Some Wednesday Night Sparring

[JR 137]

I got confused when the video started because I knew neither of the people sparring was you. I had to check to make sure I wasn’t thinking of someone else.

You’ve come a long way from the first videos you posted. You are still throwing your punches from too far away but not as badly as you used to.

Wab25 has a nice breakdown of some other issues I noticed.

As far as safety gear, meh. I’ve sparred with heavy protective gear, no protective gear, and everything in between. You just need to know what you can do in each situation. Last week I was sparring with a pro MMA fighter using no gear. (It helped that both of us had the experience to control ourselves and we trusted each other.)

You and a pro fighter are a bit of an exception though, Tony. And I’m assuming you were on a mat.

If I were running a dojo, I’d mandate headgear when there’s any contact free-sparring on a hard floor. Heads and hard floors don’t mix very well. Hands, feet, chest, etc. is another debate as far as I’m concerned. If you can’t feel a strike enough to know you really want to avoid it, you’re wearing too much gear. I liked bare knuckle back in my 20s and wouldn’t mind it every now and then in my early 40s.

I’ve seen a few classmates hit their head on the floor, while it wasn’t too bad, it could’ve been far worse. Concussions aren’t exactly bruises, busted ribs, etc.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

You and a pro fighter are a bit of an exception though, Tony. And I’m assuming you were on a mat.

If I were running a dojo, I’d mandate headgear when there’s any contact free-sparring on a hard floor. Heads and hard floors don’t mix very well. Hands, feet, chest, etc. is another debate as far as I’m concerned. If you can’t feel a strike enough to know you really want to avoid it, you’re wearing too much gear. I liked bare knuckle back in my 20s and wouldn’t mind it every now and then in my early 40s.

I’ve seen a few classmates hit their head on the floor, while it wasn’t too bad, it could’ve been far worse. Concussions aren’t exactly bruises, busted ribs, etc.

We were in an MMA cage, but it had a bit of padding. Hard wood floors are trickier. You have to know how to fall and still be extra careful.

 

[pdg]

While head meeting floor due to a fall during sparring is a valid reason for headgear, if it's the only reason it shouldn't be restricted to sparring.

Deliberate takedowns aren't really done in our free sparring, so that part of the risk is somewhat mitigated for a start, for me, but...

I've dumped myself on the floor during padwork drills more than I've been dumped during sparring.

Maybe it's just me and I should just wear my headgear all the time, even while shopping

 

[JR 137]

While head meeting floor due to a fall during sparring is a valid reason for headgear, if it's the only reason it shouldn't be restricted to sparring.

Deliberate takedowns aren't really done in our free sparring, so that part of the risk is somewhat mitigated for a start, for me, but...

I've dumped myself on the floor during padwork drills more than I've been dumped during sparring.

Maybe it's just me and I should just wear my headgear all the time, even while shopping

Wear a bubble-wrap suit.

 

[pdg]

Wear a bubble-wrap suit.

I'd only end up sitting around for hours popping the bubbles...

 

[JR 137]

I'd only end up sitting around for hours popping the bubbles...

They’d be a ton of people lined up to take shots at you.

 

[pdg]

They’d be a ton of people lined up to take shots at you.

Also known as:




A normal sparring night

 

[Deafdude#5]

Watched your video and found it interesting. I also found your Youtube channel with the other videos. Very interesting mix of styles. I can see you have progressed over time.

The only thing I can offer is to caution the yellow belt on paying more attention to footwork.

Overall, pretty positive sparring session as long as lessons are learned.

 

[Azulx]

Watched your video and found it interesting. I also found your Youtube channel with the other videos. Very interesting mix of styles. I can see you have progressed over time.

The only thing I can offer is to caution the yellow belt on paying more attention to footwork.

Overall, pretty positive sparring session as long as lessons are learned.

Thank you for taking the time to watch my videos, and leaving a comment.

 

[FriedRice]

What is the protective gear for?
To protect the other person. Not the one wearing it. Other than head gear which protects both, one from cuts the other to prevent injuries to the hand.

shinguards protect both.

 

[Danny T]

shinguards protect both.

In the beginning yes.
By the time one gets to intermediate level one should be tempered enough that the protective equipment is for the other person. In a fight it is unlikely one will have the opportunity to get the equipment to protect ones self.
Beyond beginner level or having an injury shinguards are for protecting your training partner from your kicks not your shins.

 

[FriedRice]

Thank you for taking the time to watch my videos, and leaving a comment.

are you the dude with the 'fro?

 

[FriedRice]

In the beginning yes.
By the time one gets to intermediate level one should be tempered enough that the protective equipment is for the other person.

Not true. Even with a lot of the nerves on my shins being dead, it still can suffer deep bruising, still hurts and can take a long time to heal. Because all the nerves aren't all dead and are still actively, trying to regenerate. If I wanted to hurt someone during hard sparring or a ring fight, I'd rather do so with light shinguards on than without. I can inflict more damage on them while lessening the damage on my protected shins, especially when checking their kicks.

In a fight it is unlikely one will have the opportunity to get the equipment to protect ones self.

The answer to this would be, well yes, because I'd have to deal with it at that unplanned moment; but it doesn't mean that I wouldn't want to wear shinguards during planned sparring to protect my own shins also.

Beyond beginner level or having an injury shinguards are for protecting your training partner from your kicks not your shins.

No, they're to protect both, all the way up to Champion Pro Fighters, Grand Masters of Destruction, etc.

 

[Danny T]

Not true. Even with a lot of the nerves on my shins being dead, it still can suffer deep bruising, still hurts and can take a long time to heal. Because all the nerves aren't all dead and are still actively, trying to regenerate. If I wanted to hurt someone during hard sparring or a ring fight, I'd rather do so with light shinguards on than without. I can inflict more damage on them while lessening the damage on my protected shins, especially when checking their kicks.



The answer to this would be, well yes, because I'd have to deal with it at that unplanned moment; but it doesn't mean that I wouldn't want to wear shinguards during planned sparring to protect my own shins also.



No, they're to protect both, all the way up to Champion Pro Fighters, Grand Masters of Destruction, etc.

Ok...you wear shinguards to protect your shins.

We wear shinguards to protect the other person.
It is why, for us, when coaching a fighter the coach wears shinguards and not the fighter.

 

[FriedRice]

Ok...you wear shinguards to protect your shins.

No, I said to protect both; my shins and the other people.

We wear shinguards to protect the other person.
It is why, for us, when coaching a fighter the coach wears shinguards and not the fighter.

Doing what, holding pads?

 

[Anarax]

Not true. Even with a lot of the nerves on my shins being dead, it still can suffer deep bruising, still hurts and can take a long time to heal. Because all the nerves aren't all dead and are still actively, trying to regenerate.

Though we could debate the philosophical meaning of shin guards, there is a scientific approach/result of shin conditioning. Desensitizing the nerves is only one aspect of limb conditioning. Please refer to the video below.

If I wanted to hurt someone during hard sparring or a ring fight, I'd rather do so with light shinguards on than without. I can inflict more damage on them while lessening the damage on my protected shins, especially when checking their kicks.

That method being your personal preference is one thing, but there is a quantifiable dynamic as well. A well conditioned shin kick will do more damage than with a shin guard will. A conditioned shin is denser and narrower than a shin guard and will cause more trauma given it has less surface area and is harder. It would be the difference in hitting someone with a baseball bat versus hitting them with a padded baseball bat.

 

[Danny T]

No, I said to protect both; my shins and the other people.



Doing what, holding pads?

Padwork? Yes as well as kicking the fighter to work their leg defenses (leg shields), body kicks, etc.

 

[FriedRice]

Padwork? Yes as well as kicking the fighter to work their leg defenses (leg shields), body kicks, etc.

This is standard padwork. The striker, obviously wouldn't wear shinguards, while kicking the pads. The shinguards still protects both people.

 

[FriedRice]

Though we could debate the philosophical meaning of shin guards, there is a scientific approach/result of shin conditioning. Desensitizing the nerves is only one aspect of limb conditioning. Please refer to the video below.

Yes, that's another aspect of shin condition. I didn't say that deadening the nerves was the only aspect.

That method being your personal preference is one thing, but there is a quantifiable dynamic as well.

It's not my personal preference, I have no control over it through the process of conditioning my shins (unless I'm doing something dumb like rolling bottles). Creating micro fractures + lumpier bone healing at the shins, pretty much comes with kicking the bag, pads and other people, hard....just like it does to deaden the nerves there.

A well conditioned shin kick will do more damage than with a shin guard will. A conditioned shin is denser and narrower than a shin guard and will cause more trauma given it has less surface area and is harder. It would be the difference in hitting someone with a baseball bat versus hitting them with a padded baseball bat.

From fighting and sparring hard for over 10 years, I would say no. In theory, this sounds good, but after every fight that I had with no shinguards, it took a much longer time to recover from the deep bruising sustained on my shins from being checked, shin on shin.

I'd rather wear very thin shinguards for fights, but not allowed due to the level. But I have no doubt that I can hurt people a lot more with these light shinguards on because there are times during fights where I was getting hurt at the shins and needed to be more cautious, kick less and/or kick lighter when targeting their leg. With light shinguards on, I would have just let it rip with many more kicks at full power.

And shinguards are especially helpful for head kicks where it's usually the instep that lands.....which can lead to a sprain if the tip of the foot contacts the most.[/QUOTE]

 

[Anarax]

Creating micro fractures + lumpier bone healing at the shins, pretty much comes with kicking the bag, pads and other people, hard....just like it does to deaden the nerves there.

You're not going to get harder shins kicking bags and pads. You only get it by kicking hard targets.

From fighting and sparring hard for over 10 years, I would say no. In theory, this sounds good, but after every fight that I had with no shinguards, it took a much longer time to recover from the deep bruising sustained on my shins from being checked, shin on shin.

It's not a theory, it's proven science. Bases off your description it sounds your shins aren't well conditioned. I feel your pain though, in the past I've clashed shins in sparring and hurt myself. However, that was feedback that I needed to condition my shins, now my shins are a lot harder.

But I have no doubt that I can hurt people a lot more with these light shinguards on because there are times during fights where I was getting hurt at the shins and needed to be more cautious, kick less and/or kick lighter when targeting their leg. With light shinguards on, I would have just let it rip with many more kicks at full power.

You should try conditioning your shins to get a feel for kicks without shin guards. Generating more power than your bones can handle is pointless, for you'll never be able to use it without injuring yourself, to a reasonable degree anyways.