Do any of you senior belts spar against white/yellow belts?

[Tkang_TKD]

Tonight we did a little sparring in class, and I had to spar a white belt that has been in class only a couple of weeks. I utilized only basic techniques through the whole light contact sparring session, and intentionally made sure that I didn't touch him with any of my kicks (I easily outweigh the guy by about 140 Lbs).

The problem is, that he didn't want to touch me either. I don't know if it was an intimidation factor, or if maybe he thought that because I didn't touch him, he wasn't supposed to touch me :idunno: .

Anyway, how would you all recommend I handle teaching this young TKDist that it's ok to hit me, and even blast me if he wants to? and is it a good idea to let him hit me, or would that perhaps set him on a course of being invincible?

Thanks for the comments :asian:

 

[TigerWoman]

When there are alot of black belts in class, that is usually when we do spar, because that is usually the safest environment for the inexperienced. Black belts usually know how much to hit and can control their kicks,punches etc.

Usually I tell them, (our master does as well) that they can whale on us (or try) but we can't on them. So that said, they go for it usually. I use simple kicks and contact lightly, nothing to the head to freak them out and I teach them how, starting with fighting stance. If figure if I can teach them one thing each time we match then they are ahead. Some guys at yellow are good, and you can ratchet it up a little. Some are imbalanced and can't hit anything, can't judge range etc. They are all on a learning curve but we as black belts can help it along. But when I finally get to spar a higher belt which I know, it is another story of course.

a PS. after I read your post again, once, I "let" a tired-in-the-legs white belt hit me, a punch, she missed but had been an MP so still knew how. She broke my top rib under my clavicle-my chest gear wasn't high enough. So I'm careful about who hits me now. It took nearly 3 months to heal and then I wasn't supposed to do any heavy workout either. So, yeah, a questionnaire like have you had any previous training would be good. TW

 

[Hwoarang_tkd26]

Well, this is what I would do.
I would just straight up and tell him that you are only going to match him at his level of sparring so you don't overwhelm him, but give him all he can handle at the same time.
Also you might want to consider the fact that he does know he can hit you with force, he is just afriad that if he landed a good hit then you might blast him with somthin hard. (just a possibility)
I remember how I was when I sparred my head instructor About 4 years ago, I knew that I had it commin whenever I landed a decant hit on him, he never actually hurt me bad when I got him with a strike, he would more or less scare the piss out of me every time it happend though.
But anyways that is the past, Im yet to beat my instructor, but I am no longer afraid of him, I am getting very very close to beating him, and in the near futer Im sure it will happen.
Anywho this could be the reason that this individual doesn't hit you with any power.

Hwoarang_tkd26

 

[Disco]

The intimidation factor certainly comes into play for a new person. I assume that this was the first time sparring for him/her, at least with you. In a month or so, you be telling them to start backing off some. Confidence is growing thing. I would not however let them "blast" you so to speak. This does two things. One, it allows for proper technique to be ingrained. Anybody can just blast away. Two, it eliminates the possibility of being injuried, by both parties. It's easy to hurt ones self by doing a technique hard and the wrong way and you may be injuried by looking for one thing and something totally different is delivered.

 

[Tkang_TKD]

Good points I guess if I just let him hit me, it might be a problem if he actually connects with something solid.

And Hwoarang, you may be right. He might be affraid that I'll blast him. I would think that my KJN saying I'm not allowed to hit him hard would make it set well in his mind, but ya never know.

In general, I try not spar outside the capabilities of my junior belts. In the case of white/yellow belts, I generally limit my attacks to front snap, roundhouse, and occasionally double roundhouse kicks, if they have been in class a while.

I leave out most of my spinning and jumping kicks, since as my KJN says "they can't see them coming yet".

Admittedly, I have a few students in my class that fear my spinning hook and side kicks

 

[Tkang_TKD]

Disco, yes it was the first time he's sparred me, and I don't think he had seen me spar before. So maybe just my size was a factor (6'0, 226 -- That's me in my avatar).

I was trying to encourage him to at least kick me, instead of throwing timid kicks. He seemed much more comfortable with doing 3 kick/no contact drills.

 

[Marginal]

We tend to spar to the level of the lower ranked person. If they "cheat" by trying to use moves beyond their level though, it's taken to mean that they are waiving that particular rule.

 

[terryl965]

Here at my school we always have upper belts start the sparring with the lower belt for they have control and understand how to abshorb a kick the right way, also the upper belt only uses that person rank abilitys on them and no advance at all... We tell the lower belts to go get em after a while we start to let them go at each other but only once they understand how to sparr... GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[Drac]

When I first started training there were about half a dozen white belts and a dozen or so of the other ranks below black belt..One by one the dropped out and it came to pass that class there were 4 blackbelts and one white belt (me) and we sparred..These were some of the best classes I had ever experienced..I got good enough to actually land a punch or two on one of my highr ranking dojo brothers..

 

[glad2bhere]

Admittedly, the approach where I teach is a little different. Where you folks deal mostly with striking and kicking, as a Hapkido practitioner I am teaching as much grappling as striking and kicking. All the same, I hold myself out as someone that a person can "crank on" if they are not sure whether what they are doing is effective or if they are doing the technique correctly. Now true, this could easily be tantamont to putting a bulls-eye on my chest at a rifle range. However, my view of being either a teacher OR a senior is that I am able to take a bit more punishment on behalf of my students growth without having ego or injury result. I think, if I were in the position posed here at a TKD school, I would let the white/yellow student use me as a kind of animated target. By this I mean that I would certainly use basic techniques, but more so, take care of myself so that my partner could get used to giving contact within a particular range of power, hone basic movement skills and perhaps overcome what could easily be some level of intimidation at facing a higher rank. FWIW.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

[deadhand31]

Yes, we'll do that in our school, but we have rules regarding lower-belt contact. When we spar lower belts, we're not to waste them, we're to teach. If they come in sloppy, we tag them with enough force to show them they've done something wrong. This helps them try out new things, so that they learn what not to do early on. Bb's also aren't allowed to use any techniques from one belt level above their rank. My school teaches certain techniques at certain ranks, going from basic to advanced as the belts get higher. This way they don't get thrown off by a kick that they don't even know about yet. When they get to red and above, they've been taught all of the techniques, so we put more pressure on them. When a person finally makes it to black... well, we learn what it is to be a black belt! :uhyeah:

 

[Tkang_TKD]

Thank you all for your inputs :asian:

Just to make it clear, my KJN does set forth rules in sparring with lower belts (especially white/yellow belt).

We do not really get into free reign of techniques unless the two persons are of equal rank, or near equal rank, and if they are approximately the same size.

Brown/Black belts in our school go pretty much full contact (unless it is the thursday class with child/adults combined).

We do pair up advanced ranks with junior ranks expressly for the purpose of teaching the junior ranks. Coincidentally, I tend to learn alot sparring with the junior belts as well.

I think that it's great that so many of you also employ the use of senior belts to assist with the training of the juniors. It gives us (senior belts) the ability to develop alot of the qualities that we really should have to be a Black Belt.

 

[MichiganTKD]

Within our organization, any students up to 3rd Dan can spar each other in a class setting. Lower belts cannot ask to spar a higher belt, but when it comes time to line up, yellow belts can spar 3rd Dan black belts. Obviously, each person is expected to stay within appropriate technique. A black belt sparring a yellow or yellow green belt is not going to use black belt technique. Conversely, a low belt should use common sense and stay with techniques they feel comfortable with.
Above 3rd Dan (4th Dan+), we do not spar color belts or black belts under 4th Dan unless it is within a teaching setting. In other words, I don't spar 1st-3rd Dans just to have a sparring partner.

 

[Melissa426]

I am a yellow belt and basically everyone spars against everyone else.
We are not supposed to do full contact sparring, so there should not be any major injuries occurring.

When I am sparring with black belts , frequently, they will turn to the side and just give me a rib shot for practice. I have learned that when our senior student does that, he is actually "setting" me up to get sucker punched. So I am more careful with him.

When I spar with the lower belts, I get hit way harder. So in turn, I tend to hit harder back. Only problem is we have a few pee-wees in class, that although they outrank me, I could take them down easily. Of course there is no way I will do that, so I usually just let them flail away and try to block their punches and kicks.

Peace,
Melissa

 

[Zepp]

In the WTA, sparring starts at yellow belt. We make a point of rotating in class so that everyone eventually gets to spar everyone, regardless of rank. Naturally, higher belts are supposed to be teaching lower belts, not murdering them. If the lower belt tries to turn things up a notch, the higher belt adjusts accordingly.

When paired with a white belt, or someone who is new to our style, we usually do a drill that is a precursor to sparring, like trading sidekicks. Sometimes, they sit on the sidelines and watch, but not usually.

 

[karatekid1975]

I spar with everyone reguardless of rank. I spar how my partner spars. If they want to go all out, I will too. If they are a bit timid, I'll hold back, and help them out. I was there once, so I don't try to kill them in sparring. I always try to help out the beginners, too.

 

[rainbows]

When I started TKD, I'd been a kenpo black belt before so as a junior I probably punched a bit above my weight. I used to have a lot of fun sparring the red belts. Now I'm that red belt and all the newbies have just joined at the start of the college year...
In my club we all spar each other pretty much regardless of grade. We're more likely to be paired up by size, though senior grades get paired with pretty much anyone.

 

[jfarnsworth]

I'm not quite sure I would call myself a senior rank but I will spar anyone in the studio regardless of rank. :asian:

 

[Raewyn]

Thought I'd just give you a an opinion from a beginners point of view (which I am a beginner). At first it can be scary and intimidating sparring a black belt, or someone alot higher than you, because you know they can hurt you. But I think once we get over the initial fear, it is alot easier to sparr against BB's as you guys show alot more control and we can learn a hell of alot from you. You guys can also show us how to control our punches/kicks. I dont think you would want the beginners to get too carried away as ego can come into play and you dont want to be having to teach us a hard lesson when things get too rough.
As beginners we dont have alot of technique and definately not alot of control.

Now I would rather sparr against a BB or someone who is alot higher than me as I can learn soooo much more!!

 

[karatekid1975]

I totally agree Raisin. When I was coming up through the ranks, I sparred a beginner as a green belt in TSD, and she had no control. She kicked me full force in the tummy. Since then, I wanted to spar black belts. Because they had more control. And they were more than willing to share tips and help me out instead of beating the crap outta me. Once I got better, they would turn the "heat" up a little. So that was good for my training. Now I do the same for beginners in this school. Now most beginners want to spar me, because they can "learn to spar" with me instead of dealing with another over excited beginner beating the crap outta them.