the way we spar

[Manny]

In my dojang we spar WTF Style but not calling the points, there are very few times when sambonim calls a winner, red or blue. Most of the times just a handshake ant that's all, a few times times sambunim ask the students (sitting in the mat waiting to do kyorugi) who's the winner and ask why red or blue fight should win.

I am not a fool and know when I win or lose, and the only thing that matters to me is to focus to defend myself while trying to score some kicks or punches.

Manny

 

[Manny]

I'd like to add, it's sparring the ultimate goal in TKD?

Manny

 

[ATC]

When in the Dojang the goal when sparring is not to win or lose. The goal should be working on and learning to use those techniques that we are not good at.

In the Dojang you are not going to win a medal. In the Dojang you are not winninng money. In the Dojang you are not building any record. In the Dojang you are learning to get better over all.

If you are wasting you Dojang time worrying about winning or looking better than your opponent then you are wasting your time and I can assure you that you are not getting better.

I tell all my students that they should look bad and that they should get hit. Because it is in the Dojang that they need to be trying new things or techniques that they are not good at.

If you waste a training opportunity trying to beat your training partner then you have just lost when it counts. If you are sparring someone that is obviously not as good as you and you just use the same old techniques that you know you can score with easily, then what have you learned or gotten better at doing that you are not that great at doing.

Your mindset in the Dojang should always be what can I train today that I am not that good at. if your back kick is bad then you should be trying to set that up and use it. Get hit when trying it. Then you know you did it incorrectly. But that one time that you land it and you don't get hit you will gain great strides from that single technique.

Yes you still use what works for you but that is the time to work on and focus on what you are lacking in.

Just my take on it.

 

[Manny]

When in the Dojang the goal when sparring is not to win or lose. The goal should be working on and learning to use those techniques that we are not good at.

In the Dojang you are not going to win a medal. In the Dojang you are not winninng money. In the Dojang you are not building any record. In the Dojang you are learning to get better over all.

If you are wasting you Dojang time worrying about winning or looking better than your opponent then you are wasting your time and I can assure you that you are not getting better.

I tell all my students that they should look bad and that they should get hit. Because it is in the Dojang that they need to be trying new things or techniques that they are not good at.

If you waste a training opportunity trying to beat your training partner then you have just lost when it counts. If you are sparring someone that is obviously not as good as you and you just use the same old techniques that you know you can score with easily, then what have you learned or gotten better at doing that you are not that great at doing.

Your mindset in the Dojang should always be what can I train today that I am not that good at. if your back kick is bad then you should be trying to set that up and use it. Get hit when trying it. Then you know you did it incorrectly. But that one time that you land it and you don't get hit you will gain great strides from that single technique.

Yes you still use what works for you but that is the time to work on and focus on what you are lacking in.

Just my take on it.

Thank you very much mi amigo, I feel the same as you do about sparring.

Manny

 

[chrispillertkd]

I'd like to add, it's sparring the ultimate goal in TKD?

Manny

Is sparring the ultimate goal in Taekwon-Do? No, not by a long shot. The ultimate goal is to become a better person.

But even if you're just talking the physical aspect of things, sparring is only akin to a soldier's field exercises. It's hosinsul that is equivalent to actual combat (with fundamental exercises being like basic training, patterns being platoon tactics, and dallyon being equipment maintenance).

Since each of those five aspect ae so closely related it's hard to seperate one out as the most important. Could you spar, for instance, without a good grasp of fundamental exercises? Maybe, but probably not very well.

Pax,

Chris

 

[ralphmcpherson]

For me personally, sparring is something I use to increase fitness, speed, footwork and reflexes. I started tkd in my 30's so I probably aproach it differently to the way I approached karate as a kid. I try to tailor tkd to me, I tend to find out what works for me and try to get those techs as strong and fast as I possibly can. As a kid I wanted to be a 'gun' at every single tech so I tended to spend more time on the things I wasnt as good at rather than my strengths whereas now as an adult I know my body and what its capable of and if something really doesnt work for me I dont use it. I use sparring as a bit of a testing ground to see what techs work best for me as an individual and how to use tactics to overcome my weaknesses.

 

[StudentCarl]

I love sparring, but it serves a different purpose than the other aspects of TKD. Sparring requires you to hit a moving target, one that can hit back. Boards and bricks require good technique, but you can set up on them.

Sparring requires a different kind of conditioning and toughness too.

I completely agree with ATC's comment about stretching yourself by working with your weaker techniques and not playing it safe in practice.
I think that is the best way to learn skills--you've gotta play and test in different conditions and situations to make them your own.

In tournaments, my master will frequently give us a particular skill to practice and make winning irrelevant.

 

[bluewaveschool]

We don't call winners or losers, or track points or any of that. We look for good technique and look for flaws, give feedback and watch to see if they pay attention or if they get hit again. Most sparring is done lately student versus instructor so we can get a feel for strength and weakness and help the students. Plus a lot of the new students, which is pretty much 3/4 of my students, don't have all of the gear so I don't allow them to spar other students.