but I have a few issues.

1. Timing - I have trouble timing when I'm supposed to use my techniques, especially against people faster than me.
2. Technique - Shadowboxing or kicking a BOB I have sharp technique. As soon as I start aiming for a hogu my technique gets incredibly sloppy. My back kicks are with the ball of my feet, my roundhouse kicks have a hard time sneaking past arms, etc.

Does anyone have advice on how I can work on my timing and technique? Maybe partner drills I can do, or just things I can mentally focus on while I'm sparring to improve my performance?

I would say work your counter attacks. Every time someone moves in to perform a attack, they open up their defenses. Learning where those openings are when they attack will help you know what to do and when to do it. Eventually, you start to pay more attention to the body twitches then the actual attacks. Also, you will see the attacks coming sooner and your ability to see the gaps in people's defenses will improve.

Nothing kills a fight faster then an opponent getting frustrated because every time they move they get hit.