How to spar without sustaining major injuries?

[TkJojo]

Dear All,
This upset me today so I'd be very grateful for opinions and even explanations to help clarify for me.

I'm a female green belt in TaeKwondo ITF. I train approx 3 times a week and attend a variety of classes including green belt, fitness training and sparring.

Ever since I started I've taken major issue with what I perceive as higher belts who show disregard for the difference in kups (and even gender -there's a reason why men don't spar against women in competition).

What I mean is that I feel that whilst against children for example, obviously every single one of us are very reserved with our shots on the rare occasion we spar with a child yet I feel that whilst some members (men and women) not just at the lower kups but even up to red belt and black belt, are rather timid in sparring, others seem to lack an awareness to control their shots.

Me I'm a green belt female, I'm not timid, I like to get stuck in in any activity I participate in however I also try to be very conscious not to go hard on any of my opponents. In recent months 2 lads I didn't recognise (a red tip and a red belt) joined one day, so I assume they were returning to tk from a proglongued break, and in sparring both of them did an axe kick down on to my head or shoulder resulting in considerable pain and a nasty headache for me. A few weeks later, with one of the guys who I know is more controlled, I made the mistake of stepping forward guard down at the same time as he did a turning kick and the result was a black eye.

Today, I find I'm timid, I'm reluctant to get injured again, I'm also feeling a bit weak from being on antibiotics but don't see why I should refrain from training just for this? So i trained with the aforementioned red belt and a former red/black belt of wtf tk (as well as a more timid red tip).

The Tk Master gave out to me for having my guard low rather than up beside my head. I think in my tiredness my tone must have conveyed slight tension when I responded that my former wtf sparring partner was not punching my gloves as per the excercise but straight forward to my face...
I got more irrated when she too tried to say the same thing each time she punched towards my head and not the gloves as we were instructed to do...

Later some real tension arose when he pulled me up on things again and I tried to ask him how I can train myself to keep my guard up (which is my major flaw right now) without worrying that my sparring partner might put me in hospital if I make a mistake? I phrased it a bit different -how do I prevent myself from more injuries to which he responded, agitated, that I should defend myself and when I tried to ask what about partners who are stronger etc he started saying I was talking as if people were intending to hurt me...he went on to claim that sometimes I don't listen (which I believe is a very unfair statement) and something else similar. I felt upset by this claim together with the fact that in my effort to seek guidence from an instructor whom I look upon very fondly and trust, I felt my concerns to keep myself safe whilst learning the art of tk were dismissed. I've been with the club for over a year now and paid considerable money towards membership and today I felt like walking out and never returning when he said these things.

I'd be grateful for opinions on the above, how to best clarify this (and possibly apologise for any tension) during the coming week with the aforementioned instructor, and especially what are your thoughts on sparring and control? Should I just give up sparring?? Am I wrong to expect to be able to participate in sparring without having to worry that someone is going to split my head open until such time that I have learned the art of good defense (which surely should take years anyway no?). Also any advice on what I might be doing wrong or can change to help matters would be appreciated!

Many thanks in advance

 

[CoryKS]

If you're sparring with someone who's coming in with too much force, try saying "Hey, tone it down a bit." Communication is important, and they may not be able to tell that you're not comfortable with the intensity level. I'm surprised that it's the higher belts you are having problems with, in our school it's usually the new guys that lack control and want to "Hulk Smash".

 

[ATC]

You are just a beginner so....

1. When you instructor says you don't listen, you don't. Not that you don't try to, but that your experience and training is not advanced enough for you to actually hear, understand and apply what he is saying. No green belt can.

2. Accidents happen. Even at the Black Belt level you will from time to time have someone move the wrong way into a technique and get hit a little harder than intended by their opponent.

3. Over time you will get better and understand how to avoid or block by anticipating your opponents techniques. You will start to understand how and why your opponent will attack you thus being able to anticipate many moves and avoid them or block and counter them.

Now what that said here are some tips.

1. Work on keeping good distance from your opponent. If your opponent is taller than you, then your distance should be inside his range and at the end of your range. Never back away from a taller person as you only back into his striking range. Move on angles or slightly in when they attack. Moving in will jam his techniques and throw off his timing.

2. Work on fainting or checking before you attack and even when you opponent attempts to attack. By checking you introduce confusion and mask your intent. You can check or faint even when you want to counter causing your opponent to hesitate. Hesitation is the worst thing you can do.

3. Don't hesitate. As mentioned above, hesitation will only get you hit. If you attempt a technique commit to it, even if you miss. If you miss then follow up with a second technique right away. The second technique or follow up will most always connect. Never throw one technique and then stand there, you will get hit.

4. Use proper technique. If you are attempting a round kick do not short cut it. By this I mean do not rush the kick and have it drift up looking like a front kick. This will only hurt you and not your opponent. I have seen many toes and feet get broken on the opponents elbow because they attempted a round house kick only to really throw a front kick to the elbow. This is bad technique and bad technique will get you and your opponent hurt. This goes for any hand technique as well.

5. Listen to advice and do it. In the dojang is the time to try new things. There is no life and death situations in the dojang, so in there is the time to practice what you are not good at. Also if you are only point sparring then this is the best time to practice new things given. In the dojang it does not count so don't be afraid to get hit or give up a point trying something new. That is how you learn. Even if it does not work try it many times until you can make it work. If you lose in the dojang but learn something in the process then the real winner is you. Don't look at sparring in the dojang as a win or lose situation, there are only learning lessons.

Start with these simple five things and you will be fine. Bumps and bruises are a part of doing a MA, so don't worry too much when you get them. Now if you are getting injured (injured is broken bones, concussions, torn ligaments, and so on) then there is a problem. But a black eye and some bruises every now and then will and should happen.

Hope this helps. Train hard but have fun.

 

[Blindside]

I'd be grateful for opinions on the above, how to best clarify this (and possibly apologise for any tension) during the coming week with the aforementioned instructor, and especially what are your thoughts on sparring and control? Should I just give up sparring?? Am I wrong to expect to be able to participate in sparring without having to worry that someone is going to split my head open until such time that I have learned the art of good defense (which surely should take years anyway no?). Also any advice on what I might be doing wrong or can change to help matters would be appreciated!

Many thanks in advance

To be frank, I haven't heard of an instance of a "major injury" here, nor that the classes were terribly out of control. This is a contact sport and there is always a chance to zig when the other guy thought you were going to zag and more contact than intended happens.

If you are afraid of contact or there are partners that you don't trust to protect you, then don't do the drill or don't spar with those particular students. That said, I'd recommend against that, you only grow when you are challenged.

 

[Masshiro]

number one. an Axe kick should never be used in sparing it is too hard to controll and is designed to break bones. if you were to block it she would have broke your arm, you never block a kick with your arms.
number two. if your instructor doesnt address the fact the people are getting hurt he is a moron.
number three. the rest of you replying to this post should know all this and shouldnt be telling her she is at falt. shame on you

 

[Jenny_in_Chico]

Hi, I'm a female martial artist, so I'll respond. Although I trained in TKD for a while, I'm currently coming from a kenpo training perspective. I did point sparring in TKD, but in my kenpo dojo all sparring in continuous, for either pre-determined lengths of time (3-5 minutes) or for unstructured time periods (until someone quits).

In my mind, sparring serves two purposes. Firstly, it allows us to practice the basic techniques we are taught (punches, kicks, blocks, parries) against a moving opponent. We learn how to use our bodies properly, how to use footwork and techniques to defend ourselves and hurt someone else. Secondly, it teaches us to get hurt. This is an important lesson. A fight doesn't stop when you get jacked up, it keeps coming at you. We need to experience pain and fear so that our reactions to these stimuli can be controlled.

It is natural for you to be nervous or even afraid when you spar. I experience that too, especially when I'm sparring someone who has hurt me before. But it is important to learn the difference between natural caution and fearful avoidance. Use caution to improve your art; for instance, you might ask a clumsy partner to go 1/2 speed so you can practice parrying. Harness fear to improve your spirit; continue to spar with the people who scare you, asking for no special considerations. That is what I have done and it is helping me tremendously.

We all get hurt in martial arts. It is expected and accepted. Every week I walk away with some little injury...this week it is bruised swollen knuckles and a pierced lip. One day I'll get a bigger injury, such as a broken bone or a concussion, because it happens to everyone who continues in the arts. If you accept it now, you remove much of the power that the fear has over your mind.

 

[Twin Fist]

number one. an Axe kick should never be used in sparing it is too hard to controll and is designed to break bones. if you were to block it she would have broke your arm,

someone has been drinking the kool aid again.........

 

[jks9199]

number one. an Axe kick should never be used in sparing it is too hard to controll and is designed to break bones. if you were to block it she would have broke your arm, you never block a kick with your arms.
number two. if your instructor doesnt address the fact the people are getting hurt he is a moron.
number three. the rest of you replying to this post should know all this and shouldnt be telling her she is at falt. shame on you

You've got a valid point: the sparring does seem to be poorly supervised based on her account -- especially with upper rank students who seem to be taking the opportunity to simply beat on lower rank students.

But she's not without failings, either. Let's look at her post:

Dear All,
Ever since I started I've taken major issue with what I perceive as higher belts who show disregard for the difference in kups (and even gender -there's a reason why men don't spar against women in competition).

Reality: the streets don't care about gender, age, weight class or anything else. Depending on why she's training -- the dojang is the place to figure out what it's like fighting someone larger, smaller, with more or less skill. And what if feels like to be hit and rocked, too, so that she knows how to function past it.

Me I'm a green belt female, I'm not timid, I like to get stuck in in any activity I participate in however I also try to be very conscious not to go hard on any of my opponents. In recent months 2 lads I didn't recognise (a red tip and a red belt) joined one day, so I assume they were returning to tk from a proglongued break, and in sparring both of them did an axe kick down on to my head or shoulder resulting in considerable pain and a nasty headache for me. A few weeks later, with one of the guys who I know is more controlled, I made the mistake of stepping forward guard down at the same time as he did a turning kick and the result was a black eye.

First thing: the axe kicks. Seems like it was poorly controlled. I question whether it was necessarily an appropriate technique for an advanced student (I'm assuming that red in this school is nearly black, like in many TKD schools.) to use. At the same time -- students have to learn to defend against them somewhere. There's a functional line that the instructor needs to draw.

Second: the black eye. That's a clash. They happen in sparring. Even with nearly perfect control on both sides, one person can duck or turn into a strike unexpectedly, zigging when the other person zags. When that happens, bruises and worse can occur. I've got a nifty scar under my lower lip from someone catching things just right by accident...

Today, I find I'm timid, I'm reluctant to get injured again, I'm also feeling a bit weak from being on antibiotics but don't see why I should refrain from training just for this? So i trained with the aforementioned red belt and a former red/black belt of wtf tk (as well as a more timid red tip).

The Tk Master gave out to me for having my guard low rather than up beside my head. I think in my tiredness my tone must have conveyed slight tension when I responded that my former wtf sparring partner was not punching my gloves as per the excercise but straight forward to my face...
I got more irrated when she too tried to say the same thing each time she punched towards my head and not the gloves as we were instructed to do...

Later some real tension arose when he pulled me up on things again and I tried to ask him how I can train myself to keep my guard up (which is my major flaw right now) without worrying that my sparring partner might put me in hospital if I make a mistake? I phrased it a bit different -how do I prevent myself from more injuries to which he responded, agitated, that I should defend myself and when I tried to ask what about partners who are stronger etc he started saying I was talking as if people were intending to hurt me...he went on to claim that sometimes I don't listen (which I believe is a very unfair statement) and something else similar. I felt upset by this claim together with the fact that in my effort to seek guidence from an instructor whom I look upon very fondly and trust, I felt my concerns to keep myself safe whilst learning the art of tk were dismissed. I've been with the club for over a year now and paid considerable money towards membership and today I felt like walking out and never returning when he said these things.

Different issue here. The instructor is correcting her -- and she's arguing. She's leaning on time and money, and complaining about being corrected. I suspect that she doesn't really listen sometimes; she's "entitled" to do whatever and doesn't need to hear the advice. She wasn't doing what the instructor wanted, and talked back rather than correcting it. What's going to happen if she faces someone for real who is stronger, faster, or just throws a shot at an "illegal" target? The proper response isn't "they aren't doing it right" or "what am I supposed to do...", it's to listen, and follow directions. If there seems to be a misunderstanding about the directions -- ask about that, don't talk back.

I'd be grateful for opinions on the above, how to best clarify this (and possibly apologise for any tension) during the coming week with the aforementioned instructor, and especially what are your thoughts on sparring and control? Should I just give up sparring?? Am I wrong to expect to be able to participate in sparring without having to worry that someone is going to split my head open until such time that I have learned the art of good defense (which surely should take years anyway no?). Also any advice on what I might be doing wrong or can change to help matters would be appreciated!

Many thanks in advance

Effective training requires a risk of injury. That's how you learn the art of defense. With the right motivation -- you'll learn quickly. After a year of training, and having moved roughly 1/2 way through the ranks, I would expect a student to be able to handle that risk. It's easy to defend if nobody ever really gets in range or throws hard strikes -- but it's not going to really prepare you for an attack.

 

[ATC]

number one. an Axe kick should never be used in sparing it is too hard to controll and is designed to break bones. if you were to block it she would have broke your arm, you never block a kick with your arms.
number two. if your instructor doesnt address the fact the people are getting hurt he is a moron.
number three. the rest of you replying to this post should know all this and shouldnt be telling her she is at falt. shame on you

I use ax kick all the time in sparring. It is one of the easist kick to control.
Here is a clip of a couple of our kids sparring with control (light contact). You will see a couple of ax kicks with control.
[yt]XFhHz3qaFWA[/yt]

 

[granfire]

Ok, I think you had the conversation in the middle of class, of sparring. That might make it hard to express what you want to say accurately. Try again before or after.

The black eye - while painful (and hard to explain to non MA people ) - was an accident: you moved in on your partner's action, happens. I ran into a couple of side kicks that way, just right at the short ribs, it hurt for month!

poop happens, but that - eventually - does make you mind your guard better.

Axe kicks...got hit by one one time...saw the leg go up, saw it come down, kind of in slo-mo, too, but I could not move, and the hit was hard. My partner was beside himself that he hit me so hard, but that's how it happens, best block is to move out of the way.

We do round stepping drills all the time, you don't step out of range, just out of the way.

But the biggy is the higher ranks beating up on the lower ones. I just can't warm up to that concept. As higher rank I am in the position to control much of the game, ask the lower rank to do certain things so I can practice them, I control speed and intensity, but I am also a teacher in that match and am obligated to help the lower rank make some progress and advance.

So, you need to have a talk with your instructor, getting hurt is not fun and too many people can't afford to be layed up these days.

 

[Manny]

Well I am not a female but been hit and pretty hard some times (broken theet,broken nose, a well knock out) and all my injres came from doing sparring inside dojang, not turnament.

I think inside the dojang doin sport sparring control is a must, we don't need to maim or kill our enemy, we sparr because we want to know if what we are training for is right, I mean you try top do the kicks and combos and techs you are taught and see if you are proficient, at the same time sparring teach us how to parry,dodge,block,etc, to not been hit.

In my former dojang we had two styles of do kyorugi, one was medium kyorugi and the other was full kyorugi. In the medium kyorugy or light sparr we do the techs at medium velocity trying to caught the other guy and the contact was controled, not point sparring, just to kick or puch the other but not so hard.The full kyorugi was using full speed and power.

You can ask you sambonim to do light sparring with classmates of the same level you, doing sparring with classmates two or more belts tha you is not so fair I will say. Also always wear the full safety equipment and check your oponent is wearing it too, this can minimize the injures.

Manny

 

[JWLuiza]

They (the upper belts) should read this:

http://tangsoodotravels.blogspot.com/2009/01/being-bad-paterner-part-deux.html

 

[Tez3]

ATC, no one should be working at fainting, if it's so bad you have to make yourself faint I think you'd be better out of martial arts.

 

[ATC]

ATC, no one should be working at fainting, if it's so bad you have to make yourself faint I think you'd be better out of martial arts.

Ha ha ha...Yeah that does seem bad.

 

[StudentCarl]

My master supervises sparring, arranges pairings, and gives guidance to higher belts in the pairings if he wants them to lighten up or work on something specific. We're often told "If you break your partner you won't have one to train with." There's a difference between all-out and out-of-control, though accidents are a part of training and your master can tell accidents from recklessness. If you trust your master you should focus on improving your technique and on communicating with your sparring partner. Perseverence will lead you to improvement and you will feel more confident.

Carl

 

[MJS]

Dear All,
This upset me today so I'd be very grateful for opinions and even explanations to help clarify for me.

I'm a female green belt in TaeKwondo ITF. I train approx 3 times a week and attend a variety of classes including green belt, fitness training and sparring.

Ever since I started I've taken major issue with what I perceive as higher belts who show disregard for the difference in kups (and even gender -there's a reason why men don't spar against women in competition).

What I mean is that I feel that whilst against children for example, obviously every single one of us are very reserved with our shots on the rare occasion we spar with a child yet I feel that whilst some members (men and women) not just at the lower kups but even up to red belt and black belt, are rather timid in sparring, others seem to lack an awareness to control their shots.

Me I'm a green belt female, I'm not timid, I like to get stuck in in any activity I participate in however I also try to be very conscious not to go hard on any of my opponents. In recent months 2 lads I didn't recognise (a red tip and a red belt) joined one day, so I assume they were returning to tk from a proglongued break, and in sparring both of them did an axe kick down on to my head or shoulder resulting in considerable pain and a nasty headache for me. A few weeks later, with one of the guys who I know is more controlled, I made the mistake of stepping forward guard down at the same time as he did a turning kick and the result was a black eye.

Today, I find I'm timid, I'm reluctant to get injured again, I'm also feeling a bit weak from being on antibiotics but don't see why I should refrain from training just for this? So i trained with the aforementioned red belt and a former red/black belt of wtf tk (as well as a more timid red tip).

The Tk Master gave out to me for having my guard low rather than up beside my head. I think in my tiredness my tone must have conveyed slight tension when I responded that my former wtf sparring partner was not punching my gloves as per the excercise but straight forward to my face...
I got more irrated when she too tried to say the same thing each time she punched towards my head and not the gloves as we were instructed to do...

Later some real tension arose when he pulled me up on things again and I tried to ask him how I can train myself to keep my guard up (which is my major flaw right now) without worrying that my sparring partner might put me in hospital if I make a mistake? I phrased it a bit different -how do I prevent myself from more injuries to which he responded, agitated, that I should defend myself and when I tried to ask what about partners who are stronger etc he started saying I was talking as if people were intending to hurt me...he went on to claim that sometimes I don't listen (which I believe is a very unfair statement) and something else similar. I felt upset by this claim together with the fact that in my effort to seek guidence from an instructor whom I look upon very fondly and trust, I felt my concerns to keep myself safe whilst learning the art of tk were dismissed. I've been with the club for over a year now and paid considerable money towards membership and today I felt like walking out and never returning when he said these things.

I'd be grateful for opinions on the above, how to best clarify this (and possibly apologise for any tension) during the coming week with the aforementioned instructor, and especially what are your thoughts on sparring and control? Should I just give up sparring?? Am I wrong to expect to be able to participate in sparring without having to worry that someone is going to split my head open until such time that I have learned the art of good defense (which surely should take years anyway no?). Also any advice on what I might be doing wrong or can change to help matters would be appreciated!

Many thanks in advance

I dont train TKD, so I'm not sure where the green belt falls. Anyways, first and foremost, the person heading the sparring, should have the utmost control over whats going on. In other words, they need to be paying attention, and ensure that safety is being used.

Usually when I spar, its determined before the match begins, what the pace will be. This should prevent any sudden surprises. When I spar lower ranks, I go at their pace. I think that it should be a learning experience, not always an *** kicking.

As far as keeping your hands up....this comes with practice. Then again, much of the TKD that I've seen, the hands are down anways, so.....in that case, its going to be hard to block/defend anyways, if you have to bring your hands up.

As far as the contact goes....again, as I said above, the pace should be set beforehand, however, the martial arts are a contact activity, so, contact should be expected.

Should you give up sparring? Why, because you got hit? IMO, I think you should keep getting back into the ring. The more you do something, the better you'll eventually be. Take your time. If someone is watching the match, they should be able to help you out with any weak spots you may have.

Good luck and keep training hard.

 

[chrispillertkd]

Ever since I started I've taken major issue with what I perceive as higher belts who show disregard for the difference in kups (and even gender -there's a reason why men don't spar against women in competition).

What I mean is that I feel that whilst against children for example, obviously every single one of us are very reserved with our shots on the rare occasion we spar with a child yet I feel that whilst some members (men and women) not just at the lower kups but even up to red belt and black belt, are rather timid in sparring, others seem to lack an awareness to control their shots.

Me I'm a green belt female, I'm not timid, I like to get stuck in in any activity I participate in however I also try to be very conscious not to go hard on any of my opponents. In recent months 2 lads I didn't recognise (a red tip and a red belt) joined one day, so I assume they were returning to tk from a proglongued break, and in sparring both of them did an axe kick down on to my head or shoulder resulting in considerable pain and a nasty headache for me. A few weeks later, with one of the guys who I know is more controlled, I made the mistake of stepping forward guard down at the same time as he did a turning kick and the result was a black eye.

From what it states in your post here it appears to me that the problem with control is not rampant throughout the school. You stated that one instance of you getting hit was due to your own mistake of dropping your guard while someone you know has control was kicking. I've done that myself and boy can it hurt since you're basically adding the force of your movement to the force of his kick. Painful, but ultimately that falls under the "Oops" category.

The other two instances you mention are with students who are back to training after a prolonged absence. These are much more likely to fall under the category of people needing to pay more attention and work on their own control until they are back to their old level of proficiency again. I don't know the size of your school but if these are the only two incidents like this I would say they are isolated and can be dealt with by simply telling the people in question to please be careful the next time you spar them.

Later some real tension arose when he pulled me up on things again and I tried to ask him how I can train myself to keep my guard up (which is my major flaw right now) without worrying that my sparring partner might put me in hospital if I make a mistake? I phrased it a bit different -how do I prevent myself from more injuries to which he responded, agitated, that I should defend myself and when I tried to ask what about partners who are stronger etc he started saying I was talking as if people were intending to hurt me...he went on to claim that sometimes I don't listen (which I believe is a very unfair statement) and something else similar. I felt upset by this claim together with the fact that in my effort to seek guidence from an instructor whom I look upon very fondly and trust, I felt my concerns to keep myself safe whilst learning the art of tk were dismissed.

There's not enough information provided in your post for me to tell exactly what's going on here. You talk about how you felt in this situation - which is important - but without specifics of what you said and what he said, exactly any advice you receive should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

The only advice I can give you is that if you do have a great concern about your safety during sparring you should talk to 1) the people you're sparring who have a control problem when you are sparring them and tell them not to hit you if they do so, and 2) your instructor in private. Come in early or set up a time you can meet with him in his office or after class. Tell him your concerns in a manner which will not be critical of his instructing style (you catch more flies with honey, after all, and TKD puts great emphasis on Courtesy). Give him specific examples. Refer to exact times and people. Make it clear that you don't think they were doing it purposefully if you don't think they were (and a simple lack of control wouldn't qualify as purposeful so much as careless, IMO). By doing this you will limit your criticism to specific thingsand not be levelling a general complaint about your instructor, his school, and your fellow students. Also, when talking with him in private take the time to apologize if what you said to him before came off like you were levelling a general criticism as that was not your intent. A simple "I'm sorry" goes a long way to smooth over hurt feelings even for unintentional offenses.

It is good that you recognize keeping your guard up is something you need to work on. Now examine what he told you about needing to listen and see if it is a criticism that, after the fact and away from the stress of the situation you describe, is legitimate. We all have faults we can see easily and those we cannot.

I've been with the club for over a year now and paid considerable money towards membership and today I felt like walking out and never returning when he said these things.

A year is a long time. You've obviously made a commitment because you value the training you're receiving under your instructor but I don't see anything in your post - from what you've written - that would necessitate you walking away. You could choose to do so, of course, but what you've described doesn't fall into the "Run away as fast as you can" category.

Pax,

Chris

 

[terryl965]

Originally Posted by Masshiro
number one. an Axe kick should never be used in sparing it is too hard to controll and is designed to break bones. if you were to block it she would have broke your arm, you never block a kick with your arms.
number two. if your instructor doesnt address the fact the people are getting hurt he is a moron.
number three. the rest of you replying to this post should know all this and shouldnt be telling her she is at falt. shame on you

Number one what shuld a axe kick not be used in sparring, control is the balance of everything we teach. If the axe kick is tought correctly and you have tought your student the meaning of control this has to be a non issue.

Number Two I am sure the Head Instructor has control of there own school and to emply any thing else is simply you looking to cause trouble.

Number three sir there are always two side to every story and somewhere in the middle lays the truth and shame on you for not knowing this.

 

[KELLYG]

My first question is how long have you been Sparing. Some clubs wont let you start sparing till you reach a certain belt level. Even if you have been sparing, for the entire year that you have been training, you are still a little green when it comes to sparing. Sometimes when you are sparing someone with less experience they don't know exactly how to read their opponent and move in very unpredictable ways. This can cause a more experienced player to hit, accidentally, harder than they would have normally. Walking into a kick amplifies the force exponentially compared to what the intended force was.

It is kind of hard for me to interpret weather the OP is being bullied, not listening or is just inexperienced. Remember anytime you spar there is the possibility of injury. There is never any shame in saying to your opponent <look I don't have a lot of experiance> and for the most part they will work with you.

 

[Marginal]

I dunno about diagnosing the school one way or another, but I'll chime in with some more (potentially redundant) defensive advice in no particular order:

• Relax. If you get freaked out by the thought of someone hitting you, you tend to tense up. The tenser you are, the harder time you'll have reacting.
• It's hard to hit someone as long as they're moving. Stay light on your feet. A lot of people will stop and brace themselves if they're expecting to be hit. You're better off getting out of the way.
• Keep your blocking small. Lower belts tend to over block. Keep your hands up, and cover your ribs and body by keeping your elbows in close. Most stuff won't be much of a problem.
• Work angles. A lot of the time, lower belts tend to simply retreat backwards when they think they're in trouble. It's fairly easy to keep up with someone just scooting backwards. Step off to the side, and it's harder for the attacker to recover. (You also get better counter opportunities)
• Learn to read who you're sparring. People like to set themselves before they go on the offensive. Try to shut them down when they look like they're trying to settle in. Along those lines, if someone's in motion, if they're attacking etc, they've committed to that particular action. They're not going to be doing anything but that action until it's complete.
• Get in shape. Most injuries I've seen tend to stem from fatigue and/or poor conditioning. It also helps boost your confidence, which makes you less likely to be super tense and so on...