Sparring

[Andrew Green]

And does sparring simulate reality?

Some degree of reality yes.

"Real life" fighting comes in many forms, sparring simulates whatever you want. Most of the time this is designed around 1-on-1 unarmed fights. That's not the only form of sparring though. Sparring in fencing would prepare you better for a sword fight then not sparring. Sparring with sticks for a stick fight. You can do 2-on-1 sparring... there is / was even a promotion somewhere that promoted 5-on-5 fights, and another I think that did 3-on-3 in a obstacle course like environment. Military training often involves exercises designed to simulate a real battlefield, which is essentially a form of "sparring" with different words used for it.

At the end of the day nothing is ever going to give you reality though. Some people are going to freeze up, panic, etc. as soon as the safeties are turned off or a situation happens that wasn't planned.

At the end of the day I don't think most of us are "really" preparing for a real situation, most people don't get into those. The people that do it's going to matter more for though, and for them sparring should resemble reality as much as possible. Which a lot of the time is going to mean more situational sparring, but still sparring.

 

[pgsmith]

So when I punch a guy in the face in sparring and I punch a guy in the face in self defence. What do you think is the difference?

In sparring, the other fellow is not trying to kill you. I've never been in a fight defending myself where the other fellow wasn't trying to kill me.

 

[FriedRice]

Mike Hunt's brother.

You've never seen Mike Hunt.

 

[drop bear]

In sparring, the other fellow is not trying to kill you. I've never been in a fight defending myself where the other fellow wasn't trying to kill me.

How does that effect what I do?

 

[pgsmith]

How does that effect what I do?

If you cannot tell the difference between someone trying to kill you and sparring, I am happy to never have had to spar with you since many of your sparring partners have undoubtedly been seriously injured..

Sorry, I can't educate you any further on that.

 

[drop bear]

If you cannot tell the difference between someone trying to kill you and sparring, I am happy to never have had to spar with you since many of your sparring partners have undoubtedly been seriously injured..

Sorry, I can't educate you any further on that.

Let me guess what you said sounded good but breaks down on the technicalitys?

Do you think i f I punch someone and they fall over. That was because they did not want to kill me?

 

[Touch Of Death]

You've never seen Mike Hunt.

It is just common knowledge that, if you mess with Mark Hunt, you are messing with Mike Hunt.

 

[FriedRice]

In sparring, the other fellow is not trying to kill you. I've never been in a fight defending myself where the other fellow wasn't trying to kill me.

What's the difference between an MMA fighter throwing a full power punch, with everything he's got....right into his opponent's face in trying to knock him the freak out in the cage/ring......vs. this same MMA fighter throwing a full power punch, with everything he's got.....right into your face to knock you the freak out, in the street?

Answer: It's going to be a lot easier for him to knock you the F out with just one punch, vs. him trying to do the same to a REAL fighter, of his equal, in the ring/cage. Once you're knocked the F out, and you're unconscious body is lying on the cement....your life is at the mercy of this MMA fighter. He can go home or wait for the police or stomp on your head until it cracks, brains oozes out and you die and he goes to jail for life or executed by the State. That is if you haven't died yet from getting KO'ed in the street and your head cracks open from dropping on the concrete. Or maybe just coma, concussion or full paralysis.

Also, unless some attacker in the street, announces that he will be "trying to kill you", it would require true mind reading abilities to know this while it's happening. Otherwise, it's usually just a fist fight where both guys swings wild haymakers all over the place. Who do you think will be better in this situation? Someone who spars hard (often enough, but not always) and used to their partner trying to KO them for real? Or someone who spars light and pretend striking at nutsacks, etc. and completely afraid of sparring hard for KO's?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I think an awfully lot of people in this thread have never been in a fistfight outside of a controlled environment, or they've forgotten what it was like if they did. Perhaps on the schoolyard back in the short pants days, we squared up and traded punches in a more-or-less dignified manner, punctuated by the bell ringing to call us back into the classroom. But I have never, and I am sorry I have to keep insisting on this, NEVER been in a real honest-to-goodness fight where one or more guys was seriously trying to end me, that looked ANYTHING like sparring. I think anyone who still doesn't get that needs to go to a local bar, make some insulting remarks about somebody's girlfriend, and then challenge them to do something about it when they take exception. That is a fight. Then tell us how much it resembles what you do in a tournament.

 

[FriedRice]

It is just common knowledge that, if you mess with Mark Hunt, you are messing with Mike Hunt.

Nobody messes with Mike Hunt.

 

[FriedRice]

I think an awfully lot of people in this thread have never been in a fistfight outside of a controlled environment, or they've forgotten what it was like if they did. Perhaps on the schoolyard back in the short pants days, we squared up and traded punches in a more-or-less dignified manner, punctuated by the bell ringing to call us back into the classroom. But I have never, and I am sorry I have to keep insisting on this, NEVER been in a real honest-to-goodness fight where one or more guys was seriously trying to end me, that looked ANYTHING like sparring. I think anyone who still doesn't get that needs to go to a local bar, make some insulting remarks about somebody's girlfriend, and then challenge them to do something about it when they take exception. That is a fight. Then tell us how much it resembles what you do in a tournament.

I'd love to do this, unfortunately I have a job, assets and a clean criminal record. Knocking out people in the street can cause serious injuries, paralysis or even death. And this can happen with just ONE punch or kick.

The closest thing that I get to this happy fun times, is to let new people who tries out our class to throw any kind of strikes they want and at full power at me, and I only defend. Most don't even touch me. And I'm a nobody, ammy fighter. Kind of like this:

 

[drop bear]

I think an awfully lot of people in this thread have never been in a fistfight outside of a controlled environment, or they've forgotten what it was like if they did. Perhaps on the schoolyard back in the short pants days, we squared up and traded punches in a more-or-less dignified manner, punctuated by the bell ringing to call us back into the classroom. But I have never, and I am sorry I have to keep insisting on this, NEVER been in a real honest-to-goodness fight where one or more guys was seriously trying to end me, that looked ANYTHING like sparring. I think anyone who still doesn't get that needs to go to a local bar, make some insulting remarks about somebody's girlfriend, and then challenge them to do something about it when they take exception. That is a fight. Then tell us how much it resembles what you do in a tournament.

OK. But you are not the definition of fighting.

I have been squared off on guys in street fights before. I now create that environment because there are a few reasons why it is a bit safer for me.

I can choose to do either. This toe to toe sug fest it not always forced on me.

This is so I can use the methods that I have learned in sparring to defend myself. That way I am not wasting my time training.

 

[drop bear]

I mean does nobody know how to exit out of a striking combination or why you do it?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I'd love to do this, unfortunately I have a job, assets and a clean criminal record. Knocking out people in the street can cause serious injuries, paralysis or even death. And this can happen with just ONE punch or kick.

The closest thing that I get to this happy fun times, is to let new people who tries out our class to throw any kind of strikes they want and at full power at me, and I only defend. Most don't even touch me. And I'm a nobody, ammy fighter. Kind of like this:

That's cute. Wait until one of them tells you he doesn't want to fight, turns away, and then sucker punches you. Or waits until you turn away and kicks you square in the balls from behind or breaks a bar stool over your head. Or has his buddies grab your arms from the sides; you didn't even know they were his friends until they grab you and then he coldcocks you. Or he lowers his head and charges you and the barroom is so crowded you can't evade. Or etc etc etc. All I'm saying is that you are imagining what a fight must be like. It's not. You say you don't want to find out what one is like. That's cool. But you don't know what you don't know. That could be a problem.

All I keep reading is basically this:

I don't know what real fighting is, but I imagine it is like sparring, only harder, so I practice sparring really hard and I am covered. It's not and you're not.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I mean does nobody know how to exit out of a striking combination or why you do it?

I am a choir member.

 

[drop bear]

I am a choir member.

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

[drop bear]

That's cute. Wait until one of them tells you he doesn't want to fight, turns away, and then sucker punches you. Or waits until you turn away and kicks you square in the balls from behind or breaks a bar stool over your head. Or has his buddies grab your arms from the sides; you didn't even know they were his friends until they grab you and then he coldcocks you. Or he lowers his head and charges you and the barroom is so crowded you can't evade. Or etc etc etc. All I'm saying is that you are imagining what a fight must be like. It's not. You say you don't want to find out what one is like. That's cool. But you don't know what you don't know. That could be a problem.

All I keep reading is basically this:

I don't know what real fighting is, but I imagine it is like sparring, only harder, so I practice sparring really hard and I am covered. It's not and you're not.

This discussion will go better if you dont invent stuff.

 

[FriedRice]

That's cute.

"Danger" is my middle name. My first is "Stranger".

Wait until one of them tells you he doesn't want to fight, turns away, and then sucker punches you.

Sounds like a spinning strike that just needs to be defended against or countered, been there done that.

Or waits until you turn away and kicks you square in the balls from behind or breaks a bar stool over your head.

Yeah, I always turn around w/my back completely towards someone who was just a moment ago, said that he was going to "kill and rape" me, which actually is quite merciful if you think about it consididering I won't feel the 2nd part of such dual atrocities towards another man.

Or has his buddies grab your arms from the sides; you didn't even know they were his friends until they grab you and then he coldcocks you.

How come, in all of these SD situations, I'm always alone? Why can't I have friends to watch my back or be a wingman, while cruising for babes? I'm so lonely.

Or he lowers his head and charges you and the barroom is so crowded you can't evade.

Say hi to the Muay Thai Plum, then the twins...knee #1 and knee #2, then say high to the twins again and again until everything goes bright then dark. This actually happens a lot, but an equally trained MMA fighter would know proper head placement during the entry for, most likely, a takedown attempt...to not get kneed or guillotined....and he's going to be way faster and explosive, vs. fatboy at a bar.

Or etc etc etc. All I'm saying is that you are imagining what a fight must be like. It's not. You say you don't want to find out what one is like. That's cool. But you don't know what you don't know. That could be a problem.

All I keep reading is basically this:

I don't know what real fighting is, but I imagine it is like sparring, only harder, so I practice sparring really hard and I am covered. It's not and you're not.

Sounds like you've never been in many street fights and just making a lot of this up, which is standard for SD classes. Sure they could happen, but knocking someone the F out, solves a lot of problems...anywhere. I've been in many street fights actually, I'd just rather not incriminate myself (although I was mostly a minor then). Mostly when I was not a trained & experienced fighter too. But now, I especially don't go out looking for fights as I'll get prosecuted by the State and most likely get sued in civil courts afterward, once they find out that I'm a trained fighter.

 

[JowGaWolf]

No, it's not the same punch at all. Boxers throw punches differently. When they argue at a press conference and it descends into a brawl does it look anything like the skilled exchange of a boxing match?

They aren't stood in the same stance for a start, as they usually grab hold of each other, it's just wild fists flailing. So boxers punch differently in a brawl than they do in training.

Self Defense situation

He got hit with a hook. The same technique type of punch used in boxing

See hook at mark 18

 

[JowGaWolf]

Self defence doesn't take place at sparring distance for one.

Sometimes it does. There are many fights that have started with someone being verbally abusive and moving towards the person. Not every self-defense situation begins with an unexpected attack.