Special tricks used in sparring

[_Simon_]

Great thread.

Yep mine is fairly the same as JR's. I lift my right knee high to the side, as though I'm going for the round kick to the head, also even moving my eyegaze to their head or just above, and drop the knee in front and barrel in with 1-3 punches to the midsection.

It seriously worked almost every time! :O

 

[dvcochran]

There was a woman at our dojo with a ridiculous back kick. Didn’t telegraph it, and by the time you saw it coming it was way too late. I always wondered how she did it. She could hit just about anyone with it whenever she was in a position to throw it. She was very average with everything else though.

Speed kills. So true.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I'm old and slow and can't fight. Don't hurt me.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I'm old and slow and can't fight. Don't hurt me.

That's just devious, Bill.

 

[skribs]

Sometimes I'll point and go "look, it's a distraction."

It never works. But sometimes it breaks their concentration when they try and figure out what the heck I am talking about.

 

[JR 137]

A trick one of the top instructors did to me during sparring at a test: he put his lead arm straight out near my face and waved his fist around in small circles. Threw me off a bit because he knew I’d try to knock it down on my way in and just punched me every time with his back hand.

One I did a while back - just stand still with my hands in the normal fighting position. People were looking at me like “is he going to do something?” and were hesitant to initiate anything.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I like to

- drop my guard to invite a punch.
- raise my guard to invite a kick.

One of my favor tricks is to drop my guard and expose my face. When my opponent uses straight punch toward my face, I will use a 45 degree downward hook (or hay-maker) to counter it.

If my opponent does

- not move forward, my hook punch will knock his straight punch down.
- move forward, my hook punch will hit the side of his head, and also knock his straight punch down.

 

[wab25]

I like to start combos by sweeping their front foot, followed by rapid short punches. One of 3 things will always happen:

1. You get the sweep, and they are on the ground.
2. They lift their foot, to avoid the sweep. I will usually catch their foot in some fashion with mine, so it leaves them on one foot, off balance. Since I am moving in for the rapid short punches immediately after, they are left trying to defend the punches while off balance and on one foot. If they do manage to block, I push them over and keep punching. Don't let them have their balance back till you are done hitting them. If you completely missed their foot, you just need to close faster. You may not catch them off balance, but they will be worried more about the sweep than the punches... if not, sweep them again and continue.
3. They will plant their weight on the foot you are trying to sweep, rooting it there. They have now frozen their body, with their weight on that foot. The follow up punches will usually score pretty easily and you can still push them off balance.

If you are sparring in a fashion that encourages grappling, the foot sweep can easily be followed up with another throw, depending on which way they counter. This starts a chain throw combination.

I like this technique as a starter, as you can keep your guard up, you don't expose much and regardless of how they defend, you can use essentially the same follow up to score. (unless you are allowed to throw, in which case you have options) And depending on how well your first sweep attempt went, they are going to bite on your next sweep feint.

 

[skribs]

One thing I want to try is to tell my opponent every combination that's coming. Exactly as I plan to do it. And watch them second guess whether I'm trying to set them up.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

One thing I want to try is to tell my opponent every combination that's coming. Exactly as I plan to do it. And watch them second guess whether I'm trying to set them up.

Or just become too conscious of what they're doing to be effective, perhaps.

 

[KenpoMaster805]

Sure did its a secret

 

[Headhunter]

Wait until the coach calls time then punch him in the face....JOKE

 

[Headhunter]

Real answer.

One I've started to like is a Krav Maga sparring technique it's against a left jab. You use your left hand to parry then using the same hand come back across with a side hammerfist then using that momentum throw a right cross. It's worked very well for me in non Krav Maga sparring against people not expecting it. I land it almost every time.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Wait until the coach calls time then punch him in the face....JOKE

That works in other sports, too...with varying degrees of effectiveness. It's better in football than tennis, for instance.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Something I've found useful in kali-doing a fencing like thrust to either the wrist or head/neck, depending on positioning, and watching the reaction. If they react by trying to block it, switch it to an upward slash on the wrist. If they expect that and dont address the thrust, go through with it. I think it only works because of my experience fencing-a couple guys who have caught on to it have tried it without much success.

Works on most, even after they know what I'm doing, except the people either significantly better or worse than me.

 

[dvcochran]

Something I've found useful in kali-doing a fencing like thrust to either the wrist or head/neck, depending on positioning, and watching the reaction. If they react by trying to block it, switch it to an upward slash on the wrist. If they expect that and dont address the thrust, go through with it. I think it only works because of my experience fencing-a couple guys who have caught on to it have tried it without much success.

Works on most, even after they know what I'm doing, except the people either significantly better or worse than me.

Do that not violate one of the main ideas of Kali, that being slash what is Presented to you? What is nearest you? Do you do your fencing move from way outside? I am not a fencer. But I can see it working against a lesser experienced person. It was quite a transition for me not to react to every move of an opponent when I was working out in Kali. Great times.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Do that not violate one of the main ideas of Kali, that being slash what is Presented to you? What is nearest you? Do you do your fencing move from way outside? I am not a fencer. But I can see it working against a lesser experienced person. It was quite a transition for me not to react to every move of an opponent when I was working out in Kali. Great times.

In my style, we typically stay in largo range as much as possible.

And it doesn't IMO violate the idea of going for closest available target. If the wrist is available, that's where I aim. A good thing about epee fencing is that it has trained me to be very good at 'stabbing' the muscle-group that allows you to grip on your wrist, so that's where I'm normally aiming, unless for whatever reason they don't respond to that, or respond by another way then blocking, then I go for a closer in target. The thrust also isn't actually my primary attack, the slash at the wrist is, even if the slash comes second. I ill absolutely hit with the thrust if it's presented, which is why the tactic works for me, but that's not my actual goal.

 

[_Simon_]

Also pepper spray is always a good option...

 

[Danny T]

Talk to the opponent. Get in their head.
The opponent throws a hard kick: "Wow what a kick. Was that kick supposed to HURT! (Laughing) Was that supposed to be a hard kick?"
When you get a good strike in; "Oh did that hurt? It's going to get real when I start striking hard."