Making proper contact durring sparring.

[DeLamar.J]

When ever you are sparring with someone, do you hit them or just graze them? I was recently sparring with a black belt I had just met. At the start we were dancing around throwing out jabs and front kicks just feeling each other out, I was throwing a few cresent kicks out just barely grazing his face. And then I got caught with a pretty good hook in the eye. Not enough to bruise but more contact than Im used to sparring. So then I started making contact a little harder, not that I minded at all, but it was enough contact to get people to stop and watch. When we were in the changing room to go home he said that until I actually made decent contact with my cresents, he said he really didnt think I could hit him and thats why he popped me after it missed. I have ran into this problem with lower ranks late punching me or catching my leg after Im polite enough to stop it at their face instead of hitting them. SO do you think while sparring you should pop them pretty good so they know it was there? Not real hard but enough to leave a red mark. Or use control and stop it as close as you can?

 

[MJS]

Whenever I spar with a lower rank, I always go at their level. I explain the rules, contact, up front, so that there is no misunderstanding. Sure, accidents happen, but if the lower belt continues to go hard, I again stop and explain that if thats what they want to do, thats fine, I definately have no problems going hard. But, they need to know that I will return what I get. The same goes for another black belt. I look at it this way. I want to learn. I will not be anyones punching bag. Again, I have no problems kicking it up a notch, but I want it to be a mutual thing.

Mike

 

[Thesemindz]

I teach a sparring class once a week at the school in which I train. We do sparring drills and spar continuous as well as point. We always let the lower belt set the speed and intensity of a match so that they can go at what ever level they feel comfortable with. If the higher ranking student wanted to go even lighter then that would be acceptable. I feel that it is extremely important that students ease their way in so that they can adjust slowly to greater contact. What may be light contact to me might scare an orange belt, and it is important to be mindful of that.

As far as contact to the head goes, I allow controlled contact to the head, but none to the face. Face contact happens, but it is not a "point" and the students are taught to avoid it. We teach plenty of face contact within out techniques though. All the students are required to wear headgear and mouthpieces to spar, so I feel controlled contact to the head is acceptable. I don't encourage no-contact strikes to the face area because it is so difficult to evaluate what would or would not have been a point. I also want to limit the accidental face contact. I know that I often sit just outside my opponents range when sparring. If I felt a strike coming at my face wouldn't make contact I would simply let it pass. I feel that getting hit is the best indicator of whether or not my defense was succesful.

-Rob

 

[Touch Of Death]

I'd lose the high kicks. But seriously folks... A great way to assert control is to agree to fight at 50% speed then work your way up. Of course your cresent kick is now vulnerable but you can add it in the higher speed percentages.
Sean

 

[tshadowchaser]

I tell my senior student to fight just above the level of whomever they are sparring with. I will tell a lower ranking student that if they go hard and fast it will come back to them harder and faster with more precise targeting. It is better for the lower ranks to learn how to do the techniques corectly then to crazy when fighting
I think you should always set the range of contact befor sparring with someone you do not know. Then return contact for contact.

 

[Damian Mavis]

Touch o death, why would you lose the high kicks?


Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

 

[Touch Of Death]

Originally posted by Damian Mavis
Touch o death, why would you lose the high kicks?


Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

Damien,
Cresent kicks at or near the face will naturaly shock a beginner into an aggressive response. That being the case you as the kicker are going to be vulnerable to a "real" response to a fake or pulled kick. Its just common sense that a high kick leaves you open to attack. Even a beginner senses this and wants to take the advantage. Sure, in real life, you may be able to knock him out with that kick, but that doesn't mean "we" don't see a weakness, and want to put you in check; because, after all, at the apex of the circle you are standing on one leg with you other leg up in the air. After the apex is a longer return motion than any other basic you have. Do you want me to go on?
Sean

 

[Damian Mavis]

I thought you meant don't kick to the head period heh, was wondering.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

 

[Touch Of Death]

Originally posted by Damian Mavis
I thought you meant don't kick to the head period heh, was wondering.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

That is what I am trying to hint at. :asian:

 

[RCastillo]

The ground rules shoud be very clear before you start, as some just don't know any better.

Seems to me he was working on goading you. Why come up with an idiotic comment like, "I didn't think you could hit me, that's why I popped you."

You shoulda mopped the floor with that fool.:soapbox:

 

[Touch Of Death]

Originally posted by RCastillo
The ground rules shoud be very clear before you start, as some just don't know any better.

Seems to me he was working on goading you. Why come up with an idiotic comment like, "I didn't think you could hit me, that's why I popped you."

You shoulda mopped the floor with that fool.:soapbox:

RC,
So, you recomend escalating the situation? :shrug:
Sean

 

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by Touch'O'Death
RC,
So, you recomend escalating the situation? :shrug:
Sean

Well, if that dummy has a lack of manners, something shouild be done. Maybe not escalate, but surely, educate.

 

[JDenz]

lol kick his teethes out. We spar and we are all on the same level, give or take so we go pretty hard and hit about half power sometimes 3/4's power everywhere. Plus we spar pretty much in the dark so it leads to alot of ohhhhh shi*****'s lol.

 

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by JDenz
lol kick his teethes out. We spar and we are all on the same level, give or take so we go pretty hard and hit about half power sometimes 3/4's power everywhere. Plus we spar pretty much in the dark so it leads to alot of ohhhhh shi*****'s lol.

In the dark, huh? Guess we'll never see those students again, They sleep with da fishes.

 

[JDenz]

lol pretty much we are in this huge room lol with one light lol all the way in one corner lol. Not to bad when there is sunlight not to good in the dark.

 

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by JDenz
lol pretty much we are in this huge room lol with one light lol all the way in one corner lol. Not to bad when there is sunlight not to good in the dark.

Remind me not to go to Buffalo anytime soon. I'm gonna pay my gambling debts pronto!

 

[JDenz]

lol it is kinda scary lol.

 

[MA-Caver]

I would agree that when sparring with a lower rank to go at their speed and strength(?) of the blows. I also agree that ground rules do need to be set before hand and adhere to by both parties. Escalation should be agreed upon during the sparring, but of course it should be done with care, especially when there are two different ranks as the higher ranking MA-ist may counter with a move the lower one isn't trained for yet...it'll be educational to the lower rank true but as previously stated by Touch o Death; shock a beginner into an aggressive response and then it could easily get out of hand.

I am wondering about how protocol should be handled when two different styles get together and spar? i.e. if one person is Kenpo and the other is JKD.... The difference in the styles would present some interesting conflicts in responses and counter-moves.

 

[psi_radar]

We use the 1-5 rating system:

1=barely touching
2=noticable contact
3=just right, can move your opponent but not cause incapacitating pain.
4=real pain, close to full contact
5=blows resulting in injury/unconsciousness, debilitating pain--a hospital job.

This scale is different on an individual basis. We'll spar for a little bit to determine each other's tolerance for pain and communicate a lot. Then we'll go at it based on that info. If there's no opportunity to do this, we gauge a step lower than what is estimated they can take. If someone delivers a 4 after repeated warnings, there's a lot of pushups and possible ejection from sparring or the class. And you're definitely going to get a talking to.

This system helped me a lot, especially when I first started out since I tend to strike on the heavier side of the scale naturally. I was often surprised when I think I'm delivering a 2 or so and they tell me it's a 4. Now I'm a little better at estimating my own strength, and perhaps more importantly, controlling the penetration of my strikes. The 1-5 system helps me to stay friends with everybody.

 

[RCastillo]

Thanks psi_radar. That's a very good scale to use.:asian: