Sparring Progress

[FearlessFreep]

Well, I've had two classes with sparring since I first asked about tactics a few weeks back (we only spar on wednesdays; our school s not heavily focused on it) I think I've had a big improvement. Granted, my total numbers of experiences in sparring can be counted on two hands, so it's easy to make improvement, but still...I'm trying to learn and it's been helpful some of the feedback I've gotten here.

Some areas of work/improvement:

1) Lateral evasion with counter strike. This is going very well. Rather than blocking a strike and trying to counter, or evading backwards, I've been working a lot on slide steps to either side followed with a sidekick or roundhouse kick, depending on angle.

2) Speed. I'm faster than the other two adults I spar with and I'm finally using it to my advantage in attack. (I mentioned before in a different thread that I tended to slow myself down unconciously to match my opponents rhythm as if we were doing a drill..I tried not to do that and stay at my own tempo, and it was a big difference)

3) Press the attack. I used to wait for an opening in the guard and try to get in; I've been working on being more aggressive and going for an attack to center mass and if hhis arms are up and he doesn't move, that's his problem

I still have an awful lot to learn. My instructor says I still have 'Bambi legs' and get off balance when coming in for attacks with multiple combinations; he says I need to be smoother and more balanced in my footwork. I also need to work my footwork in for closing distance to setup different kinds of attacks. Most of my thought process recently has been in terms of fighting against a taller/heavier, and slower opponent. So at this point I don't really have a style' of my own, there's just way too much I don't even know or understand yet, I'm just learning how to do a few things in part situations

 

[Melissa426]

Great to hear that progress can be made!

I have been doing TKD since May, started sparring in Aug when I got my yellow belt, and nothing seems to be sinking in yet.
Two things I have learned:
a. don't flail and kick away at everything ( 14 y.o. black belt gave me that advice and it is actually good )
b. When I am up against a bigger, taller opponent, I try to crowd them a bit. Yes, I might get punched more,but I can get them back. They don't have room to really get a good full length kick unless they step back or away, If I see that coming I can block or move myself. Since I have short legs, crowding is not a problem for me kicking them!

Peace,
Melissa

 

[FearlessFreep]

a. don't flail and kick away at everything ( 14 y.o. black belt gave me that advice and it is actually good )

Yeah, I did that my first few times as well. Good way to get unbalanced and open yourself up

b. When I am up against a bigger, taller opponent, I try to crowd them a bit.

I've been thinking of that . My instructor was talking about how you usually set up with a natural distance and that if you can move in or move out, the other person will compensate to reset that 'natural' distance and you can catch them unexpectedly in transition, especially if their movement gets their weight on one foot or the other.

 

[Zepp]

Good advice Melissa.

b. When I am up against a bigger, taller opponent, I try to crowd them a bit.

I've been thinking of that . My instructor was talking about how you usually set up with a natural distance and that if you can move in or move out, the other person will compensate to reset that 'natural' distance and you can catch them unexpectedly in transition, especially if their movement gets their weight on one foot or the other.

That's a good strategy, but it can work against you too, if you back off too soon. Remember, once you're in close you want to keep on top of them until they back off. That's usually a great time to chase them with a kick.

You may also want to talk to your instructor about sparring some more advanced adult students occassionally. Then you can get a feel for what it's like to spar someone faster than you. Keeps ya honest.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Remember, once you're in close you want to keep on top of them until they back off. That's usually a great time to chase them with a kick.

Yeah, we talked about backing off briefly and when they come in you come back in so you're on them and then it's 'go to town' on them time until they back off. All sorts of ways to use your opponents momentum and reactions against them

Then you can get a feel for what it's like to spar someone faster than you

Yeah, we have a girl in class, an older teenager, who has fast feet. I sparred her once when I first started and it was light contact/instructional and I don't remember much about it, but I talked to my instructor and he's going to have me spar against her because a) she's fast and b) she's got a different technique/approach then everyone else so I'm very eager to test myself against someone younger and faster but still old enough to be smart and strong.

I already know some counters to what I'm doing; but they require quickness and forethought that so far my opponents are not showing so...what I'm doing I know is just developing one set of hopefully many skills I will eventually have.

 

[Zepp]

You definitely have the right mindset. I don't think you've really needed any of our help all that much.

 

[Indomitable Spirit]

i'm sorry to say but mine has gone a bit down hill. i was doing really good the past month or so and i was giving some good matches but in my last sparring session i got beat like a ragdoll. i dont know what i did wrong though this time. o well, gotta keep trying.
well done freep your hard work is paying off and thats good to see. i like your dedication and commitement for tae kwon do.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Thanks all for the encouragement and feedback. I have learned a lot asking questions here; sometimes reinforcing what I've already suspected, sometimes giving new ideas, sometimes shying away from bad one

 

[Miles]

You may also want to talk to your instructor about sparring some more advanced adult students occassionally. Then you can get a feel for what it's like to spar someone faster than you. Keeps ya honest.

This is also good advice. You get better by sparring students who are better than you.

Miles

 

[FearlessFreep]

Well, I just went from orange to yellow belt this week and they are all green belts. I've been practicing TKD for six months and they've all been doing ot over a year. In theory, I *am* a sparring students better than me

However, I got to class 5 or 6 times a week compared to their 2, and I make sure to do my morning and evening pushups, situps, and jump-ropes. And I hang out places like here and ask questions and bug my sabomnim all the time So...I still make mistakes against them. I'm not saying I'm better than them or anything...yet. I just happen to be learning many of their strengths and weaknesses and focusing on how to counter their strengths against their weaknesses. There are some in the class, though, that I don't spar often if ever just because how the ages/heights break out so....there is a lot more to learn from my peers

 

[FearlessFreep]

Ummm.....anyone in Albuquerque need a sparring practice opponent?

 

[takadadojokeith]

If you can, videotape your sparring sessions and watch them later. Tally how many of each technique you throw, how many times you land them, and how many times you get hit yourself. It's the best way to figure out what's right and what's wrong in your sparring. When you're hitting him more than he's hitting you, you're making progress.

 

[FearlessFreep]

I'm sorry, that remark I made about 'in theory...better than me' came out pretty arogant sounding. Most of my peers are probably better than me, I'm just learning fast (and I know from remarks they made that I have them nervous...and I pray that inspires them to get better as well)

 

[Melissa426]

You may also want to talk to your instructor about sparring some more advanced adult students occassionally. Then you can get a feel for what it's like to spar someone faster than you. Keeps ya honest.

Just about everyone is faster than me :uhyeah:, sad to say.

We spar in a rotation fashion, if I could diagram it, it is something like this.

BB - BB - BrB - BrB - PB- PB
WB- WB- YB - YB - GB - GB

Black, brown, purple, green, yellow, white belts

You spar with your first partner for a few minutes, then rotate counter clockwise. I start against black belts, then work my way to the lower belts, as we rotate. The Black belts try to teach; the Brown belts and Purple belts actually give me the hardest time , with the exception of one Black belt who usually gives me a a very physical match.
When I first started sparring, I was very apologetic if I hit or kicked someone too hard. But then I realized that they were not apologizing to me for hitting or kicking me too hard, so now I am trying to give as good as I get.

Peace,
Melissa

 

[ave_turuta]

When I first started sparring, I was very apologetic if I hit or kicked someone too hard. But then I realized that they were not apologizing to me for hitting or kicking me too hard, so now I am trying to give as good as I get.

Hi Melissa,

An apology is sometimes needed and deserved, though! Especially if you are a low belt sparring against an upper belt, and the person hurts you. You are not supposed to get hurt and they should make sure that you don't. I was practicing one steps today with a BrB and for some reason he didn't seem to notice the whiteness of my belt and felt free to kick me quite hard (we had no protection gear on on); I blocked the wrong way and now I can barely type after an hour of treating my hand with ice. He seemed to enjoy his kicking a lot; I just wished he would have been more polite...

 

[FearlessFreep]

I've run into the problem of having to apolgize to upper-belt opponents because my lack of control and my lack of experience has had me hitting targets that I shouldn't; the 'flailing'that Melissa mentioned

 

[TigerWoman]

Fearless, no apology is necessary, its par for the course. I always get hit in my legs from beginners. But when I was a orange belt, I dished out the same. As you get stronger, your legs will come up and have more control. It is a process, don't expect too much from yourself. You are doing great since you already understand alot of the concepts. Muscles just have to catch up! TW

 

[nekoTKD]

Freep, I do the exact same thing, lol. When we were practicing for the tourney, everyone who I sparred with took some hits to the knees. I think it's just kind of an instinct for me, but Im getting over it.

 

[FearlessFreep]

A lot of it has been mental self-control. In particular, I remember catching someone in the back of shoulder and someone else in the jaw. I was just falling away off balance and flicked up my foot wildly and 'whack'. The one to the face was particularly disturbing as we were not wearing headgear and it was supposed to be light contact with no head shots. I guess a defensive kick as you are falling down may not be a bad thing, but learning self-control and *aim* is a mental thing I need to work on. (Then again, I need to work on my balance and footwork anyway