I started MA a couple months ago with a bunch of other old fat people like myself. We are all yellow belts now, maybe halfway through this particular phase, probably testing for orange at the end of February sometime. We are all beginners, not experienced, etc.
Now with the stuff I've learned so far, a couple strikes, kicks and blocks, I'd really like to spar with someone, which they don't encourage in the dojo yet for us. My question is, is this typical newbie overexcitement, or is limited sparring (like 50% speed/power, appropriate sparring gear) a good idea to get used to using the stuff in a more realistic fashion?
Mainly I'd like to see if I can get good enough to block something other than a staged lunging overhand punch.
Generally, I have students at your level doing sparring exercises more than free sparring. In other words, they're doing exercises that help them develop the skills necessary to free spar.
Sparring is a method of practicing what you've learned against an opponent. Practice is an exercise designed to improve your skills. Accordingly, before you can spar, you need to have learned something.
Let me explain some of the "building block" exercises for sparring. You're already doing partner exercises, where one person throws a strike for the other to block. When you first learn a technique, like an overhead block, the strike should come in pretty slowly, very predictably, and the attacker should more or less let you deliver the counter attack without interfering. But... after several repitions, the speed should be increasing, the telegraphing or predictability should be decreasing, and the defense against the counter-attack should be showing up. In time, it should look almost like an unscripted attack & defense, because the attacker is coming with little or no telegraph, at full speed and power, without passively accepting the counter, while the defender is countering with speed and power. Throughout, even at the lowest, slowest point, you must have a risk of contact, if not injury. In other words -- the strike has to be in range to hit if you don't respond.
It's a gradual escalation, and the rate of escalation will depend on the relative skills of the partners. I and another black belt may be able to take a new technique, and in the course of an hour or so, escalate to nearly full speed/power. A pair of new students may need to work that same technique for several lessons before they even approach full speed/power.
There are also other sparring exercises, like dodging bats/blocking poles/pads, offense exercises like hitting a target pad that's pulled away if you telegraph or take to long, and lots more.
Generally, I can have a student doing either controlled/assigned role sparring or some free sparring in a month or three, with a very limited repetoire.
