Sparring question-

[Faye]

Hi all,

Does your school require sparring gear during sparring sessions? I've been in school does as well and doesn't, and I'm a bit confused. I know that some organization doesn't allow punching to the face and some does... (i guess WTF vs. ITF??) but how come some school during sparring session, you just have to spar with light contact, and some requires sparring gear? Do you think the ones that requires sparring gear will eventually make you do full contact sparring (as you progress in experience and rank..)

Also another question in terms of tournaments ( i have no interest in participating, but just want to know!), are some of the tournaments open to all types of martial art? e.g. if i'm competing, can i all of a sudden put some judo throws in a match? I'm just confused.... thanks!

 

[Galvatron]

You'll most likely never find a TKD Tournament that allows any sort of grappling during a match. Most open martial arts tournaments don't allow grappling either, or will have a separate division for it.

 

[JPR]

I don't know that there are "standards" for sparring concerning using or not using gear. It pretty much goes to the intent of the sparring (ie if you are training olympic TKD then you will not use hand techniques to the head and you will wear "standard" olympic gear), safety, and the head instructors preferences.

What does matter is what you are comfortable with and what you are trying to achieve. I have sparred different ways with different rules, sometimes wearing head gear with no face contact, sometimes not wearing head gear and punching to the face allowed. Each taught me valuable lessons.

Hope this helps.

JPR

 

[TX_BB]

Hi,

As far as tournments are concerned they generally comply to the rules of the tourneyment director which may change all through the day.

Good tournaments will post their rules with the tournamemnt application and you need to agree with them before you compete.

As far as sparring in general their are many schools of thought on that from there is no need since you are in total control and unleash a deadly strike first time everytime to let's get it on it's over when one submits or is knocked out.

I perfer to use sport TKD to test myself since it's work's on my weaker points fo self defense (footwork and kicking). I get enough contact and my opponents get enough of advantage on me that contests are good.

I do believe that everyone interested in self-defense can use some time on the floor/ring to see what they do when some one attacks them in an unscripted fashion. This tests your skills under fire while maintaining a certain level of safety. In self-defense your composure and adapatibility are key abilities in surviving an attack and sparring should a method of mentally preparing you for the contact of a real fight.

 

[terryl965]

I agree with TX BB the use of sport TKD will measure one's abilities, but then there is the unknowed when you get in a stituation with a fighter on the street. We must always test are abilities inside and out through competition. GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[MichiganTKD]

We only use sparring gear (WTF) on two occasions:

1. Training for a tournament, generally our fall Championship. Team members will use gear more extensively since they train for tournaments more.

2. If two fighters have very good technique and a lot of power, in which case it is recommended they use gear to minimize injuries. If someone has very good high kicking, we strongly recommend headgear.

Otherwise, students are expected to be able to control themselves. if they cannot, they don't fight. Students with below average technique, regardless of rank, generally do not wear armor until they bring their technique up.

 

[Littledragon]

We always wear sparring gear in our Dojang because we always spar full contact since we are the #3 best TKD competition team in the US.

 

[terryl965]

We always wear sparring gear in our Dojang because we always spar full contact since we are the #3 best TKD competition team in the US.

Little Dragon, please reframe from calling yourself the 3rd best in the county, Enjoy your post and comments. As far as being the best it is according to and who you compete against. We have state champions and national champions and carribean champions in the school but in some cases the students only had one competitor against them, not saying in your case. wearing sparring gear in a full contact sport is just plain smart to avoid injurys. warmest regards Terry
GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[Littledragon]

Little Dragon, please reframe from calling yourself the 3rd best in the county, Enjoy your post and comments. As far as being the best it is according to and who you compete against. We have state champions and national champions and carribean champions in the school but in some cases the students only had one competitor against them, not saying in your case. wearing sparring gear in a full contact sport is just plain smart to avoid injurys. warmest regards Terry
GOD BLESS AMERICA

I said we are the 3rd best competition team I never said I was the 3rd best.

 

[terryl965]

I said we are the 3rd best competition team I never said I was the 3rd best.

so you did still the same answer from me thanks and GOD BLESS Terry

 

[TKD USA]

We always wear sparring gear in our Dojang because we always spar full contact since we are the #3 best TKD competition team in the US.

This is just a question but why do you put that in every thread you go to, all I here is about your school being the 3rd best school in the country. I really sounds like you are gloating.

 

[deadhand31]

I said we are the 3rd best competition team I never said I was the 3rd best.

If you are going to make that assertion, at least state with what organization, what criteria, and what events. Whether you are or not, no big deal to me. I do have to agree though, it sounds a little bit like gloating.

Anyhoo, to stay on topic, we wear full gear when sparring. That means helmet and chest, forearm, shin, instep, and nut protectors. The last one is very important. I thought one day it would be ok to try sparring without it. Wouldn't you know it, that's the one day i actually take a full-force crotch shot from one of the senior students? I don't ever wanna see the captain that color again. :xtrmshock

 

[bluemtn]

We aren't allowed to do contact sparring at my dojang, but we are expected to really block hard. That can lead to some pretty bruises, and therefore we can wear shin guards and forearm guards.

 

[Han-Mi]

Sparring rules are completely up to the instructor of the class. We use gear so that we can make contact with some power and technique, which would otherwise damage a person to the point of being out of practice for a couple days. As for where the sparring will lead, usually is up to the student, it only can go as far as you are comfortable. Best way to tell htough is always gonna be to ask the instructor.

 

[TigerWoman]

I think sparring gear varies from different schools. We have always worn all sparring gear. As a white belt, you are allowed to go all out but usually that isn't much since a white belt is untrained skillwise and in strength, speed, flexibility, etc. For instance, black belts rarely use gear against a lower belt unless they are known to be advanced etc. We wear everything forearm guards, chestgear, gloves,shin & instep and cage headgear so we can take light head hits. Contact varies according to what belt level is sparring who. For instance a blue belt would not be allowed to contact other than lightly a white or yellow belt. But as the student progresses contact increases. Black belts against red are controlled but med-hard contact. We are allowed to use any technique to the face during class, but not at tournaments ever-WTF rules then. Open tournaments allow more than just TKD competitors, Karate all styles, Kung fu. Sometimes there is a separate Judo ring etc. Open does not refer to all styles but maybe similar-TKD & Karate in a particular match. Grappling is not allowed, nor throwing, joint locks etc. But if you are new, you have a lot of learning first before you get to sparring in tournaments-at least I would wait. TW

 

[Littledragon]

This is just a question but why do you put that in every thread you go to, all I here is about your school being the 3rd best school in the country. I really sounds like you are gloating.

Ye I like too when I can gloat about something.

 

[TigerWoman]

Ye I like too when I can gloat about something.

Gloating is the same thing as bragging or saying that your are better than someone else. Do you think pride is better to have instead of humility?

No one admires pride. A person who does not have to tell everyone that he is wonderful, but instead merely states his credentials and thats it ....is humble. He does not have to say it over and over that he is wonderful to make everyone admire him because in doing just that he will get the opposite reaction. What is the opposite reaction? And will it result in even less than what he desires, what you desire - recognition?

I'm sorry, Littledragon, adults will not recognize you as a master until you attain age and maturity. Saying you are better is not a step in the right direction. It will not change that fact no matter how many times you spout off about your school and rank. Listen to others and be respectful and you will gain respect in return. TW

 

[TKD USA]

Gloating is the same thing as bragging or saying that your are better than someone else. Do you think pride is better to have instead of humility?

No one admires pride. A person who does not have to tell everyone that he is wonderful, but instead merely states his credentials and thats it ....is humble. He does not have to say it over and over that he is wonderful to make everyone admire him because in doing just that he will get the opposite reaction. What is the opposite reaction? And will it result in even less than what he desires, what you desire - recognition?

I'm sorry, Littledragon, adults will not recognize you as a master until you attain age and maturity. Saying you are better is not a step in the right direction. It will not change that fact no matter how many times you spout off about your school and rank. Listen to others and be respectful and you will gain respect in return. TW

Nice.

 

[midnightninja]

Gloating is the same thing as bragging or saying that your are better than someone else. Do you think pride is better to have instead of humility?

No one admires pride. A person who does not have to tell everyone that he is wonderful, but instead merely states his credentials and thats it ....is humble. He does not have to say it over and over that he is wonderful to make everyone admire him because in doing just that he will get the opposite reaction. What is the opposite reaction? And will it result in even less than what he desires, what you desire - recognition?

I'm sorry, Littledragon, adults will not recognize you as a master until you attain age and maturity. Saying you are better is not a step in the right direction. It will not change that fact no matter how many times you spout off about your school and rank. Listen to others and be respectful and you will gain respect in return. TW

Well said. Most of the time when someone boasts, he/she has to recognize why the boasting is happening... is that person trying to convince him/her own self or the other person? Most of the time they're trying to convince their ownselves because if there was something so big and worthy to be bragged about, the other person would've probably already recognized that.

There are probably a lot of schools that are good, but the best schools are probably already known for that, otherwise they wouldn't be called the best

.:midnightninja:.

 

[Marginal]

Ye I like too when I can gloat about something.

Well, manners aside, I have noticed one tendency in your posts Littledragon, and it's not boastful pride, or prideful humility etc. What I see is more a side-effect of inexperience when it comes to information processing.

In other words, you tend to beleive that anything you read in a book or hear from someone you respect is true. Not a bad trait, especially in a high schooler (since that's what they teach you to think). Once you figure out that everyone says what they do for their own reasons, and you have to take any info you get with a grain of salt, and come to your own conclusions without just repating what others have already told you, you'll be perceived as mature.

MMA proponents like to claim that high kicks are terrible in a self-defense situation. You've told me in another post that kicking high's fine as long as it's done perfectly, in which case, it's impossible to catch and punish. I'm not so sure your BJJ instructor would agree with that statement, but you obviously reached that conclusion despite dissenting "expert" opinions. Either that, or you were parroting your TKD instructor. Point being, you can already question what you're hearing. You just need to cultivate it.

For example, take your third ranked competition team factoid. Right now it doesn't mean a whole lot to me, so I tend to ignore it. It doesn't mean much to me for the following reasons:

1) Third ranked relative to what?
2) Not my association regardless.
3) Indicates that you've got quality coaching, but that doesn't lessen or increase my satisfaction with the training I'm personally receiving.
4) You're a few thousand miles away so I'll likely never see you, or anyone from your school or team my entire life.

So I view it as a point of pride for you, but it means nothing to me as far as something that helps establish your authority. So I wouldn't take you to task over it under normal circumstances. (Excepting that now it's become an "etiquette" issue, and I think you're drawing fire upon yourself needlessly.) You have a lot of experience, and are building up a reserve of potentially useful knowledge. Once you start internalizing that knowledge and making it your own, you're going to be a hell of a martial artist. Might as well start the process now rather than waste your time in a verbal dust up that could easily be avoided.

Take that as you will.