One Armed Sparring

[mook jong man]

One of the clips that Nabakatsu put up jogged my memory about something we used to do a long time ago and that was one armed sparring.

I think it is a great intermediate step for students who may have only just started to learn single sticking hands and it can enable them to experience sparring in a limited context .

But I also think that experienced students can benefit a lot from it as well and it can be a great deal of fun.
I always used to start them off from just out of contact range because I wanted them to work on stepping in and coordinating the step with the attack.

Get them to face each other with just one hand up in the guard , maybe start off with right hand versus right hand ,then left versus left , then right versus left , and finally left versus right make sure they spend equal time in each configuration .

Its up to you whether you let them use elbows or not but I don't recommend it because beginners tend to not exactly know where the end point of their elbow is and injuries are likely to occur .

The good thing about one armed sparring is that

• the student only has to concentrate on forward force in one arm
• it is easier to concentrate on maintaining angle and structure in one arm
• it is easier to focus on being relaxed in that one arm and directing force to the centreline
• and who knows one day you might have only the one arm left to fight with if your other is injured , tendons severed, arm broken etc

Get them to play around with their pivoting as well while they are sparring , combining the pivoting with the attacks and defences

 

[Observer]

I don't know if this clip has been mentioned:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fygc5s93oqg&feature=channel_page

This make sense because if you can control both your opponent's arms with one of yours, that makes your other arm free to hit anytime... like having a third arm! The trouble with this clip is the bald guy wasn't really trying his best. If he did and the other guy can still control him with one arm, then it'll be even better.


[Sorry, it has. Please ignore.]

 

[geezer]

One of the clips that Nabakatsu put up jogged my memory about something we used to do a long time ago and that was one armed sparring.

I think it is a great intermediate step for students who may have only just started to learn single sticking hands and it can enable them to experience sparring in a limited context .

But I also think that experienced students can benefit a lot from it as well and it can be a great deal of fun.

Yeah, I wish our group was a bit bigger so we could play with that a little more... I like the idea of having more advanced students going against intermediates and having to use one arm against two (like in the clip). You have to really maximize your efficiency, trapping and turning to control two arms with one.

Another, more elementary drill I've always liked is simple "stance sparring". Both students put their hands behind their backs and step aggressively toward each other, using just their steps to penetrate through their opponent's stance and turn, uproot, or unbalance him. First we limit the techniques to simple advancing steps, turning, huen-bo, and foot pinning. Later other techniques, such as knee locks and careful low kicks can be added. (I tend to be a bit cautious about the knees due to old injuries).

 

[mook jong man]

Yeah, I wish our group was a bit bigger so we could play with that a little more... I like the idea of having more advanced students going against intermediates and having to use one arm against two (like in the clip). You have to really maximize your efficiency, trapping and turning to control two arms with one.

Another, more elementary drill I've always liked is simple "stance sparring". Both students put their hands behind their backs and step aggressively toward each other, using just their steps to penetrate through their opponent's stance and turn, uproot, or unbalance him. First we limit the techniques to simple advancing steps, turning, huen-bo, and foot pinning. Later other techniques, such as knee locks and careful low kicks can be added. (I tend to be a bit cautious about the knees due to old injuries).

About the closest thing we had to that was the old chi gerk sticky legs thing . Which we played around with a bit , I didn't really think I was developing any sort of great sensitivity in the legs I just thought it was great for the stance when your on one leg and some one is trying to force your leg off center and you are trying to keep your balance.

 

[Aikicomp]

We have two tests devoted to this idea:

Handicapped Kumite and Handicapped self-defense.

Why? Because you never know.

Michael