Sparring movement exercises?

[TKDHermit]

The other day in class during sparring I just stood there like a rock, I don't know what the reason was but I'm guessing it's because I don't know how to move and counter well enough against faster people. =\ Anyone here has any self-exercises for sparring [WTF]? I hope I can actually do better during sparring practice next week. D:

 

[mozzandherb]

Practice moving your feet, either by just bouncing around in your house or at the gym. Maybe learn how to jump rope too! But in all honesty, there will always be someone faster than you. What you should practice is not how to be faster than them, but how to fight against faster people. When fighting against a faster opponent, I think I would probably not move all that much, I would let them come to me and counter. It would be useless trying to chase around someone who is faster than you. So it becomes more of a chess match that you have to figure out how to win. But like I said I think my strategy would be to let the opponent come to you and then attack...just my $0.02

 

[jarrod]

most likely you're just overthinking when you spar. try to develop a reflex to strike back when someone attacks you. that's really the most important thing at this stage. you'll get better at countering as you develop.

good luck,

jf

 

[HM2PAC]

Change yourself.

Change the focus of your workouts and training to facilitate speed. People who are fast are not that way by chance, they worked at it. Much in the same way that people who are strong worked at becoming strong.

You need to work on exercises that recruit more "fast twitch" muscle fibers. The best way to do this is to drop your workout weight by about 50% and increase the number of reps to about 25+ per set. And try to go through each set of 25 as fast as possible while retaining good form. What this will do is activate not only the agonists, but the antagonists at relatively the same time.

Another thing that will help with speed is to increase the reserve you have in your core: Abs and Lower back. Work them the same way.

Jump-rope is an excellent suggestion as is shadow-boxing with fast repetitive combinations.

Sprints, whether swimming or running will also help.

Good luck.

 

[igillman]

What you need is confidence. You stood still because you were scared that you would throw the "wrong kick". Just get out there and start kicking. Will you throw bad kicks? Yes, of course you will, everybody does. Does it matter? No, not at all. Just get out there and start kicking.

You do not score points for standing still, go ahead and attack, make them react to you. Once you have thrown a couple of kicks and missed completely you get used to it

 

[dortiz]

Back to basics.
I like the basic big square. Go back to working on the front foot drops back scoot back foot and return. Then do it forward. The back foot both font and back. Then do diagnol.
Now add a parten and have them lunge at you. If you did the first excersises for few weeks muscle memory should move you properly off the line.
If you are there the add the door move. Slide front back moving perpindicular and letting attacker come in and add returning round house. Plebty to build on.

 

[igillman]

Get a lightweight bag and hang it from the ceiling. Now practice kicking it and play a little game. Your job is to make sure that the bag does not go back to the vertical. In other words, you have to keep the bottom of the bag pointing away from you. Try different kicks one after the other and see if you can still keep it pointing away from you. If it starts to swing from side to side, try to kick it back in line again.

This will teach you to kick multiple times in a row at a moving target. It behaves a little like someone in that once you kick it then it backs away before coming at you again.

 

[Ninjamom]

What you need is confidence. You stood still because you were scared that you would throw the "wrong kick". Just get out there and start kicking. Will you throw bad kicks? Yes, of course you will, everybody does. Does it matter? No, not at all. Just get out there and start kicking.

Wisdom!

If your opponent is faster than you, you will never catch him by waiting for him to attack and trying to counter. Practice combinations, and let the other guy react to you.

Most beginners will throw a kick, then their opponent will kick, then they'll kick, then their opponent, ... (which works great if you are ever accosted by a polite mugger willing to take turns ). Instead, practice two and three and four kick combinations. When your opponent gets used to kicking immediately after you kick once, throw two kicks (the second will catch him moving in on you). When he gets used to moving in as soon as you finish two kicks, use three kicks (the third will catch him moving in on you). Then switch it up; one, two, three, four kick combinations.

Get a lightweight bag and hang it from the ceiling. Now practice kicking it and play a little game. Your job is to make sure that the bag does not go back to the vertical. In other words, you have to keep the bottom of the bag pointing away from you. Try different kicks one after the other and see if you can still keep it pointing away from you. If it starts to swing from side to side, try to kick it back in line again.

This will teach you to kick multiple times in a row at a moving target. It behaves a little like someone in that once you kick it then it backs away before coming at you again.

Again, good suggestion!

 

[bluekey88]

One of the things I tell my students is not to stand there like a punching bag....KICK! If you get hit, throw back! If you don't, then the faster person will chase you down and kick you out of the ring. By throwing a technique, you FORCE your opponenet to deal with that. It will throw off there timing and rhythm.

So, in addition to all of the other good advice...practice throwing a kick the moment you feel contact. It doesn;t have to land or score...it simply needs to be automatic and force your opponent off their game.

Another thing to do with a mobile opponent is master the elusive skill of ring generalship. Control the center of the ring...make that fast guy move around you (instead of you chasing them). Work them into corners where they can't use that mobility and speed as well. Work on hitting them hard and getting them moving backwards (hard to kick when moving backwards).

\use your foot work....occupy the space they need and take control of the match that way.

Peace,
Erik

 

[StrongFighter]

One of the things most people forget to mention is to lose as much weight you can because you will be more faster on your feet. Your knees also will thank you too.

Just remember this simple fact and it will go a long way in your footwork.

The lighter and physically stronger you are, the more you can move with something almost like "phantom speed ".

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I am not the speediest opponent that a young, athletic taekwondoin or kendoka is likely to face; I'm almost 42 and at 6'4 and nearly 200 pounds, I tend to be swift, but not quick.

I use timing and distance to my advantage, both in taekwondo and kendo, and I move around quite a bit. As has been suggested by others, don't spend too much time waiting for a faster opponent to start working on you, rather provide them with things to defend against so that you can set them up and take advantage.

Daniel

 

[StrongFighter]

I am not the speediest opponent that a young, athletic taekwondoin or kendoka is likely to face; I'm almost 42 and at 6'4 and nearly 200 pounds, I tend to be swift, but not quick.

Try going down to 150 lbs and see what happens as far speed and quickness is concerned then lose another 10 lbs.

You will be that much quicker then you will want to lose more weight to stay that way for life, health-wise.

 

[HM2PAC]

strongfighter wrote:

Try going down to 150 lbs and see what happens as far speed and quickness is concerned then lose another 10 lbs.

That would put him at 6'4" and 140 lbs. Doesn't seem like a healthy move.

6'4" at 140 lbs would be a BMI of 17.0 and qualifies as underweight.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Try going down to 150 lbs and see what happens as far speed and quickness is concerned then lose another 10 lbs.

You will be that much quicker then you will want to lose more weight to stay that way for life, health-wise.

Umm.. no thank you.

Either your kidding, or you're incredibly missinformed regarding height and weight ratios.

Or perhaps you missed where I said that I'm 6'4".

Just for referrence, that makes me almost a foot taller than Tom Cruise, who probably weighs about 150 and is by no means fat.

I'm pretty attached to the muscle that I have and my bodyfat percentage is around 8. According to my physician, I'm in wonderful health and she envies my cardio health.

Daniel

 

[StrongFighter]

Excuse me, I didn't notice you had mentioned the height.

It probably doesn't hurt to lose a couple more pounds, maybe 175 or the lowest at 160.

Talk to your doctor. You want to be at the lowest end weight-wise and of course, in good health.

 

[jks9199]

strongfighter wrote:
That would put him at 6'4" and 140 lbs. Doesn't seem like a healthy move.

6'4" at 140 lbs would be a BMI of 17.0 and qualifies as underweight.

I think 6' 4" and 140-150 lbs barely qualifies as a skeleton!

 

[StrongFighter]

I think 6' 4" and 140-150 lbs barely qualifies as a skeleton!

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I've been in the 170-175 pound range and was sick all the time, had no strength, no stamina, looked horrible (unhealthy horrible) and couldn't buy pants off of the rack.

At 195-200, I'm hardly ever sick, plenty strong, can outlast students who are half my age, look healthy, and can buy a pair of pants without needing them taken in four inches.

I realize that from about 155 to about 180 are all within the "normal weight", but there are considerations other than just height, such as how broad one's frame is and natural physique. Also, given that my cholestorol is at 128 and my cardio is all excellent, I think I'll stay where I am.

Daniel

 

[HM2PAC]

Another thing that needs to be considered is that the BMI scale is not accurate for large and heavily muscled individuals.

It is not accurate for small weak and elderly individuals either. The reason the elderly are included in that arena is that as we age we lose lean muscle and gain fat.

BMI scales are very accurate for average adult John/Jane Doe. This would probably encompass about 90% of the public in my opinion.

42 y/o males who can see their toes are in the minority Mr. Sullivan, count yourself as part of the 10%.

 

[jks9199]

Interesting discussion about body weight... and it's true that finding the right weight will facilitate movement... but it's kind of drifting away from giving the OP advice about moving while sparring.

Going back to that, one exercise you can do is to begin by selecting a particular movement/defensive choice in advance, and then when your opponent moves, you do that move.