# Practicing Sparring without a Partner



## DrewTheTKDStudent1992 (Mar 23, 2018)

Hey guys, I’m new here. As you can see from my name, I study Taekwondo.

I need help. 

If I need to practice sparring, but don’t have access to sparring partner, how can I practice?


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## Headhunter (Mar 24, 2018)

Well you can't sparring is with a partner. You can do shadow boxing and bag work but that's not sparring


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## _Simon_ (Mar 24, 2018)

Welcome to MT Drew! Hope you enjoy your stay and join in 

Yep, sparring is with a partner, and a lot of things there can't be developed without one.

BUT... hehe, you can still do a lot of drills that will still enhance your sparring. Again, not a replacement for sparring with a partner, but when I was training on my own all of last year, the first tournament I entered I had absolutely no training partner to practice with. I ended up winning my first bout and coming very very close to winning the finals, so ended up with silver.

Now I know that a lot of my prior training helped out a lot here which must have kicked in, but I researched like crazy, got creative, and developed a solid routine 10 weeks or so before the tourney.

I did things like: 

-plyometrics (not only normal explosive bounces, but bouncing and as SOON as I land, exploding forward with a technique)

-aLOT of footwork drills (even drilling simple steps a great deal, stepping front foot forward, shuffling back foot up, stepping through with back leg), combining these with different techniques and parries, stepping off to the side and at angles with counterattacks

-reaction drills like setting my phone to do random beeps with an app and reacting with a block and counterattack or just attack as fast as I possibly could

-swinging a tennis ball on a string and stepping off to the side as it almost hits me constantly whilst dodging it, parrying it or attacking (also doing this with eyes closed, and opening my eyes at the last second before it would hit me and reacting)

-setting an object on top of a chair back, and practising distancing, trying to come close as possible to hitting it etc

-bagwork

-and of course, a lot of shadowsparring rounds, with a lot of visualisation too. Visualising the person in front of me, what they're attacking with, how I would react etc


But yeah these are definitely more supplementary, but can definitely help sparring. Sometimes in sparring it's too heated and intense, and a lot of people just freeze up and aren't allowed the opportunity to really trial things out and practice as it's too high pressure. So working on relaxing while simulating sparring on your own can help a bit. But no substitute for partnerwork


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## DrewTheTKDStudent1992 (Mar 24, 2018)

_Simon_ said:


> Welcome to MT Drew! Hope you enjoy your stay and join in
> 
> Yep, sparring is with a partner, and a lot of things there can't be developed without one.
> 
> ...



Thank you.. I needed to ask this b/c outside of my once-a-week scheduled sparring class, there hasn’t been a way to get sparring practice done at home.


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## CB Jones (Mar 24, 2018)

DrewTheTKDStudent1992 said:


> Thank you.. I needed to ask this b/c outside of my once-a-week scheduled sparring class, there hasn’t been a way to get sparring practice done at home.



Where are you from?  And have you thought about trying competition?


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## DrewTheTKDStudent1992 (Mar 24, 2018)

CB Jones said:


> Where are you from?  And have you thought about trying competition?



Competition? I’m not sure that I’m skilled enough for that, besides I’m in my mid-twenties.

As to where I’m from, I’m from the East Coast USA.


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## pdg (Mar 24, 2018)

DrewTheTKDStudent1992 said:


> Competition? I’m not sure that I’m skilled enough for that, besides I’m in my mid-twenties.



That old huh?


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## DrewTheTKDStudent1992 (Mar 24, 2018)

pdg said:


> That old huh?



Yeah, why?


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## pdg (Mar 24, 2018)

DrewTheTKDStudent1992 said:


> Yeah, why?



Because you seem to be using it as an excuse to not compete, that's why.


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## DrewTheTKDStudent1992 (Mar 24, 2018)

pdg said:


> Because you seem to be using it as an excuse to not compete, that's why.



Excuse? So I do have a chance to compete in spite of my age?


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## pdg (Mar 24, 2018)

DrewTheTKDStudent1992 said:


> Excuse? So I do have a chance to compete in spite of my age?



Don't get me wrong, you might've left it a bit late to represent at the Olympics...

But other competition?

I'll be competing this year, and I'm 40.


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## CB Jones (Mar 24, 2018)

DrewTheTKDStudent1992 said:


> Competition? I’m not sure that I’m skilled enough for that, besides I’m in my mid-twenties.
> 
> As to where I’m from, I’m from the East Coast USA.



In the org. my son competes in we have 5 year olds to 60 year olds competing and the age divisions are split into beginner, intermediate, advanced, and black belt.....so skill level is a moot point.


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## DrewTheTKDStudent1992 (Mar 24, 2018)

pdg said:


> Don't get me wrong, you might've left it a bit late to represent at the Olympics...



That’s okay, because I’m not studying for it anyway. lol


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## CB Jones (Mar 24, 2018)

Another thing about competition is you'll meet other MA that you might can spar with outside of your class.


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## Headhunter (Mar 24, 2018)

DrewTheTKDStudent1992 said:


> Competition? I’m not sure that I’m skilled enough for that, besides I’m in my mid-twenties.
> 
> As to where I’m from, I’m from the East Coast USA.


Oh god  sake...

Woowwww you're in your 20s you may as well quit since your that oldest 

Btw that's sarcasm...what is it with people thinking 20s is to old to compete. There's a thread in here about a guy in his 70s boxing


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## Kung Fu Wang (Mar 24, 2018)

DrewTheTKDStudent1992 said:


> If I need to practice sparring, but don’t have access to sparring partner, how can I practice?


You can form your own fighting club. Your fighter club members can be found in the following ways.

- MMA gym,
- Karate school,
- body builder in the gym,
- runner on the beach,
- walker in the park,
- next door neighbor,
- your girlfriend, brothers, sisters, father, wife, ...
- ...

You may also put up an ad in the local gym that anybody is willing to spar with you for 15 rounds, you will pay that person $20 (or whatever amount that you think it's reasonable).


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## CB Jones (Mar 24, 2018)

Or go to the seediest bar in your town walk in and loudly proclaim...."My name is Drew the TKD Student and I can whip anybody in this bar"  And just like that....free sparring partners.


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## JR 137 (Mar 24, 2018)

CB Jones said:


> Or go to the seediest bar in your town walk in and loudly proclaim...."My name is Drew the TKD Student and I can whip anybody in this bar"  And just like that....free sparring partners.


When I was in college, there was this guy one night in a bar asking if I knew anyone who wanted to fight for $100.  I replied “I don’t know about anyone else here, but I’ll kick your a$$ for $100 if you want.”  He quickly walked away.  I felt sorry for him, so I proceeded to drink heavily


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## DrewTheTKDStudent1992 (Mar 24, 2018)

Headhunter said:


> Oh god  sake...
> 
> Woowwww you're in your 20s you may as well quit since your that oldest
> 
> Btw that's sarcasm...what is it with people thinking 20s is to old to compete. There's a thread in here about a guy in his 70s boxing



In spite of your sarcasm, it is reassuring to see that 20-something years old isn’t too old.


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## Headhunter (Mar 25, 2018)

DrewTheTKDStudent1992 said:


> In spite of your sarcasm, it is reassuring to see that 20-something years old isn’t too old.


Of course it isn't genuinely have no idea why you'd think it is


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## Gerry Seymour (Mar 25, 2018)

DrewTheTKDStudent1992 said:


> Excuse? So I do have a chance to compete in spite of my age?


You're probably at your prime age for competing. Competition isn't a kids-only thing.


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## Gerry Seymour (Mar 25, 2018)

To your original question, a few thoughts:

You can't practice sparring without a partner, but you can practice _for _sparring without one. Heavy bag, double-end bag, shadow boxing, etc. will all contribute to your sparring ability and do not require a partner.
Many MMA gyms seem to have open-mat time, and some (perhaps all - not sure) allow folks from outside the gym to come in to spar/roll. The same may be true of some boxing gyms. I'd be careful to not talk yourself up, so folks don't think you're looking to prove anything. At the very least, you might find a willing sparring partner at one of those locations, someone interested in getting together from time to time. You might also ask around at Karate schools - check with the instructor and see if he would pass the request along to appropriate students.
Look to spar outside your art and especially outside your school. You want exposure to different approaches, as that will sharpen you faster.


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## yak sao (Mar 25, 2018)

Talk to the people who are in your class. I would imagine some of them would be interested in getting together outside of class for some sparring.
There may already be a group of them who do this already and you just need to plug in.


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## Danny T (Mar 25, 2018)

As already stated; Ask your fellow students to spar or check out other gyms.
We have scheduled open sparring & grappling times at my school every week. Others do as well.

As to your age...I'm very soon to be 64, competed yesterday. Had a great time getting rolled by a younger heavier gentleman because there was no one in my division. Won my second match and in a final faced the same I lost to in the first and out pointed him due to being in better overall physical shape. 

Age is but a number.


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## Buka (Mar 25, 2018)

Danny T said:


> As already stated; Ask your fellow students to spar or check out other gyms.
> We have scheduled open sparring & grappling times at my school every week. Others do as well.
> 
> As to your age...I'm very soon to be 64, competed yesterday. Had a great time getting rolled by a younger heavier gentleman because there was no one in my division. Won my second match and in a final faced the same I lost to in the first and out pointed him due to being in better overall physical shape.
> ...



Fricken' Danny. That SO rocks.


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## Danny T (Mar 25, 2018)

Buka said:


> Fricken' Danny. That SO rocks.


LOL...Wish I could get my wife to feel the same. Certainly have had her support for our 40 years but plain thinks I'm foolish to still be doing this.


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## Gerry Seymour (Mar 25, 2018)

Danny T said:


> LOL...Wish I could get my wife to feel the same. Certainly have had her support for our 40 years but plain thinks I'm foolish to still be doing this.


Tell her we think it’s awesome. I’m sure the opinions of some random people on an Internet forum will sway her.

EDIT: Numerous typos.


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## JR 137 (Mar 25, 2018)

Danny T said:


> LOL...Wish I could get my wife to feel the same. Certainly have had her support for our 40 years but plain thinks I'm foolish to still be doing this.


I’ve only been married for going on 12 years, and we’ve been together going on 16 years.  So I won’t pretend to know nearly as much about wives as you do.  But one thing I do know - they think pretty much everything we do is “foolish.”  Then again, can you really blame them?  After all, guys don’t really grow up, we just get older.


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## JR 137 (Mar 25, 2018)

gpseymour said:


> Tell her we think it’s awesome. I’m sure the opinions of some random people on an Internet forum will sway her.
> 
> EDIT: Numerous typos.


Yeah, that’ll work.  About as effectively as my 7 year old daughter pointing out the things she thinks are acceptable just because her friends do it.


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## Tez3 (Mar 26, 2018)

pdg said:


> Don't get me wrong, you might've left it a bit late to represent at the Olympics...
> 
> But other competition?
> 
> I'll be competing this year, and I'm 40.




And you are still a youngster! 

I know a chap who competed in the UFC, the first Brit to do so, as well as fighting in Russia and other places, he didn't start competing until his middle 30s. Lots of people competing in martial arts into their 50s and 60s as well. 20 is a mere child


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## Tez3 (Mar 26, 2018)

JR 137 said:


> I’ve only been married for going on 12 years, and we’ve been together going on 16 years.  So I won’t pretend to know nearly as much about wives as you do.  But one thing I do know - they think pretty much everything we do is “foolish.”  Then again, can you really blame them?  After all, guys don’t really grow up, we just get older.




What about wives then who compete in their 60s?



JR 137 said:


> Yeah, that’ll work.  About as effectively as my 7 year old daughter pointing out the things she thinks are acceptable just because her friends do it.




Then tell her I think it's awesome....................... and gets you out of the house and from under her feet.


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## WaterGal (Mar 26, 2018)

DrewTheTKDStudent1992 said:


> Excuse? So I do have a chance to compete in spite of my age?



Definitely. Adult color belt divisions don't tend to have a lot of competitors, but they do have some. I coached at a tournament this past weekend, and I saw a division of 3 or 4 color belt women who were probably in their 40s and 50s competing. They weren't very flexible or fast, but they were trying really hard. I found it inspiring to see. I did see a couple of guys who looked like they were in the 60s or 70s with competitor badges on, but I didn't see them go.

Since you say you're on the east coast, there's an event coming up in May in Virginia called Spar Wars that I'm thinking about trying, where you can spar as much as you want for one fee (normally, in TKD tournaments, they do elimination brackets and you spar until you lose, so you might only go against one person, depending on how well you do and how many people signed up for your division). I think they do similar events in Florida and New York, if those are closer for you.


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## JR 137 (Mar 26, 2018)

I entered our organization’s 40th anniversary tournament almost 2 years ago.  It was 3 weeks before my 40th birthday.  We had competitors from all over the world.  The only continent not represented was Antarctica.  There were 24 people in my division alone - 18 year old and up, 4th kyu.

Out of the 24 people, I’d estimate about 5 or 6 of us were over 30; the rest were in their 20s.  And us over the hill guys held our own just fine.  I was probably the youngest non-20s guy.

You’re never too old.  Unless of course you want to compete in the kids’ divisions.


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## JR 137 (Mar 26, 2018)

You can do it.  You just need to find your inner “katra”...





Is there no situation in life that can’t be compared to a Seinfeld episode?


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## _Simon_ (Mar 26, 2018)

JR 137 said:


> You can do it.  You just need to find your inner “katra”...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hahahaha so so true... Seinfeld is genius... seriously whenever I have a catchup with some friends, can guarantee every single time there'll be a reference to or using an example from a Seinfeld episode XD


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## Gwai Lo Dan (Mar 27, 2018)

_Simon_ said:


> Hahahaha so so true... Seinfeld is genius... seriously whenever I have a catchup with some friends, can guarantee every single time there'll be a reference to or using an example from a Seinfeld episode XD


And here I was holding back on commenting on the thread , "From Okinawa to Korea". Is that the sequel to "Rochelle, Rochelle" and her journey _from Milan to Minsk_"?


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## JR 137 (Mar 28, 2018)

Gwai Lo Dan said:


> And here I was holding back on commenting on the thread , "From Okinawa to Korea". Is that the sequel to "Rochelle, Rochelle" and her journey _from Milan to Minsk_"?


Hopefully George won’t run Bette Middler over at home plate before the play opens this time.


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## DrewTheTKDStudent1992 (Apr 28, 2018)

gpseymour said:


> To your original question, a few thoughts:
> 
> You can't practice sparring without a partner, but you can practice _for _sparring without one. Heavy bag, double-end bag, shadow boxing, etc. will all contribute to your sparring ability and do not require a partner.
> Many MMA gyms seem to have open-mat time, and some (perhaps all - not sure) allow folks from outside the gym to come in to spar/roll. The same may be true of some boxing gyms. I'd be careful to not talk yourself up, so folks don't think you're looking to prove anything. At the very least, you might find a willing sparring partner at one of those locations, someone interested in getting together from time to time. You might also ask around at Karate schools - check with the instructor and see if he would pass the request along to appropriate students.
> Look to spar outside your art and especially outside your school. You want exposure to different approaches, as that will sharpen you faster.


 Sounds great, thanks for the advice.


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## DrewTheTKDStudent1992 (Apr 28, 2018)

I dig the advice given here for the most part, thanks guys.


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## DrewTheTKDStudent1992 (Apr 30, 2018)

gpseymour said:


> You're probably at your prime age for competing. Competition isn't a kids-only thing.



Maybe my skills need polishing, but I'm glad that I'm in the prime age.


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