Sparring is an important part of many martial arts, it helps you to learn how to block, evade and counter attacks and combinations of attacks and string together your own, learn strategy, think on your feet, improve reaction time and adapt to changing circumstances on the fly. Sparring should be a just part of balanced curriculum not the whole thing, there is no best or ultimate (which means last not best) form of training. There are many forms of sparring and their associated drills and each has their own benefits. Some of the forms of sparring used in the school I am in, which is mostly non-contact and does not use protective gear of any kind include:
Free sparring - which is 2 people using any striking, kicking, blocking and evasion techniques they have learned and include 2 on 1, 3 on 1 and one person with a weapon.
Shadow sparring - as above but without a partner and includes hand only sparring.
Hand sparring - same as free sparring but no leg techniques.
Free sparring where one person attacks only and the other defends only and then they switch.
Free sparring where everyone in class spars everyone else and can change partners whenever they want and can include 2 or 3 on 1 at a moments notice. A variation of this is if a student get touched on the back they are eliminated and fall out and this keeps going until only 1 remains.
Toe to toe hand sparring - like hand sparring but where the front foot of both people are almost touching and must remain there during the sparring.
The vicious circle - where students stand around in a circle and the student in the middle will continuously and flat out attack each person as their name is called (like shadow sparring in front of a target).
The vicious circle - where students stand around in a circle and the student in the middle will get attacked by anyone in the circle at random (just one attack) and must defend and counter attack.
The tunnel of death - where students line up in 2 lines and one is chosen to stand up the front with his back turned and his eyes closed, the instructor picks students in the line to attack. The student in the front turns arround and walks through the tunnel and as they pass the chosen students, they attack (just one attack) and the student in the middle must defend and counter attack.
A drill where a senior student or black belt stands at the front of a line of students, facing them, and each student in turn tries to actually hit him/her and he/she must defend or get hit.
Free sparring where one student is sitting in a chair or lying on the ground or is up against a wall and must stay there (often done using a baton).
There are many more but I can't think of them right now. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
Free sparring - which is 2 people using any striking, kicking, blocking and evasion techniques they have learned and include 2 on 1, 3 on 1 and one person with a weapon.
Shadow sparring - as above but without a partner and includes hand only sparring.
Hand sparring - same as free sparring but no leg techniques.
Free sparring where one person attacks only and the other defends only and then they switch.
Free sparring where everyone in class spars everyone else and can change partners whenever they want and can include 2 or 3 on 1 at a moments notice. A variation of this is if a student get touched on the back they are eliminated and fall out and this keeps going until only 1 remains.
Toe to toe hand sparring - like hand sparring but where the front foot of both people are almost touching and must remain there during the sparring.
The vicious circle - where students stand around in a circle and the student in the middle will continuously and flat out attack each person as their name is called (like shadow sparring in front of a target).
The vicious circle - where students stand around in a circle and the student in the middle will get attacked by anyone in the circle at random (just one attack) and must defend and counter attack.
The tunnel of death - where students line up in 2 lines and one is chosen to stand up the front with his back turned and his eyes closed, the instructor picks students in the line to attack. The student in the front turns arround and walks through the tunnel and as they pass the chosen students, they attack (just one attack) and the student in the middle must defend and counter attack.
A drill where a senior student or black belt stands at the front of a line of students, facing them, and each student in turn tries to actually hit him/her and he/she must defend or get hit.
Free sparring where one student is sitting in a chair or lying on the ground or is up against a wall and must stay there (often done using a baton).
There are many more but I can't think of them right now. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
