How often should you technical spar striking?

[DaxKingsford]

My experience with the frequency of sparring in grappling vs. striking is very different. In wrestling and BJJ, we spar pretty much every class. In fact, we have some classes that are just sparring (and some schools train entirely by "sparring" with ecological games). However, in both TKD and Muay Thai, sparring has been limited to 1-2 sessions per week.

• In my main TKD school, there was sparring in your class either Wednesday or Thursday (folks were either on a Monday+Wednesday or Tuesday+Thursday schedule) and we had an additional sparring class on Fridays.
• In my most recent TKD school, there was a dedicated sparring class on Tuesdays, and they didn't spar in their regular class.
• In my BJJ gym's Muay Thai class, I believe they do technical sparring either Monday or Tuesday, and then hard sparring either Wednesday or Thursday.

For technical striking, I don't personally see a reason to avoid sparring more than once per week. For example, if I were to run a sport-focused TKD class where the entire class is:

• Speed or precision kicking drills
• Partner footwork kicking drills
• Technical foot fencing point sparring with medium-to-hard body contact and no-to-light head contact

Would there be a reason to limit sparring to 1-2 sessions per week? Or would it be a better idea to spar most-to-all sessions? tragamonedas populares

As long as it’s strictly technical play-sparring with controlled contact, there’s no reason not to do 15–20 minutes at the end of every class. The main reason striking limits sparring compared to BJJ or wrestling is brain trauma, but with light head contact and smart intensity, the injury risk drops way down. Pads and drills are great for mechanics, but nothing builds actual timing, distance, and real-time reads like doing light rounds every session.

 

[Stev2nJoneS1]

The way the OP is written, I assumed it was about you (or any specific person) or an adult(ish) class.
Kids cannot be allowed to go all out unless very controlled. The vast variability in coordination alone of kids the same age, along with other markers, just doesn't allow a 'one size fits all' answer. This goes back to my previous comment about the high level of instructor control required. It is also why we have competition specific programs.
But, hopefully this may better answer your query: We spar nearly every class, every age. For kids, light contact, light gear, heavily instructor controlled. We line up the same as doing partner drill work and rotate one person every round (class size and time dependent). When kids line up with an older person/adult, they are encouraged to go harder. When lined up age equivalent, it is all about standard sparring rules. We will single out people/pairs sometimes and let them go alone. This is done for various reasons such as displaying good form (mental/physical), discussing rule/combos, bad form, or to push a kid sometimes. It is always done with a purpose.

This has never changed in my 42+ years of MA's, there is two primary TKD sparring methods: 'full' contact WT style sparring or 'tippy/tappy' extremely unrealistic point/stop sparring. The defining quality to old school points sparring is the hand speed of very specific techniques. Not particularly realistic so we have never encouraged this kind of sparring.
Yes, the three scoring play UFO Joe rules have changed a little in WT sparring over the years but the premise is still the same.

That makes a lot more sense, especially the distinction between controlled kids’ sparring and actual competition-style work. I really like the idea of having a clear purpose whenever you single out a pair rather than just letting them “fight it out.” After 42+ years, you’ve obviously seen the rules and training methods evolve quite a bit. Do you think modern WT sparring has become more realistic over time, or just more refined within its own ruleset?

 

[philwhite]

Point sparring can be quite real and intense. I think both styles of fighting have merit. Point sparring emphasises blitzing and staying at range. Its sometimes a preferable strategy rather than being in the pocket.

As far as the question, we doing sparring once a week. And we try to keep it light. I've learned over the years that you don't need to go hard, you just need good partners that will allow you some freedom to learn. If you are scared to act because someone is going to punish you, you tend to lose creativity.

An experienced martial artist can step up the intensity when the fight counts and keep it light when training. I get there are times to go harder light fight prep but for most of us its not necessary 99% of the time.

 

[Kung Fu Wang169 199]

keep it light when training.

From the wrestling art point of view, if you can achieve:

- head lock,
- guillotine,
- reverse neck choke,
- pick up your opponent's leading leg,
- ...

The match can stop there and next round start. This way, people can spend time to accumulate fighting experience without getting hurt.

 

[Hanshi]

I'm retired and no longer teach martial arts, plus I'm 80 years old. An auto-immune disease now prevents me from being able to fight. It bothers me that so many people go into a martial art, maybe get to black belt but still have no experience getting punched in the face!

I sparred a lot at one time and never thought of it as "hard" sparring. But now I'm not so sure. I do recall being in some level of pain all the time from fights with other black belts. I was also a pretty good boxer and spent a period of time as the sparring partner for one of the fighters I knew. I don't recall getting punched much at all. But back at home the mirror told a different story. We fought once a week which I believe is probably enough for hard fighting but also see no reason not to go twice a week, and that would be max.

Being retired In my 70s I trained and helped teach at a TKW school. Students ranged from my age down to grade school level. Several got to black belt and knew all the kata with marginal technique skills. A couple of them could not come up with Kiai/kihap yell, the best they could do is merely say the word, "Kihap". I tried teaching them a few moves to thwart attacks such as choking, grabbing, etc, but most were just a little bit "scared" of me it seemed. Time after time I repeated the pre-arranged attacks which were met with a "deer-in-the-headlights" freeze.

Unfortunately this is rather common in most martial arts schools. For those who become students simply for recreational purposes this attitude is reasonable if not "okay". But everyone should experience getting hit, grabbed and choked and know how to deal with it.

 

[isshinryuronin59 58]

pre-arranged attacks which were met with a "deer-in-the-headlights" freeze.

Unfortunately this is rather common in most martial arts schools. For those who become students simply for recreational purposes this attitude is reasonable if not "okay". But everyone should experience getting hit, grabbed and choked and know how to deal with it.

I've come across a lot of adolescent students who are quite skittish and flinch at any movement towards them. It seems roughhouse play is not much tolerated these days and kids have little experience in physical contact. I believe gaining tolerance to contact is naturally developed by age 10. If not, due to adults overprotecting them or by inborn inclination, they will need some work.

To get them accustomed to such things I gently flail at their arms and chest and contact their legs as well. "See, that doesn't hurt." I say to them. This allows me to then throw some light, easy to block strikes and increasingly aggressive (relatively speaking) grabbing attacks, gradually building up their confidence. Within a few lessons most of them are used enough to physical contact to actually do MA.

While few of these kids will come to enjoy hard sparring, they have a better chance of sticking around long enough to progress thru the belts, experience the occasional solid hits and toughen up enough to give them some self-defense capability. This confidence will come into play outside of fighting throughout their lives.

BTW, Hanshi, regretting not being able to spar at age 80 indicates you still are a martial artist. Respect to you.

 

[KenpoMaster805]

I think sparring is awesome but no need full contact we do sparring on wed we don't do full contact sparring caused someone gonna get hurt and if the person you sparring with get hurt he don't wanna sparring with you anymore

 

[JowGaWolf1]

I've come across a lot of adolescent students who are quite skittish and flinch at any movement towards them. It seems roughhouse play is not much tolerated these days and kids have little experience in physical contact. I believe gaining tolerance to contact is naturally developed by age 10. If not, due to adults overprotecting them or by inborn inclination, they will need some work.

To get them accustomed to such things I gently flail at their arms and chest and contact their legs as well. "See, that doesn't hurt." I say to them. This allows me to then throw some light, easy to block strikes and increasingly aggressive (relatively speaking) grabbing attacks, gradually building up their confidence. Within a few lessons most of them are used enough to physical contact to actually do MA.

While few of these kids will come to enjoy hard sparring, they have a better chance of sticking around long enough to progress thru the belts, experience the occasional solid hits and toughen up enough to give them some self-defense capability. This confidence will come into play outside of fighting throughout their lives.

BTW, Hanshi, regretting not being able to spar at age 80 indicates you still are a martial artist. Respect to you.

When it comes to training kids the biggest difficulty they have is imagining someone punching them many have not been punched before. Slap boxing is probably a strange term for them as well.