Do you spar with your students?

[ATC]

I don't know if my GM thought that if someone got hurt they would leave the school or It looked bad for a instructor to be out on the mat mixing it up with the students. I remenber a few times before testing students ( as an instructor at his school ) he would tell me" Go easy on them, Let them beat you". Well, I sure don't have a problem letting a Jr. belt get a few shots in to look good at a testing. But I would never let them beat me! ( unless they really could). I never really understood it. Why wouldn't you want your Sr. students to be at a level Jr. would look up to.

I don't think he is saying to just let them win. We do the same with the lower belts. we use control and don't attack as much as to help them become aggressive. They also can learn distance and timing from us if we don't attack or defend to aggressivly.

I will sometimes tell a jr. belt that I will not throw a single punch or kick so he/she can hit me at will, if he/she can. I will go multiple rounds with them an just use reading, footwork and timing to make them miss every technique. Once they see this they start to understand that you don't have to stand and block to not get hit. Movement is the best way to not get hit. Most times standing and blocking = getting hit.

After a few rounds of me doing nothing but moving, I then go a few more with countering while moving. This shows them how to counter with timing right after an attack. You don't wait for the attacker to finish his technique but rather counter during the end portion of the attack. This is the single most difficult thing for most fighters to pick up.

When an instructor or higher belt spars with a lower belt or student then you must also communicate while doing so. Just getting in there and beating them up really does no good. I will only break them and make them quit. But I think instructors must spar with students to help them not for any other reason.

Now when an instructor spars with an advancded student (BB any DAN) then they can go at it a bit more. The BB student should be able to learn from getting hit and adjust. You can still communicate also but you don't have to hold back. Now when said BB student becomes better than the instructor in sparring or fighting (most likely due to age) then the instuctor should leave that student be and have him then spar with the next up and comming student(s). Then they can push and help each other.

 

[Tez3]

LOL, most of my students are not even 10 yet, that would not be fair. But I had the chief instructor's wife threaten a kid with having to spar her, she is really short, but I think 'dynamite come in small packages' was coined for her.

I remember the first time I had sparred my instructor. I will never look at a cat playing with a mouse the same way ever again, especially after having the mouse's view...

The best reason for having small children in the class is so that when you are old/er you can spar with them and then truthfully say you can kick to your opponent's heads and KO them! At some point though you have to consider taking 2 year olds in for training rofl!

 

[terryl965]

Sparring is just a part of life inside a dojaang either get on with it or go lay on a couch. I try to spare everyone and when I can catch some of those teenager it feels good, but really it takes alot out to spare younger and faster people.

 

[Tez3]

I was only half joking about sparring with the kids, it really is harder to get high kicks, speed etc when you get older but don't forget that 'old and sneaky beats young and fit'. Our instructor spars with all of us and no one has beaten him yet even though he'll shrug it off and say he's old and slow now.

 

[granfire]

The best reason for having small children in the class is so that when you are old/er you can spar with them and then truthfully say you can kick to your opponent's heads and KO them! At some point though you have to consider taking 2 year olds in for training rofl!

LOL< that's what we refer to as 'kicking midgets'. When you are down to kicking them in the shins, you might have to pick up cane combat....

BTW, that's the hight of the kicks, not kicking the kids.... ^_^

 

[Dirty Dog]

I always spar with my students. There is no better way to teach someone how to spar than by working with them in real time. Plus, it gives the advanced ranks something to measure themselves by.

You just like kicking me in the head... :whip1:

 

[Quest]

I do, its fun.

 

[IcemanSK]

As the only BB in my very small program, yes, I spar with my students. During sparring I'm able to help them learn in a way that I can not during other types of training....and I don't need to hit them too hard to teach those lessons.

Like Master Mclain, I especially teach the newer students. There can be a lot of fear & anxiety about sparring at first. I help ease them into the process & help them feel more comfortable with it.

 

[Jade Tigress]

I don't train TKD but I've never sparred with either of my previous 2 Sifu's. I was not advanced enough. I have seen my second Sifu spar with other high ranked (close to BB) students/assistant instructors.

 

[Balrog]

I was justing wondering how many of you still spar with your students. or does your instructor spar with you? My GM told me a long time ago that it is bad for business/ the school. I stopped for awhile when I was trying to make the USAT Poomsae team, but I really missed it. I'm back doing it and I was just looking for thoughts on it.

Thanks

Most of the time, I run the drills and the classes. Every once in a while, though, I'll gear up and show them the old man still has a move or two left in him. :lol: