Is Sparring Critically Important?

[searcher]

The part of sparring that is critically important is the getting the feelof getting hit. Offensive skills and defensive skills can be worked on throught basics, forms, and self-defense training, but getting hit you have to experience first hand. This is so you don't fall apart when you get hit on the street. JMHO.

 

[Brother John]

How important do you feel sparring is, in developing useful self defense skills?

Overall....
It isn't.

In many regards, it inhibits the development of useful self-defense skills.


You are correct though, not ALL sparring is created equal. There are some ways of doing it that hits closer to the mark. But overall, I believe that way too many schools place way too much emphasis on it because it demands SO little of the instructors (other than minor guidance) or their system.

Your Brother
John

 

[Andrew Green]

But overall, I believe that way too many schools place way too much emphasis on it because it demands SO little of the instructors (other than minor guidance) or their system.

Please explain, I always found the opposite.

 

[jks9199]

We do some of the same stuff. But when a higher skilled student goes against a lower skilled student, they have to take their game down slightly. Mostly so it doesn't discourage the lower skilled sparrer.
Some techniques are also restricted. Mostly the ones that are good for nothing other then killing/seriously maiming opponent. Still happens at times, but as long as you don't hurt the other person you're probably fine.

Not so...

In fact, a higher skilled student can be made to work HARDER in sparring against less skilled opponents.

But they can't just "rock & roll" if they wan't to do this.

For example, limit the more advanced student's techniques; how'd you like to fight someone being allowed only to hit with a left hook? Or only being allowed to counterattack...

Then, there's one more thing, and I'll use a story to illustrate it. It seems some years back, there was a tournament being held in a village. The way this tournament ran, you'd hold the ring until someone defeated you, taking all comers. One man came in, won the ring, and held it against many opponents. Until a young student entered the ring, and used one of the very first, most basic techniques taught to defeat the man...

 

[gocrywolf]

I think that sparring is one of the most important aspects of Martial arts. We must remember that these are combat orientated art forms. Even the passive aggressive ones like Tai chi or Aikido are dealing with aggressive elements from an outside force. This doesn’t mean that they cannot be used for health reasons or other reason but just that understanding the nature of combat is important to understanding the nature of your form. For aggressive styles we study combat so that we can create more power through our techniques. For passive style we study combat so that we can cancel aggression with control.
Personally I am not a fan of point sparring. I tried it and a lot of the arts I’d learned to respond to attacks I was force to throw aside. I don’t think that a learning environment that forces you to limit what you know is good for anyone, not just fighters. Think about it how many of us remember ever equation we learned in math class, not many. The reason is because we don’t use them often and when a situation does arise where we need them it is hard to draw upon our knowledge. So why in all of god’s green earth would I want to limit how I can protect myself in training knowing that if I need to do it in a real life situation I may hesitate or forget because I trained my body not to respond in that way.
Also, combat is frightening. A good hit to the face if you aren’t expecting it could make you cower even if you should fight back and it’s just because if you’re not use to being hit you body goes into shock when it happens. In the end MA is about life, staying alive or promoting health and spirituality. I choose to train in a way that promotes my well being and not my down fall.
It’s time for another lesson…

I saw a man’s eye twitch in response to his anger and
thought that this was a reasonable response. I adopted the habit of forcing my
eye to twitch when I was angry because I reasoned the gesture could never be
...misunderstood for anything but what it is. Unfortunately now I cannot keep my
eye from twitching when I am upset.

It is best not to show ugliness to others because in time it
becomes all that they see. When I am angry those closest to me look for my
twitch like the coming of a storm. It is much better to show happiness, to have
others expect you smile like the coming of dawn rather than the tempest your
anger incurs. But, I learned this truth too late and I’m unable to quite the
storm.

Lesson. Never adapt a flaw willingly. We are the choices me
make.