# # of strikes in sparring



## Gulo (Nov 13, 2003)

some say sparring is closest to a real fight, therefore some stickfighters believe that it will go the ground or suffer overwhelming defeat sooner than we think. 

i don't go to tournaments and spar. i have only seen (stick)sparring in videos and web clips and from what i've seen, the statement above is true.

my question (to those fortunate enough and have the most fun, individuals who participate in them) is this: 
    in your experience, how many continuous strikes have you  delivered successfully to your opponent while sparring.

i can only imagine it to be not more than five until the other person gets in your way.

unless you spar with wekaf armor? i certainly know the feeling when it's raining cats and dogs!


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## Cthulhu (Nov 13, 2003)

We wear only some form of hand padding and hockey helmets when we spar.  We use rattan sticks, as the padded ones break far too easily.

Myself, I can get at most 3 continuous hits in, and that's on a very good day, when the planets are aligned, and I've eaten my Wheaties.

My instructors can get a continuous string of hits in on me...sometimes to the point where it's just silly to keep on hitting.  However, sometimes, we will end up in a clinch and go to the ground.

When knife sparring, we usually stop on a cut that could be considered a 'kill' shot.  Strikes to the limbs are usually disregarded, though we are fully aware that any cut could stop a fight.

Cthulhu


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## bart (Nov 14, 2003)

Most of my stick sparring experience is in WEKAF. Depending upon the skill of the other person, in WEKAF I can get anywhere from 2 to 10 hits off before they can hit back. Sometimes I can't get any in. 

I fought in a Dog Brothers gathering and I fought pretty conservatively in regard to the multiple hitting. But against my second opponent I was able to get 2 to 5 off in a row pretty regularly without getting hit, and sometimes more. 

Your ability to get off multiple hits depends on how you train. A lot of people teach and practice hitting statically. That is, hitting without moving your feet. In order to hit multiple times effectively, you have to have good footwork, and you have to make use of it throughout any series of multiple strikes. The other person is usually trying block or hit you, but whatever they present, you hit and hit hard. 

As for that clinching and going to the ground, I don't believe it. I was a bouncer and most things were solved standing up. When they didn't it was detrimental to both parties. When I fought in the Dog Brothers Gathering, I worked to keep it from going to the ground and both of my opponents were trying to bring me there and it didn't happen. If you can control range and keep mobile, you don't have to go to the ground. Being able to hit multiple times while controlling range makes it very difficult for anyone to enter on you, either to strike, block, or grapple.  

I do believe that you need to train for that contingency (going to the ground), but from my experience, any fight is not definitely headed to grappling. Marc Denny says, "grappling happens" and I agree. It just doesn't happen all the time.


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## Gulo (Nov 14, 2003)

thank you Cthulhu and bart

mr. bart, i take it you are a larga mano style fighter? i agree, footwork is a good advantage and perhaps striking with the tip, much more devastating.

some styles teach more than the original doce pares which i think covers most of the angles. 128 strike patterns is not really practical to me. but that's because i don't know much.

if i may, how many of those strikes that you can make are thrusts!thanks.:asian:


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## bart (Nov 14, 2003)

Hey,

I like to think of myself as a middle range fighter mostly, but I can do the up close and the long as well.


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## Joe Talmadge (Nov 27, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Cthulhu _
> *
> 
> When knife sparring, we usually stop on a cut that could be considered a 'kill' shot.  Strikes to the limbs are usually disregarded, though we are fully aware that any cut could stop a fight.
> ...



I've been pondering this myself.  In real life, a guy can often take multiple "kill" shots and keep going, there are plenty of stories out there.  He bleeds out 30 seconds later or whatever.   I know there's an automatic tendency to stop the action and reset whenever there's a kill shot in sparring, even though in real life the bad guy might not stop.  Encouraging the guy who took the kill shot a split second to respond with his own attack might overcome this trained-in reaction we have to stop.


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## dearnis.com (Nov 27, 2003)

Joe makes some very good points; while i have seen and thrown 1 shot stops in the real world the importance of training to cover the reflexive return strike is so, so, important.



> Encouraging the guy who took the kill shot a split second to respond with his own attack might overcome this trained-in reaction we have to stop



Chad


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## loki09789 (Nov 27, 2003)

With near real sparring weapon and empty hand, when the goal is to prepare for a real life fight, I find it is better to free form/spar for a duration of time instead of outcome.  This is a simple way of over coming the tendency to pause or quit when there is a supposed finishing shot.  It also develops 'fight' mind because you can't throw a fight


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## bart (Nov 28, 2003)

> With near real sparring weapon and empty hand, when the goal is to prepare for a real life fight, I find it is better to free form/spar for a duration of time instead of outcome. This is a simple way of over coming the tendency to pause or quit when there is a supposed finishing shot.



I agree totally. If you spar and aim to stop on the killing blow, then you spend a lot of time figuring out whether or not it was a killing blow. The best way to get realistic training is to go with a time limit or a submission.


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## Joe Talmadge (Nov 28, 2003)

Even with timed rounds and free sparring, which is what I do, there's a tendency to stop and reset after a kill shot.  Learning to follow up your kill shot immediately with another, or to take a kill shot and nevertheless respond immediately with your own, is still something I needed to work on separately.


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## arnisandyz (Nov 28, 2003)

I think its however you want to play the "game".  Continuous sparring is good, to train you to keep going, but when people are too geared up with heavy gloves and headgear they tend to 'take shots" to give one.  As long as the realism is still there than its good.  I myself have taken shots on the hand or head that probably would have put me down, but kept going.  I acknowledged the fact to the other person after the bout. I'm not saying to give up when you get hit, but I think everyone whos has sparred has been on both ends of this.  You throw repeated hits that most likely would disarm or at the least stun the guy but he keeps coming at you like you hit him with a pillow. 

On stopping the action on the "kill shot"  it teaches something different than continuous fighting.  You tend to respect the damage the weapon gives more and are more careful with your entries.  If you take a shot, the game is over. They're both good, they just teach different things.  We do both.


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