Sparring Do's and Dont's

[terryl965]

What are some of the rules inside the school you train in.

With me all under belts can go as hard as they like with upperbelts. Same belt level about 80% and of course with lower belt fight at there speed. What I like is full contact fighting for all BB withen the same age range and what I mean is a BB that is sixty and one that is Twenty the twenty year old should go at the older BB level, I know some people feel this is wrong but for me it is essentail for the older guy to continue to come in for training to much and they do not come back.

 

[mango.man]

Our rule is "Be a good team mate" which means push your opponent harder than they will be pushed in competition.

 

[bluekey88]

Typically, our sparring classes start out with various drills (kick combos, footwork, etc.) We then encourage the students to try to utilize those things in the live sparring. Sparring is not about winning...it's about learning and practice. Don't let fear of failure hold you back or you will neveer gro as a fighter.

 

[igillman]

No headshots.

The power level is determined by the instructor based upon who is fighting. Two people of high rank and the same build can go 100%. Me (200 Lbs) vs a teenage blackbelt (120 Lbs) would be me at 50% and them at 100%.

The last words spoken by the instructor before the fight... "Don't sue".

 

[searcher]

Our rules are very similar to yours, Terry. We also don't allow spine side kicking or groin shots in class(I know of a few in my area that do). I allow the students to go to the ground, but only if the transition does not go against the joint. All levels get face contact and you can use knees and elbows with control. No Kicking against the joint.

 

[firerex]

our "6 rules of sparring" are:
1. always keep your guard up
2. be an effective blocker
3. kick and punch in combonation
4. kick and punch above the belt
5. attack the 5 target areas
6. stay busy, flury in, flury out

our 2 rules of competition:
1. dont get hit
2. dont miss

 

[Laurentkd]

We say that the senior rank should match the junior rank. Meaning how ever hard the junior rank comes in, that senior should do the same (not as in the junior is giving 100% so I'll hit with 100%, but rather the junior is doing middle contact, so I'll do middle contact), and stay at their level (or just a little above to push the junior). Two equally matched fighters will quickly tell eachother how hard they want to go after they bow and before they start and go from there.

 

[suicide]

with my one orange belt student i tend to push him and put him to the test with out hurting him , but to tell the truth some of his wild kicks and punches are no joke its a must wear a cup :jediduel:

 

[JadeDragon3]

WOW.....I didn't realize how many schools and/or styles don't allow hitting to the head. That is just unbelievable! At both my martial art schools that I went to they allowed kicks and punches to the front and back of the head. wearing head protection was optional. We were required to wear hand pads and foot pads, mouth gaurd, and a groin cup. That was all we had to wear. At my first school foot pads were optional as well as a groin cup. We went pretty hard. We were told not to kick to the groin and kicks had to be above the waist. We could sweep the front leg but no base leg sweeps. That was pretty much the only rules. And let me tell you, we got pretty rough sometimes but thats good for you to experience because you'll need that toughness when in real fight situations come around.

 

[Twin Fist]

below brown: stay off the face, otherwise, go for it. i tell them that if they hit me in the face i wil return the favor. it usually gets the message across.

Brown and higher: whatever, dont suck, dont be a wuss

 

[Carley]

I'm only a yellow belt, and I've never actually sparred, but my instructor has told us enough times for us to know the general rules ^^;;

No punches to the head - because it's too easy Kicks only, and none to the face. Anywhere else is fine.
EVERYTHING above the belt.
"Sparring is like a game of tag", not full force knock-'em-down brawl.
Kicks to the back aren't allowed.

Then there's the rules everyone uses - guard up always, be sportsmanlike, apologize if you made a mistake

 

[Twin Fist]

you people with your no groin shots give me a giggle

 

[Thesemindz]

you people with your no groin shots give me a giggle

Now now, that's not very nice.

Some schools don't allow groin shots, or sweeps, or leg kicks, or head strikes, or kidney, spine, or bladder strikes.

It's all in what you're training for. If you are training for a specific sporting event with specific rules, it makes sense to train with those rules in mind. If you are training for self defense, it makes sense to throw the rules out the window. In which case, everything goes, while still taking the students' skill level into account. I wouldn't recommend take downs and chokes for beginners, but I would for intermediate and advanced. Hell, some schools will have you do that stuff your first day.

But if anyone tells you no strikes to the head because it's "too easy," they're full of it. Go around trying to punch people in the head at the mall. It aint as easy as you might think, even against untrained civilians. People instinctively protect their head, they throw their arms up, they duck away. If someone says no head shots because they aren't points here, fine. If someone says no head shots because they don't want to get sued, fine. If someone says no head shots because they don't want to shell out for mouth guards and head gear, fine. But if someone feeds you a line like, "it's too easy," they're selling something. Don't buy it.


-Rob

 

[Empty Hands]

I'm only a yellow belt, and I've never actually sparred, but my instructor has told us enough times for us to know the general rules ^^;;

I've never understood this. I sparred from white belt on. Sparring is a part of every test for us, at every level. For all that, we're not even a huge sparring oriented school.

No punches to the head - because it's too easy

Remarkable. The head is the most vulnerable part of your body, and damage to it makes the most difference in a fight. You'd think your Master would want you to learn how to protect it.

One thing is for sure, your guard will not be developed like it should if no one is every trying to tag you in the head.

 

[Empty Hands]

below brown: stay off the face, otherwise, go for it. i tell them that if they hit me in the face i wil return the favor. it usually gets the message across.

Brown and higher: whatever, dont suck, dont be a wuss

you people with your no groin shots give me a giggle

Right on, my brother.

 

[dortiz]

I say better practice avoiding groin shots while you have a cup on then trying to learn it on the street naked.


Dave O.

 

[Carley]

I've never understood this. I sparred from white belt on. Sparring is a part of every test for us, at every level. For all that, we're not even a huge sparring oriented school.

Remarkable. The head is the most vulnerable part of your body, and damage to it makes the most difference in a fight. You'd think your Master would want you to learn how to protect it.

One thing is for sure, your guard will not be developed like it should if no one is every trying to tag you in the head.

We do practice sparring, just no contact for low ranks. Tournaments are optional, and I don't have sparring gear, otherwise I'd go.
He does teach us to protect our heads. The foam swords see a lot of action with arms (and faces, if we don't block it). And if we can get a good height match-up, we do one-steps where we block hammerfists to our heads. We /do/ learn self-defense,
Just a note - Yellow is the first up from white. I know some others have other colors inbetween that. I've only been in this class for barely 7 months, so someone else might be able to have a good debate with you about this :c

 

[hkfuie]

I say better practice avoiding groin shots while you have a cup on then trying to learn it on the street naked.


Dave O.

LOL! Learning on the street NAKED!

I'd love to watch that class.

 

[terryl965]

LOL! Learning on the street NAKED!

I'd love to watch that class.

Only if they are loaded

 

[Manny]

First I have to say I do not do kyorugi so much, but what I like to do when have to is to be polite with my classmate, I don't like to be harsh, so I try to be not be caught and try to deliver good solid blows without risking my classmates.

Maybe I'm wrong but don't like to brutaly beat a classmates cause we are all gentelmen and friends.

However there are times when my foe wants to stand up and try to nail old Manny and maybe forget we are sparring not doing war, then and only then I can be rough if necesary.

When I spar with young people or lower belts I always try to make them confortably and given them a chance, they need to overcome their fears so I let them to kick me a little but alwasy with a reminder, If they leave a gape where I can kick I will kick.

So this is my way of thinking on kyorugi:

1.-Always be polite and quiet.
2.-Never show fear.
3.-Fare play always.
4.-If 1,2 and 3 are not possible cause my foe is rough and unpolite then fight hard like a crazy m....

Manny