how do you sparr?

[Manny]

I am from the old school and 44 years old, not as fast not as flexible as before, even in my younger days I relied in my powerful mass more than in the flamboyant techs, but now my sparring tends to me more static, more on the ground so no aerial techs are used by me, my kicking is not fancy just using the basic techs, roundhouse kicks,front kicks, side kicks and my prefered combo is roundhouse kick followed by a spining back kick sometimes instead of the back kick I use the spining hook kick, I rarely punch, only when my sparring parthner allows me to do it or when get inside a clinch. Yes, not all my techs score but I try to protect my head and if I see a gap then I launch a voley of kicks going towards my parthner.

As I wrote before, I am not the best damn guy, I know how to recive a blow and always try to guard my head/face, I am not the best strategic guy, I am very linear and I don't bob around like the WTF olimping sparring, I also don't use combos of two or three pitchaguis at once, as I wrote before I am more conected to the ground, sometimes my style of sparring does not resemble any TKD but more like japanese karate.

I don't like to use the hogu, simply I dislike it, it does not feel confortable on me, yes I use shin/instep pads and forearm pads because I use a lot my forearms to block and guard me.

And you, how do you sparr?

Manny

 

[Native]

I'll be 37 this year. I know it's not old, but I am a bit older than many of our students. I used to be very aggressive and overwhelm opponents. This worked pretty well and, if I got a bit too zealous, I was able to get myself out of bad situations quickly.

I have found my sparring strategy to be changing lately. I tend to counter more now, relying on my speed and experience to see openings. I'm not nearly as "arial" either. I have really found that using good footwork has helped me a lot. Especially against the younger, more eager students.

 

[Cyriacus]

Ive always generally Sparred Aggressively.
That doesnt *always* mean charging at someone with a Barrage. It can also mean just standing ones ground when Blocking, and disliking Dodging, or just not being what would be considered Defensive.
It is also the fine art of getting into someone with Barrages of Strikes.

I mostly use Punches supported by Front Kicks, with the odd not-Front-Kick or a Backfist thrown in.
I use Open Hand and Forearm Blocks about the same amount.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I don't care about sparring as sparring. I care about it as training. So I try to teach while sparring, pointing out strengths and weaknesses. I'll use the same attack more than once so my opponent can work on a specific counter. I'll focus on techniques that are NOT my favorites. I'll spend the whole match in a left foot lead, or a right foot lead. I'll be very aggressive. I'll be very defensive, even to the point of only allowing myself X number of attacks during the bout. I'll spent the bout ONLY counter striking. When I broke my left hand, I sparred with a right foot lead and kept my left hand behind my back.

 

[puunui]

And you, how do you sparr?

Depends on the situation. For example, I have developed a method of sparring using hapkido hand techniques. It started off as a method to teach hand technique counter attacks, but then progressed into something different. Many hapkido practitioners are able do single techniques only, or perhaps they can link two or maybe even three, but few have the ability to flow continuously with a live resisting partner or opponent.

 

[mastercole]

I am from the old school and 44 years old, not as fast not as flexible as before, even in my younger days I relied in my powerful mass more than in the flamboyant techs, but now my sparring tends to me more static, more on the ground so no aerial techs are used by me, my kicking is not fancy just using the basic techs, roundhouse kicks,front kicks, side kicks and my prefered combo is roundhouse kick followed by a spining back kick sometimes instead of the back kick I use the spining hook kick, I rarely punch, only when my sparring parthner allows me to do it or when get inside a clinch. Yes, not all my techs score but I try to protect my head and if I see a gap then I launch a voley of kicks going towards my parthner.

As I wrote before, I am not the best damn guy, I know how to recive a blow and always try to guard my head/face, I am not the best strategic guy, I am very linear and I don't bob around like the WTF olimping sparring, I also don't use combos of two or three pitchaguis at once, as I wrote before I am more conected to the ground, sometimes my style of sparring does not resemble any TKD but more like japanese karate.

I don't like to use the hogu, simply I dislike it, it does not feel confortable on me, yes I use shin/instep pads and forearm pads because I use a lot my forearms to block and guard me.

And you, how do you sparr?

Manny

My first sparring experience besides dangerous violent physical confrontations was boxing in the 1960's. After that, Karate, mutant Taekwondo, then Kukkiwon and WTF sparring. My best learning experiences where at the beginning and the end of my sparring journey. Boxing's use of the gloves was genius. It allowed us to fight all out, full force contact providing us with the greatest possible learning experience. Boxing helped me in future dangerous violent physical confrontations.

After that, Karate used no equipment. Sparring training was mostly guess work, based on some bad theories, injuries were common place. Only the athletic jock types could do well with crappy technique, the only thing it might have been good for was to make you a little tougher, if you were not already, and teach you how shoot a straight punch using the first two knuckles as a striking point which served me very well in continued dangerous violent physical confrontations

Hogu sparring and training was the most genius invention of all for self defense. It allowed you to strike full force PRIMARY blows, with bare hands and feet, against a thinking moving target that was trying to knock you out, forcing you to develop intense tenacity/will power under the extreme pressure, the same kind of pressure that causes people to freeze up in a real fight. During this experience, you have to turn decision into action, seamlessly, without hesitation. In serious hogu sparring, if you become indecisive (when fear, frustration, anger, hate, etc shuts down your decision to action process) you will get knocked out. Just like in real dangerous violent physical confrontations, indecision can get you killed, or worse. Hogu sparring mixed the best of both boxing timing, distance, full contact and will power, and Karate's use of bare hands and feet against the target.

Hogu sparring also follows boxing in just focusing on those limited, PRIMARY skills you will actually have to use to save your life in a dangerous violent physical confrontation.

That said, today at age 51, I no longer spar and I doubt I ever will.

 

[Buka]

I'm sixty and still like to spar with some of the students. Footwork and timing seem to work best as I age. I don't spar with many of the adult black belts anymore, they don't like hitting old men.

I just watch a person's front foot. I find it gives away a persons intent to move, regardless of their style or personal skill set. When it moves, I move.