Play a simple sparring game

[Kung Fu Wang]

Every time I met someone who trains MA, I would ask him to play a sparring game. Within 20 punches,

If

- he can hit my head; he wins that round.
- I can get him into a head lock (within his 20 punches), I win that round.
- nobody succeeds, that round is tie.

Since there is no knock down and take down, it can be a friendly game. What's your opinion about sparring game like this?

From the following video, you can see the head lock successful rate is pretty high.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Punches in the head and headlocks are not exactly what I would call a game. A potential knockout either way

 

[Badhabits]

I like these types of games. Big believer in learning/improving through play. You really do have to play with things to make them your own, make them an ingrained part of you. On a side note, I also really like playing with an extended guard. Really screws with some people, especially if they can't figure out how to get past it. Fun!

 

[marvin8]

Every time I met someone who trains MA, I would ask him to play a sparring game. Within 20 punches,

If

- he can hit my head; he wins that round.
- I can get him into a head lock (within his 20 punches), I win that round.
- nobody succeeds, that round is tie.

Since there is no knock down and take down, it can be a friendly game. What's your opinion about sparring game like this?

From the following video, you can see the head lock successful rate is pretty high.

Problems in chasing with two joined hands in a fight...

1. The opponent can control your two hands with one hand.
2. Your mobility is compromised. Opponent can create angles.
3. The opponent can lure with one hand while attacking with the other.
4. You square yourself to an opponent exposing yourself.
5. With two arms extended, your whole body (e.g., face, groin, legs, liver, etc.) is open to uppercuts, overhands, kicks, sweeps, etc.
6. You are predictable.
7. You shorten your guard.

An active guard (both long and short) can avoid those disadvantages...

In Rousey vs McMann, Ronda uses jab hanger to block rear cross, grab head control to clinch.

https://imgur.com/OA3ojx9

In Rousey vs Tate, Ronda uses jab hanger to block rear cross, grab head control, clinch then uchi mata.

https://imgur.com/I5id2Mg

In Cormier vs Miocic, Cormier enters clinch by controlling the hands, long guard, slipping, then head control to underhook (no block).

https://imgur.com/DmNxYhs

From open stance, Kiyoshi Arakaki uses lead hand to block jab, grab head control then strikes.

https://imgur.com/BdOjnFe

 

[Flying Crane]

Every time I met someone who trains MA, I would ask him to play a sparring game. Within 20 punches,

If

- he can hit my head; he wins that round.
- I can get him into a head lock (within his 20 punches), I win that round.
- nobody succeeds, that round is tie.

Since there is no knock down and take down, it can be a friendly game. What's your opinion about sparring game like this?

From the following video, you can see the head lock successful rate is pretty high.

I saw some veeeeery timid punches. That’s the problem with this kind of exchange: both sides know what is coming, so the attacks are easy to defeat or just smother them down or even ignore them. That kind of scripting does not work well for something that is meant to play more like spontaneous.

Would it be allowed for the puncher to kick the legs or the gut hard enough to get a reaction, then punch the head? Do some kind of set-up to expose the head? Or is he only allowed to punch at the head?

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I saw some veeeeery timid punches. That’s the problem with this kind of exchange: both sides know what is coming, so the attacks are easy to defeat or just smother them down or even ignore them. That kind of scripting does not work well for something that is meant to play more like spontaneous.

Would it be allowed for the puncher to kick the legs or the gut hard enough to get a reaction, then punch the head? Do some kind of set-up to expose the head? Or is he only allowed to punch at the head?

Depending on the people doing it, and how hard you're allowed to hit, it might not matter. If we're doing some sort of challenge, people tend to ignore the stuff irrelevant to it - I've seen the same thing where people do sparring with the goal of a takedown. They'll throw strikes throughout it, but the other person basically just defends against the takedown and it never succeeds since they know the ultimate (and only) goal.

If there are 2-3 goals, that's a different story.

And to me the bigger issue isn't necessarily the timidity of the punches (though that is a problem). It's the utter lack of footwork or circular punches. He knows someone is coming in for a headlock, yet makes no effort to move back or sidestep it. And he knows the punches to the head are covered, yet makes no effort to go around the guard.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Or is he only allowed to punch at the head?

The purpose of this game is to "develop" a certain skill. IMO, the 1st step should be simple. You can make it more complicate later on.

In that video, head punch and head lock are only allowed (Can you achieve a head lock when your opponent tries to punch your head).

The same game can be played as "front kick and single leg are only allowed" (Can you catch your opponent's leg when he tries to kick you).

 

[Fungus]

I like these "reduced sparrings", for beginners like me, it's easer to focus on one or two things, than anticipating and planning any possible attack from any limbs to any body part!

We often use various forms of reduced low contact sparrings for warmap. Such as fighting where you are only allow to say "tap" the top of the head, back or legs on opponent with an open hand; not strike hard. And you are also suppose to try to block the opponent as usual.

This is friendly and both good exercise and warmup.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

My guy (and his students) last weekend fight. No head punch and no take down are allowed.

Sport fighting is fun, is it?

 

[Buka]

I always liked sparring games. The students liked them, too.

My knife instructor had an interesting knife sparring game. About every two months, when we were done with class, he’d have a tournament. We’d all throw in twenty bucks, set it up using a random straight elimination
and draw names out of a hat.
There was usually fifteen to twenty of us and last man standing won the money.

It was so much fun.

 

[HighKick]

My guy (and his students) last weekend fight. No head punch and no take down are allowed.

Sport fighting is fun, is it?

"Tippy-Tappy" sparring to me.
But good times and some degree of mat experience.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

1. The opponent can control your two hands with one hand.
2. Your mobility is compromised. Opponent can create angles.
3. The opponent can lure with one hand while attacking with the other.
4. You square yourself to an opponent exposing yourself.
5. With two arms extended, your whole body (e.g., face, groin, legs, liver, etc.) is open to uppercuts, overhands, kicks, sweeps, etc.
6. You are predictable.
7. You shorten your guard.

Let's look at what options that B may have.

If A and B have the same arm length, when A uses rhino guard, B's straight punch (such as jab and cross) will be hard to apply because A's arms are in the attacking path.

If B uses circular punch (such as hook, uppercut, overhand), since circular punch has shorter reach than the rhino guard, B's circular punches may not be able to reach to A's head.

The main purpose of the rhino guard is to bait your opponent to use circular punch at you. This will give you a chance to put your left/right arm between his head and his right/left arm to apply your head lock. A's rhino guard can change into 2 long guards anytime he wants to.

B may try to move A's rhino guard. But if A and B have the same strength, A's double arms will be stronger than B's single arm.

Of course, B can move around, but A can move around too.

 

[marvin8]

Let's look at what options that B may have.

If A and B have the same arm length, when A uses rhino guard, B's straight punch (such as jab and cross) will be hard to apply because A's arms are in the attacking path.

B's one arm reach (with shoulder rotation) is longer than A's joined arms squared shoulders. As mentioned, there are multiple counters to A's "rhino guard" position...

including, from opponents that move...

https://imgur.com/PVeW8bz

 

[Prince_Alarming]

I still think you probably learn more from these sorts of games that we at least generally play in the warmup than you would from hours of, say, gohon kumite

 

[Buka]

A few of us trained in a good, old fashioned boxing gym for several years.
We were known as “those karate guys.”

One of our guys knew the owner, a retired professional boxer. We received good solid training and were finally accepted by the other people in the gym.

After about a year and a half one of the boxers asked me, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Hey, if you want to go a couple of rounds using that Karate sheet, I’m game.”

I had sparred with the guy several times, but only in boxing. He schooled me good and proper until I started to catch up. But when you’re a martial artist in that situation, your mind can’t help to notice the “if we were really sparring I’d obviously do this or that.”

I knew he wouldn’t be able to deal with sweeps and takedowns, how could he, he had never even seen one.

But I didn’t start there, I started with the extended double guard, and circular side stepping as I did so. He couldn’t land a punch, not even one jab.

He started to complain, but the owner said, “Hey, you asked for it, so learn to deal with that Karate sheet, as you call it.”

Then I started to sweep, all kinds of sweeps, then a scissor takedown, then an Iron Broom.

Then flick front foot round house kicks to the head, which I wanted him to see
so he could time it. So I could turn it into a hook kick.

It might have been the most fun I’ve ever had in a gym. The two rounds went by quickly and there were others waiting to spar. Too bad, I was about to cartwheel kick him to the ground.

I know when you hear the term “cartwheel kick” you picture a gymnastic technique that covers distance, but that’s not what it is in American Karate. It’s thrown in short jab distance instead. Basically thrown within your own stance. It’s lead in is a short, straight right cross.