Sparring against Punchers

[Damian Mavis]

"In TKD, there is no hand contact to the head at all."

EEP you silly person, you meant "In WTF TKD, there is no hand contact to the head."

We in ITF box the heck out of eachothers heads, and ridgehand, backfist and all that good stuff too!

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

 

[karatekid1975]

LOL. Yes I mean WTF TKD. Sorry Damian

 

[Chronuss]

Originally posted by karatekid1975

Hiya all.

I'm going to a tourny on 12/15. There is a lot of "punchers" in my dojang. They will get in on you and just pound away at your vest. I'm a kicker, so I'm useless when this happens.

My question is, what is the best strategies against these type of fighters? Mind you, I do WTF TKD style sparring. No hand contact to the head, and punches are only allowed to the vest. Which is something I'm still getting used to coming from TSD. No take-downs or hits below the belt.

I do have a few good skills in sparring, so I was hoping to use a few of those. 1) I'm flexible. I can kick to the head. 2) I have a lot of power for a chic. And 3) I'm a fairly good front leg kicker.

Thanks in advance.

well, hell...number 3's all you need. when they start swinging on you plant a front kick in their stomach.

man...no hand contact to the head...I'd be done. my favorite thing is a backfist to the side of the head with a reverse punch to the ribs. if they like punching, start moving around. they throw a punch, parry, sidestep, round kick to stomach. the front kick fake then go into a round kick is an excellent way to score. you can do the same thing with a side kick then change it into a hook kick.

I still can't get over the no head contact thing...that's...unrealistic..

 

[Hollywood1340]

As is basketball, or football. It's a sport, it has rules. *shakes head*
"Taekwondo is a sport. I train in it. Deal with it"
James Maxwell on TKD

 

[karatekid1975]

Chronuss wrote:

<man...no hand contact to the head...I'd be done. my favorite thing is a backfist to the side of the head with a reverse punch to the ribs .......

<I still can't get over the no head contact thing...that's...unrealistic.. >

Dude, that's how I feel! You hit it on the money.

Hapkidoist wrote:

<Sorry K Kid, but im not much on tourneys.....>

It's ok. I wasn't into sparring (WTF) either (except in class), so I know how you feel.

I was going to do this tourny, but I decided against it. I feel like I'm "forced" to do it. I'm also scared (well .... wrong word) that I would get disqualified for using hand techs to the head. I still do it in class (and get told about it) because my TSD instructor drilled these type of techniques, cause they work. WTF TKD doesn't allow it.

 

[white belt]

Laurie,

How long has it been since you switched styles?

white belt

 

[Chronuss]

Originally posted by karatekid1975

I still do it in class (and get told about it) because my TSD instructor drilled these type of techniques, cause they work. WTF TKD doesn't allow it.

you're damn skippy they work. nothing works better than a backfist to the temple or a vertical punch to the mastoid, palm heel to the chin/nose then a claw down, or even a spearhand to the adam's apple. even though some of the aforementioned are not allowed in standard sparring, OF COURSE THEY WORK.


but like I said against the punchers, try and keep some distance and work angles. if they like to come in from the front, SIDESTEP and PARRY. redirect their movement to your advantage then blast them with a round kick to the stomach or an axe kick to the top of the head. ...I'd sidestep, parry and with the same hand just follow through with a backfist...sigh...

 

[SMAC]

2 pieces of advice. You should be able to kick much harder than they can punch. Their punches are absorbed on wtf pads but a back kick isn't. Also you can kick to the head but they can't punch yours. Make them scared of that by unleashing some full power kicks, not just tappy tappy point scorers. Use kicks that you can use at close range but get you out of range ie. jumping back kick.
Secondly you have identified a weakness in yourself. Over the next few months rectify it by working on your own punches to make yourself more rounded (and formidable)
SMAC

 

[ThuNder_FoOt]

Hi there Laurie,

My advice would be to maintain a good kicking distance by making good use of feints and stop hits. If they charge in, hit them with a side kick or a push kick, and then follow-up with a combination. Against a puncher you should make sure you attack in combinations. A few good feints will keep your attacker confused and at bay where you can kick him/her. If you can mix it up with continous kicks, that would help as well.

Good Luck!

 

[karatekid1975]

Originally posted by SMAC
2 pieces of advice. You should be able to kick much harder than they can punch. Their punches are absorbed on wtf pads but a back kick isn't. Also you can kick to the head but they can't punch yours. Make them scared of that by unleashing some full power kicks, not just tappy tappy point scorers. Use kicks that you can use at close range but get you out of range ie. jumping back kick.
Secondly you have identified a weakness in yourself. Over the next few months rectify it by working on your own punches to make yourself more rounded (and formidable)
SMAC

I did this during my test last week. It was cool. But I know how to punch and do other hand techs. The problem is the rules in WTF. I can't use what I learned in TSD. So I have to subsitute ridge hand, knife hand, backfist, ect techniques with mid section punches and kicks. I did use a good reverse punch that connected with my partner's mid section that sent him backwards. So I just have to work with that, I guess.

 

[Cain]

Hmm.......Karatekid1975.......hmm.....Tkdwarrior........hmmm.......Is god playing a trick on me or something......

Ok I am not that good but let me add a few some

Linear kicks are ur best bet against a boxer, for me a front kick is a better alternative than a side kick, since a side kick can leave u in a bad position if u miss, at a closer range use axe kicks, but vary them ie randomly inner, outer axe kicks. Hope that helps

Also don't ignore punching........

|Cain|

 

[TkdWarrior]

Originally posted by Cain
Hmm.......Karatekid1975.......hmm.....Tkdwarrior........hmmm.......Is god playing a trick on me or something......
|Cain|

dude notice ur noobie not us ull be surprised more often so get used to it..
-TkdWarrior-

 

[Cain]

Originally posted by TkdWarrior
dude notice ur noobie not us ull be surprised more often so get used to it..
-TkdWarrior-

Ok I got used to it

|Cain|

 

[white belt]

You guys from India are a hoot! In case you don't know, in America that is a good thing.

If ever in the Midwest U.S., e-mail me and I will see that you have an enjoyable workout (TKD!).

Attack a puncher after stepping outside of their lead foot. Enter their blindspot attacking. See my earlier post for details.

May you never fry bacon in the nude.

white belt

 

[DragonFooter]

For a bit of variety add one or two spinning mid-section knife-hand strikes followed by chambered cresent kicks... to prevent urself to be too predictable..oops
that's ITF techniques, but WTH