Sparring - keeping it new

[Stuey]

When learning to spar, how can one avoid becoming too predictable? It is difficult sometimes to do something different. I have picked up some of the good curve balls which can throw people off, but these are probably best used in isolation every now and then. I try to practice sparring with the better black belts rather than the more awkward lower belts, (not that I aint one of em!). Practicing sparring is not really possible out of training hours at the moment either, unless I can hook up with someone from the club every now and then. I really enjoy this part of learning how to use my body and the skills I have learned.

 

[dancingalone]

Feinting is somewhat of a lost art in most studios from my observation. Adding this along with some unpredictable head movement and broken rhythm and you'll likely be far ahead in the game than most people.

 

[Shifu Steve]

When learning to spar, how can one avoid becoming too predictable? It is difficult sometimes to do something different. I have picked up some of the good curve balls which can throw people off, but these are probably best used in isolation every now and then. I try to practice sparring with the better black belts rather than the more awkward lower belts, (not that I aint one of em!). Practicing sparring is not really possible out of training hours at the moment either, unless I can hook up with someone from the club every now and then. I really enjoy this part of learning how to use my body and the skills I have learned.

First of all sparring with less experienced students can keep things real because they have not developed Training Hall Syndrome, which sets in to some degree in a lot of advanced students. That awkwardness you refer to is an X factor and can be very unpredictable, which in turn will force you to adapt to something unanticipated.

Beyond that however when you spar with the same people over time a comfort sets in. Even if you are sparring your teacher and they mix it up, you will still get some sense of how they spar you and to a degree that depreciates some of the unpredictability factor. As far as you being unpredictable, well that depends on what you're utilizing the sparring session for. Like Dancing Alone said, you could use feints or other techniques to mix it up. However sparring isn't only about being unpredictable. You also want to utilize it to practice new concepts and techniques your learning but in something closer to real time and against an opponent that is returning fire.

Remember that when you spar you should think less about "winning" and more about advancing your skill. Being unpredictable in a fight is valuable but when you start out learning that's less important than learning to use the techniques you've learned in class in a sparring environment. That is really what will help you advance as a martial artist. You can work in ideas for being unpredictable once you've got a solid foundation of concept and technique that you draw on when you spar.

 

[MJS]

When learning to spar, how can one avoid becoming too predictable? It is difficult sometimes to do something different. I have picked up some of the good curve balls which can throw people off, but these are probably best used in isolation every now and then. I try to practice sparring with the better black belts rather than the more awkward lower belts, (not that I aint one of em!). Practicing sparring is not really possible out of training hours at the moment either, unless I can hook up with someone from the club every now and then. I really enjoy this part of learning how to use my body and the skills I have learned.

IIRC, Bill "Superfoot" Wallace just used his left leg, I believe to kick. I'm sure this was no shock to people, as I'm sure they knew he would be kicking. However, he was so good, that it frustrated the hell out of people. I'm sure he had a set series of things that he'd throw, but he drilled the heck out of them.

Make sure that you keep mixing up what you throw. In other words, if you always lead off with 2 jabs, before you punch, and do this 2, 3, 4 times, by the 5th time, theres a good chance your opponent will counter you, unless your timing is superior to theirs.

As far as who you spar with...I liked to spar with everyone, and I'd have specific things that I'd work with each. Its always good to mix it up with different people.

As far as finding the time...does your school have a set day just for sparring? If not, perhaps you can suggest that. You could also try to make some regular get togethers with some of your fellow classmates out of class.

 

[MattJ]

People become predictable in sparring because they rely on what they do well. The solution is to remove your best skill set from the equation - this forces you to improve upon your weakness.

Are you a good kicker? No kicks allowed.

Great defensive footwork? Spar in a corner where you can't move. Or your opponent is not allowed to attack.

Good puncher? You must defend only. Or your opponent clinches, and you start from there.

Good sprawl? You do nothing but takedowns.

Good on the ground from the top? You always start on bottom.

Add weapons, more opponents, simulate foul techniques, etc.

Always things to work on.

 

[ATC]

People become predictable in sparring because they rely on what they do well. The solution is to remove your best skill set from the equation - this forces you to improve upon your weakness.

Are you a good kicker? No kicks allowed.

Great defensive footwork? Spar in a corner where you can't move. Or your opponent is not allowed to attack.

Good puncher? You must defend only. Or your opponent clinches, and you start from there.

Good sprawl? You do nothing but takedowns.

Good on the ground from the top? You always start on bottom.

Add weapons, more opponents, simulate foul techniques, etc.

Always things to work on.

Great advice. I have my students use this approach all the time. I will take one student aside and limit what he is allowed to use. I will have the other student use whatever they want, no limits. The student that is allowed to fight freely does not knkow that the other student is limited either. Keeps it real this way.

This type of training makes the student that can only use one technique think. They have to really understand how to setup this single technique and from different looks as to not tip that he is only using one technique.

Once I see that the free fighting student is starting to catch on to that only one technique is being used I will break the action and then give the single technique student a new single technique to use for round 2. Then again after the break of that round for the 3rd round I will have the single technique student use both techniques 1 and 2 at his leasure. Again he can only use the previous 2 techniques only.

What doing this does is to help that student understand what he sees and what is best to use for what he sees. Other wise you will only blindly kick and punch without reason. The best fighters understand why they did something and why it worked.

 

[repz]

heres some simple advice I live by...

Hit them in openings where there hands arent

And create openings where their hands are.

You will start learning more about yourself with more training. You will find out on your own if you are a charger, defensive fighter, counter fighter, etc. All these things happen either because you feel safe this way, and more productive, and/or your attributes restrict you to this type of fighting.

 

[Stuey]

Wow, some awesome ideas here. Thanks all. I take point about sparring with all skill levels. I guess it is slightly easier, (and yet some how harder too) when you spar with the higher grades who have more control. I am starting to 'keep up' with them, or at least in my eyes. Perhaps they are unconsciously self limiting due to my lesser ability. I would like to hope not. We sometimes do 2 on 1 stuff, but that is as varied as it gets. As I progress I will probably start to learn my strengths and weaknesses and work both into my sparring. Something which catches most people out, even the higher grades is doing a snap punch to the face with the forward hand and then a back fist using the rear hand. Everyone expects a mid section punch and it throws em off a treat to get one to the head.
I train at the dojo 2 times a week. The first night there are hardly any adults and for me it is more about other stuff. We sometimes spar on these nights, although it is a little limited. The second night rocks! There are loads of adults, and most of them are higher in grade than me. We spar for the last 15 mins or so on this night and it really makes me pumped before I leave.

 

[seasoned]

Sparring is a mind game. You want to get the upper hand by not letting them settle in and use their techniques. Sparring lower belts is awkward because they are unpredictable, so become that when you spar.

 

[Stac3y]

I guess it is slightly easier, (and yet some how harder too) when you spar with the higher grades who have more control. I am starting to 'keep up' with them, or at least in my eyes. Perhaps they are unconsciously self limiting due to my lesser ability. I would like to hope not.

In my experience, upper belts do self limit, because they are there to teach the lower belts, not to pound on them. That's not to say you aren't holding your own--they should be adjusting to your skill level, and if your skill level is high, they may be fighting at their max.

 

[Balrog]

Make sure that you keep mixing up what you throw. In other words, if you always lead off with 2 jabs, before you punch, and do this 2, 3, 4 times, by the 5th time, theres a good chance your opponent will counter you, unless your timing is superior to theirs.

This actually leads to an element of sparring that I really like, the unexpected technique.

In a nutshell, you preframe your opponent by showing them the same thing two or three times. In your example, you're showing them jab-jab-cross, jab-jab-cross, jab-jab-cross. Now you show them jab-jab...and something different, such as a low front kick with the back leg. Because you have to rotate your body to do the kick, it's going to look like the cross is coming and they will have gotten used to responding to the cross, so more than likely their hands came up.

Or perhaps you throw a single side kick followed by a backfist. You show that to them a couple of times, then sidekick and immediately repeat the sidekick. More than likely, their hands came up in anticipation of the backfist.

 

[corwin137]

Would offer that we ought to be talking more about "scoring" than sparring. That said, there's a lot of material available from boxing, definitely from JKD ideas ("five ways of attack", or as we tend to prefer, three ways of attack: force, pace, fraud) as principled means of "spreading one's hustle". More novel ideas come from having principles than I get from people suggesting specific "techniques".