too slow and lack of movility

[Manny]

Last night class was sparring night so asked my students to wear safety gear and proceded, I was suposed not to spar but take care of the new yellow belts and call for the good kicks and encourage people seeking for the points however I got inside and sparred (only with forearms pads) with students and play with them trying to create openings for them to try to make contact and win the point.

I sparred a blue belt and a yellow belt, I had a good time however monts amd monts of no sparring has made me too slow and wiht lack of movility, if I were sparring a black belt maybe my butt will kicked pretty nice LOL!!

I weigth 110 kilograms and the blue belt is aboput my height but 40 kilos less than I and the yellow belt is the same, when I wanted to kick to the head my leg was not to high and my oponent was away for me, I made two wonderful ti-chaguis sending my partners to the ground ( I was not using full power I must say I).

The sparring was something like cat chasing the mouse, I was leaving openings to my students to conect me and I tried to caught them with spining back kicks or chasing them sending a voley of kicks so they can counter me, finish tired but concerned about my lack of movility and be too slow.

Manny

 

[Rumy73]

Sparring is like a knife, one has to practice for it to be sharp. However, an accomplished martial artist like you, Manny, can get back into it with a little work. In terms of mobility, watching one's weight and regularly doing cardio does wonders.

 

[Manny]

Sparring is like a knife, one has to practice for it to be sharp. However, an accomplished martial artist like you, Manny, can get back into it with a little work. In terms of mobility, watching one's weight and regularly doing cardio does wonders.

A little more cardio can help, I will keep doing sparring once a week with my students to stay sharp, this way my students will gain confidence and I will gain a little more of reflexes. Something I liked yestarday was to caught my two students with spining back kicks because it helped me to teach the following things: a) if done correctly (as a counter) it's almost impossible to block or deflect, b) it can deliver a great amount of knockdown power and... c) in case the oponent could block the kick (very dificult) the arms can not cushion so much the blow.

Manny

 

[WaterGal]

I'm worried about this, too! I haven't sparred an adult in TKD since we opened our school in the fall, and I'm sure I'm really out of practice. I need to start getting the Mr to do some sparring with me in the mornings at least once a week, because my 2nd Degree test is coming up soon and I don't want to embarrass myself.

 

[Cyriacus]

Lack of speed is often proportionate to lack of aggression (of the sparring variety).
You cant play a game of providing openings and looking for openings if you cant spar normally first. So go to the other end of the spectrum.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

I'm worried about this, too! I haven't sparred an adult in TKD since we opened our school in the fall, and I'm sure I'm really out of practice. I need to start getting the Mr to do some sparring with me in the mornings at least once a week, because my 2nd Degree test is coming up soon and I don't want to embarrass myself.

It is so important to regularly spar adults, preferably ones more advanced than yourself. I changed class (not club) a few years back for this very reason. Unfortunately the new class has about twenty black belts (most third dan or above) so I've become a bit of a boxing bag

 

[Rumy73]

Lack of speed is often proportionate to lack of aggression (of the sparring variety).
You cant play a game of providing openings and looking for openings if you cant spar normally first. So go to the other end of the spectrum.

False. Speed is first and foremost related to weight, cardio and reflexes. Being timid certainly can slow a person down, but an out of shape person who moves in aggressively will be thwarted easily.

 

[Cyriacus]

False. Speed is first and foremost related to weight, cardio and reflexes. Being timid certainly can slow a person down, but an out of shape person who moves in aggressively will be thwarted easily.

Oh? Id wager Manny can throw about 5 punches per second if he tries. I suggest he tries it.
Moving in aggressively doesnt require you to be in shape. Some people do suck at attacking though, which is far from related to speed.

 

[Manny]

Thank you guys!! I must confess that even I have lost a few kilograms and I feel and look better I am still a little heavy, I will never return to my teens when I weight 70-75 kilograms I am not a child anymore, right now I am a mature working man (45 yo), married and yes I can drop a few more kilos but never been a thin boy.

TKD has helped me losing a few kilos and maintaining me but never will be a Steven Lopez. My goal inside TKD is not to become the best fighter but learn how to defend myself if need it, however if we see sparring as a game and not as a killing game we can enjoy the most the game, besides sparring inside dojang with a rule set (WTF for example) is nothing that a game.

I will be doing more sparring with my students because there is no other male black belt about my size and weight but there are some teens that can put me in troubles because they are lighter and quicker than me and they sparr every week and some go to tournaments.

Some times kids get scared because sparring even my studeents, because they worry about been injured, I calmy told them that sparring is something like a tag game but with heavy contact and also is like chess there is a lot of brains when doing kyorugi so they have tyo stay focus and cover always their head/face.

Manny

 

[WaterGal]

It is so important to regularly spar adults, preferably ones more advanced than yourself. I changed class (not club) a few years back for this very reason. Unfortunately the new class has about twenty black belts (most third dan or above) so I've become a bit of a boxing bag

I totally agree. Problem is, my fiance (who's a 5th dan) and I opened our own school in October. Our adult students are all white and yellow belt and don't even have sparring gear yet. I think I need to see if some of my buddies from GM's school will come over and spar with me on the weekend or something.

 

[Master Dan]

sparring is fine for the young but I would like to see you progress to a higher level using chi flow hit the lung points and other points on the legs who cares about head kicks let them stay in close do what you want don't break a sweat not even raise your heart rate. They can't feel or raise thier arms or legs or breath what they going to do? You don't get younger face it but you can get more deadly and that does not mean you cannot be a good sport coach for the younger but stop beating your self up your a good man good teacher you need a good GM to help you with self healing and next two levels my friend

 

[Rumy73]

sparring is fine for the young but I would like to see you progress to a higher level using chi flow hit the lung points and other points on the legs who cares about head kicks let them stay in close do what you want don't break a sweat not even raise your heart rate. They can't feel or raise thier arms or legs or breath what they going to do? You don't get younger face it but you can get more deadly and that does not mean you cannot be a good sport coach for the younger but stop beating your self up your a good man good teacher you need a good GM to help you with self healing and next two levels my friend

Master Dan, great points! I aim to do more with less. Getting in and out by mere inches instead of lunging in and jumping away, utilizing feints, and of course, patience.

 

[Master Dan]

Master Dan, great points! I aim to do more with less. Getting in and out by mere inches instead of lunging in and jumping away, utilizing feints, and of course, patience.

There is nothing more important than flexability and proper breathing and stretching we do not 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours with a passive spinal adjustment at the end of class. this is what the Chiropractors don't want you to learn becasue in about 75% of people you don't need them any more. use friction to melt the disks then lay on two rolled up towels certain diameter with music perferably Native Shaman or other such that has Heart Beat drum focus on breathing and heart rate many people fall asleep. This results in putting the three C's in your spine if you have the right curves then all your vertabre will rotate on thier own and you suddenly have better communication from brain to all organs. We advance through several stages of stretching including two person stretches. one parent a weight lifter can now dead lift 515 pounds in just a few weeks due to doing the class with his son now he comes just for the breathing and stretching goes back to the weight room then comes back at end of class for the spinal adjustment he sais he now walks and feels different and has esier time mentally at work.

We use alot of Chi Gong and Hapkido breathing in this