Striking Sparing - Part 2 - Taking a hit

[crazydiamond]

From a response in another thread..."get used to taking hits"

I will find out soon enough in my own sparing...but curious to hear from more experience members here

Did your ability to take a hit and keep going - particularly a hit to head - improve with sparing experience?

 

[Dirty Dog]

My experience is that most people have never been hit.
The first time they do, in what is generally a controlled contact match, they are absolutely certain that they're going to die.
Over time, they learn that being hit is really not the world ending disaster that it first seemed.
Eventually, they learn to move with the impact, alter their body position slightly to shift the impact away from the most vulnerable targets, block or parry more effectively, how to breath through the impact, etc
It's more a matter of learning to minimize the affect of the blow than of learning to ignore it.
If you just stand there and take a full force shot, it's going to have pretty much the same affect on you on day 10,000 as it would on day 1 of your training.

 

[Danny T]

From a response in another thread..."get used to taking hits"

I will find out soon enough in my own sparing...but curious to hear from more experience members here

Did your ability to take a hit and keep going - particularly a hit to head - improve with sparing experience?

My experience is that most people have never been hit.
The first time they do, in what is generally a controlled contact match, they are absolutely certain that they're going to die.
Over time, they learn that being hit is really not the world ending disaster that it first seemed.
Eventually, they learn to move with the impact, alter their body position slightly to shift the impact away from the most vulnerable targets, block or parry more effectively, how to breath through the impact, etc
It's more a matter of learning to minimize the affect of the blow than of learning to ignore it.
If you just stand there and take a full force shot, it's going to have pretty much the same affect on you on day 10,000 as it would on day 1 of your training.

Don't know anyone who 'likes' to get hit. I know of several who talk big and some here may also. That is bravado. There is a respect that manifests between those who spar hard or fight when one is hit but I have huge reservation as to anyone enjoys getting hit unless they are masochistic or a sado-masochist in which case I don't want them training with me.

It comes down to tempering, learning to yield away from the strike, and in time truly accepting the hit.
We do tempering exercises and stand your ground drills where one simply gets hit lightly at first and over time the strikes become faster and harder. This is done prior to beginning sparring and continues throughout the training.

 

[Buka]

We all know those pictures of people getting hit.

That's what they look like from the camera's view. They look completely different from the view of the person being punched. Being punched in the face ain't no fun. I don't think anyone gets used to it, you learn to deal with it, to go with it, if you train or fight. But it sometimes comes with a price.

I don't think, though, that the first place you should ever experience it is in a real fight. (for those who train) A real fight is tough enough to deal with as it is, it's scary. I can't imagine how much scarier it would be if you were to take a good shot to the face for the first time in your life.

 

[crazydiamond]

My experience is that most people have never been hit.
The first time they do, in what is generally a controlled contact match, they are absolutely certain that they're going to die.
Over time, they learn that being hit is really not the world ending disaster that it first seemed.
Eventually, they learn to move with the impact, alter their body position slightly to shift the impact away from the most vulnerable targets, block or parry more effectively, how to breath through the impact, etc
It's more a matter of learning to minimize the affect of the blow than of learning to ignore it.
If you just stand there and take a full force shot, it's going to have pretty much the same affect on you on day 10,000 as it would on day 1 of your training.

Thanks good advise. I understand blocking, but the idea of moving with the impact, breathing though makes sense. Yes I am sure the first time in sparing I take a medium shot to the head/face I am going to remember it.

 

[crazydiamond]

We do tempering exercises and stand your ground drills where one simply gets hit lightly at first and over time the strikes become faster and harder. This is done prior to beginning sparring and continues throughout the training.

Thanks - This is kind of what I was wondering with my post - tempering. It is interesting that your place does this exercise to help get "used" to hits.

 

[Andrew Green]

From a response in another thread..."get used to taking hits"

I will find out soon enough in my own sparing...but curious to hear from more experience members here

Did your ability to take a hit and keep going - particularly a hit to head - improve with sparing experience?

More like your ability to keep your composure improves, along with your ability to not do dumb things like look away that make the hits hurt far more. People that have never been hit in the head tend to think it will be far worse then it is though, once you get past that and accept that you are going to get hit in the head things get better.

 

[tshadowchaser]

reaction to getting hit in the head has more than one response. Some people will "fold" and turtle after getting hit, some will stand dazed not knowing what happened or what to do next, some become in raged and charged with adrenalin. These reactions can take place in the gym, on the street or anywhere but learning to deal with whatever reaction you have and to move with control not flailing wildly like a mad man takes time and practice.

Do you ever get used to being hit in the face , maybe, can your reaction to it change over time, hopefully, but there is only one way to find out. I would ask that in 6 months or so after you start getting hit that you reopen this thread and tell us how it is going for you

 

[Danny T]

Thanks - This is kind of what I was wondering with my post - tempering. It is interesting that your place does this exercise to help get "used" to hits.

Interesting?
There are numerous training programs and facilities that use tempering drills.

 

[crazydiamond]

Interesting?
There are numerous training programs and facilities that use tempering drills.

To a new person in martial arts this is interesting to learn. Never been to any place but mine. I will ask about this with my instructors.

 

[K-man]

Thanks - This is kind of what I was wondering with my post - tempering. It is interesting that your place does this exercise to help get "used" to hits.

We call it 'conditioning' although we don't do it to the head. I think the the odd accidental smack to the head is sufficient to give you the understanding that the head needs to be protected.

 

[Danny T]

To a new person in martial arts this is interesting to learn. Never been to any place but mine. I will ask about this with my instructors.

Ahh.
Yes, speak with your instructors. If you are training in a system that spars I'm thinking there is a tempering component within it.

 

[Touch Of Death]

From a response in another thread..."get used to taking hits"

I will find out soon enough in my own sparing...but curious to hear from more experience members here

Did your ability to take a hit and keep going - particularly a hit to head - improve with sparing experience?

Find a partner, and take turns standing in a horse stance while the other guy hits you lightly, like he is sparring a BoB. This is a trust game, however, you will find it isn't that hard, and you were just being a sissy before,

 

[Shai Hulud]

In Systema training we started with light taps and worked our way upward from there. To be honest, taking hits isn't that bad as long as you approach it gradually - much like strength training. Just know that at some point you will have to take hits, and that there are certain techniques and principles to be observed like bracing and reverse breathing to shore up your body for impact. The Russians have the "Wave" motion that they use for such a purpose. Through supple and wave-like movements, they're able to nullify an incoming strike (at least most of it). Of course at full speed they're snappy deflections, but it works just as well.

I've taken a roundhouse punch to the jaw once and still kept going. I find that as soon as you do away with your fear of getting hit, and accept that you're going to get hit, the sparring experience becomes a lot more "real" than the usual practice the lot of people view it as at times. It's as just a big a part of the MA's as all the techniques or the philosophy. If there's anything the Russians have taught me, it's that pain is inevitable, but pain also builds strength and character.

 

[drop bear]

Depends what your head is doing when you get hit. If it is up, exposed and where you neck isn't supporting it properly being hit is going to suck.

So imagine you are sparring and as you are trying to punch forwards your head is trying to escape out the back. In what is a very common position for new guys.

When you get hit you will get flattened.

Also strengthen your neck.

 

[RTKDCMB]

I understand blocking,

With blocking you still have to get used to getting hit on the blocking surface, forearm conditioning is highly recommended.

 

[Shai Hulud]

With blocking you still have to get used to getting hit on the blocking surface, forearm conditioning is highly recommended.

The time-honored/tested tradition of repeatedly whacking anything from a post to a tree or heavy bags never fails to deliver.

 

[RTKDCMB]

The time-honored/tested tradition of repeatedly whacking anything from a post to a tree or heavy bags never fails to deliver.

I especially like the arm toughening exercise where you repeatedly bash your forearms against your partners.

 

[Shai Hulud]

I especially like the arm toughening exercise where you repeatedly bash your forearms against your partners.

We do that in Systema class. It's fun seeing who retches from the pain first.

 

[RTKDCMB]

We do that in Systema class. It's fun seeing who retches from the pain first.

Or who hides it better.