# How do YOU teach someone to Spar



## donna (Jun 14, 2007)

What are the minimum skills you teach a beginner before you let them begin sparring? 
Once they know those skills , how do you teach them sparring?  or do you just throw them in the deep end and let them learn as they go?

I am looking into a new club to join, and I only have my old club (which was severely lacking!) as a reference point. 
I would like to know what the norm is at other clubs.
Thank you for your help


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## michaeledward (Jun 14, 2007)

One thing we do is offense and defense drills. 

For the next minute, I am not allowed to attack. I can only defend. You are to attack, looking for openings, using combinations, and with a bit of telegraphing (intentional). Then, we switch sides. 

Hopefully, the defender learns to read the incoming attacks, block, and stay covered up during the exercise. Hopefully, the aggressor learns to feint, see openings, and combine attacks to be effective. 



Another drill we will use is 'The Guantlet'. Everyone lines up in two lines, about 10 feet apart. The person at the front of line A spars against the person at the front of line B for 15 or 20 seconds. Then, person from the front of line A spars against the person second in line of Line A for 15 or 20 seconds. Then the person from the front of line A spars against the person second in line of Line B for 15 to 20 seconds. When he finally reaches the end of both lines, the person at the front of Line B follows; sparing each member of each line in turn. Soon the lines wrap through themselves. This is a tremendous cardio exercise. And, it gives the benefit of having to face a different figher, and fighting style ever few seconds. - This exercise would not be used in the first week of sparring with a newbie.


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## clfsean (Jun 14, 2007)

Basics, basics, basics, more basics and when they think they're done, back to basics.

Seriously. Why show somebody MA type "A" when you get to sparring it boils down to kickboxing?  I mean if you're a kickboxer, then you're good to go. But why teach somebody a developed MA of _any_ type at all when if they go to spar, it looks like generic, undescript kickboxing. Believe me, no offense is made to Muay Thai kickboxers here. Muay Thai is a developed style coming off Muay Boran. Y'all know what I'm talking about here... 

My sifu has students drilling basics (single & partnered) for several months (i.e. more than 6) & learning the first form or two so they can figure out how to move & react based on Choy Li Fut. That way when they do start sparring, they look like they're actually using CLF, not kickboxing. The reason they look like they're using CLF is because they _are using_ CLF. If they start dropping into a or developing a kickboxing mode, they get snatched from sparring & go back to basics only.

For the seniors in the class, we do the same exact amount & type of basics as the new guys. The only differences are we're expected to have incorporated the different gings into our techniques, a little more freedom on the application of the technique, more contact between us, etc...


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## MJS (Jun 14, 2007)

donna said:


> What are the minimum skills you teach a beginner before you let them begin sparring?
> Once they know those skills , how do you teach them sparring? or do you just throw them in the deep end and let them learn as they go?
> 
> I am looking into a new club to join, and I only have my old club (which was severely lacking!) as a reference point.
> ...


 
I don't think sparring should be held off for too long, but I do feel that they need to have some basics to build from.  Drills can be worked right into the regular class.  For ex:  Rather than just go over single strikes, work combos.  Jab/cross, jab/cross/hook, etc. which of course can be done on focus mitts.  Usually I'd pair a new person up with someone more advanced, this way you will have someone that can control the pace, as well as give feedback.  

Mike


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## Shaderon (Jun 14, 2007)

OK It's not me teaching but we spar from the 1st day.   We learn techniques as we go along but the sparring is mainly a fitness and reaction excercise and the chance for students to get used to hitting out and getting hit out at.

For later belts it's all about getting the techniques right do you can get past defencesor block attacks, but fir the lower belts, it's just about getting in there and having a go and seeing what you can do.


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## Ryokeen (Jun 14, 2007)

I personaly favor the way my instructor goes about sparing.
We learn our techniques, and practice on eachother until you get closer to the upper belts and then we are to begin light contact and further up from there sparring. He wants to make sure we're using techniques not just hitting and blocking... and I think it's very wise and will make sparring much more fun.


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## Yeti (Jun 14, 2007)

clfsean said:


> Basics, basics, basics, more basics and when they think they're done, back to basics.
> 
> Seriously. Why show somebody MA type "A" when you get to sparring it boils down to kickboxing? I mean if you're a kickboxer, then you're good to go. But why teach somebody a developed MA of _any_ type at all when if they go to spar, it looks like generic, undescript kickboxing.


 
What he said.


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## pstarr (Jun 14, 2007)

We teach it in stages...from formal One-Step to Freestyle One-Step (which can be done several different ways and is, in many respects, more difficult than sparring), and then finally to sparring...baby steps before you learn to run.


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## Andrew Green (Jun 14, 2007)

I can teach a person to keep there hands up and throw a jab in a couple minutes, after that they can start some restricted (Jab only) sparring.  A little while later add the cross, and a defence.  Then a hook.  

But really, they can be sparring right away, and learning the basics in a sparring situation.  All they need to start sparring is a good attitude and a good partner, thats it.


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## MattJ (Jun 15, 2007)

I have been working on creating a syllabus that is aimed at beginners, and/or children. Emphasis on practical drills and resistance in all ranges. Purposely leaving out any really dangerous/d34dly stuff for now. 

BAGWORK!
NECK TIE (clinch)students try to push each other out of the ring
FLAG GRAB--- put rag on back of belt and have students try to grab it 
BALL THROW--- have students evade (hands behind back, etc) ball thrown at them
CLASP HANDS--- students try to push each other out of the ring (hands are clasped palm to palm)
IMPACT DRILL--- students strike or kick each other in the body (learning defensive breathing and evasive body movement)
SHOULDER TAP TAG (with gloves) -- One student attempts to hit the other's shoulders (moderate force), while the other defends
BOB AND WEAVE--- (up against wall) 
1. eyes open
2. eyes closed as instructor touches side of students face, student bobs and weaves away
LEG ATTACK DRILL--- as one student kicks, the other attempts to kick or sweep the support leg of the attacker
CATCH THE BACK OF THE SHOULDERS--- students attempt to spin around and behind each other, grabbing shoulders, headlock, bearhug, etc...
EYES CLOSED SURPRISE ATTACKS--- students have eyes closed or back turned, instructor says go and creates attack that student responds to
BAGWORK ADDITION DRILL--- instructor creates one technique for students to do, next student in line adds one move ,etc
KING OF THE MOUNTAIN--- students attempt to knock each other onto the ground
1. standing (using takedowns/throws)
2. starting from knees
ONE LEG BALANCE DRILL -- Students attempt to knock each other over while standing on one leg
CIRCLE DRILL 1 -- circle to outside of opponent's attack (attempted grab, push,etc...)
CIRCLE DRILLS 2 -- you have opponent clinched (from the front) -- circle around to opponents back while maintaining clinch using leg wrap, etc.
LIFT UP DRILL -- students alternate grabbing waist/knees and lifting each other ---or start from shoulder/hip throw position and lift opponent
SWIMMING DRILL --
1. student in mount "swims" arms between arms of student on bottom, who is trying to grab
2. attacker has defender in necktie ---defender "swims" arms between attacker's to regain necktie or 1/2 clinch (1 arm around neck, 1 on outside of opp's arm)
GRAB AND PUNCH DRILL --attacker grabs defender and prepares to strike ---defender must cover/clinch/evade (evade towards same side of grab -- away from punch)
PUNCH DEFENSE DRILL -- instructor punches high, student punches/kicks low (and vice versa)
GROUND DRILLS --
Maintain the top position/Reversals from underneath the mount
Passing the guard

After a bit of practice using isolation drills like these, students can get into sparring pretty easily.


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## megat (Jun 17, 2007)

i think boxing style sparring is better, with an instructor at the side pointing out your flaw and giving u instruction while u spar. and maybe mitt hitting befor ethe actuall spar. that can be good way to train before freestyle spar.


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## Shotochem (Jun 18, 2007)

Hi All,
IMO, you can teach sparring after a few classes.  It has to be under a controlled setting.  Preferrably the newbie with a high ranking student with excellent control (whitebelts are very unpredictable creatures).  

The only way to learn and become better is to work with someone who is better than you.  Push them a little so they can improve, but not so much as to discourage them.  It worked with me and I try to do the same with any of the newbies I encounter.

-Marc-


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## Balrog (Jun 27, 2007)

From day one, our students are taught about balance and movement.  The floor drills are taught so that they can learn segments of the forms, but at the same time, they are taught as practical applications: block and counter, evade and counter, etc.

We also offer a sparring seminar for beginners.  They get all their gear as a package (with discount) plus a 2-3 hour long seminar in which we cover footwork drills, blocking drills, then some simple combinations for attacking.  The last 15-20 minutes of the seminar is our "fresh meat" ceremony; they get to spar every high rank present and we work with them on timing and defense.  We'll thump them once or twice just to say howdy, but we are also careful to spar down to their level and let them score a point or two as a confidence builder.

After they have taken the seminar, they can then start attending the regular sparring class, even though that class is usually reserved for folks with a minimum of six months training.  Since we have started doing this, our dropout rate from fear of sparring has been practically non-existant.


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## Bumblebee (Aug 8, 2007)

I was pretty much thrown into the deep end.  My first day in a class was a Thursday.  We spar on Fridays.  So I got the very basics like how to do a proper roundhouse kick, the 10 basic blocks, Kicho Elbow. (sp?)  I was told that the Friday we sparred so I could buy some sparring gear from either the Grandmaster in his studio or somewhere else as long as I had sparring gear I could spar with everyone else instead of doing non-contact sparring.  So I bought some and my first spar was against the Grandmaster's son... at the time I was a 15 year old white belt going against a 21- year-old third degree black belt.  He asked me if I was comfortable with that first and I said I was.  I got whooped...


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