How do you approach sparring?

[fighting_mochi]

One should approach sparring as way of improving your techniques. Unfortunately many look at it as a chance to beat on someone. Sparring gives you a chance to use your footwork and improve your timing. I try to to work on my weaknesses and try to improve on them. I also try to to vary my style of fighting depending on how my partner fights. I like to do this to help the lower ranks improve on their skill. I also try to get the lower ranks to not over think their attacks but to act and react. When dealing with first time sparrer I usually tell them not block. The reason why is that our first instinct is to do just that. I want them to be able see opportunities to strike as their opponent attacks. This also helps break down the fear of being hit. Once one is used to being hit they will become more at ease and relax. Being relax will increase your speed and help your react faster. I tell them, "It's better to die a thousand times in practice so that you can survive the battle."

[June]

Bah, I'm a selfish kind of guy that tries to get in line first to have a match with my favorite teachers. I am always trying to figure out what Seme is and only go for muri with an occasional son-mok against teachers.

But against non-teachers and peers, I try to go for the first strike and from there depending on skill levels, try to win against stronger opponents(good practice for tournaments), practice techniques on peers, and concentrate on only perfect muri against juniors and no blocking. For really low level juniors, I try to play nice and make it fun while trying to show them things through opening up a bit and slowing down.

While my teacher emphasizes beautiful Kendo which he practices what he preaches, I tend to pick up techniques by observation and compensate for my lack of speed and stamina with debana, kaishi, maki, and other waza's. It's good to have a goal (beautiful kendo) but I also like to win.

FWIW

[gator9999]

I'm still weak on my right side Hurri blocks, one of my younger classmates loves to catch me if I get cocky with strikes and open myself up.

[cesarekim]

First valid cut, preferably a muhri, is always a key point for sparring for me. After that, practice whatever we're working on in class. If someone is very strong in defending against my sonmok, I will purposely try that. If someone is significantly weaker than I am, usually this only happens with people who've had a hogu for a week or so, I will let them attack and work on counter-attacks or just do straight muhri for the whole session.

[June]

ha!

Bogu for a week. I'm sure you have a lightning fast kote strike from years of crafty experience....

[cesarekim]

Actually, no... The noobs think so because they let me in too close. After about the 3rd kote, I let them into the secret. Hopefully by about a week of practice they finally figure out what I'm talking about and sometime in their 2/3rd year they can wack me across the head when I try it.

I'm actually quite pleased when they can finally get me when I'm trying sonmok because it means that
a) they're learning
b) I get to try something else on them
c) I may finally get to have a decent team to take to Nationals...

[johnkichu]

Actually, no... The noobs think so because they let me in too close. After about the 3rd kote, I let them into the secret. Hopefully by about a week of practice they finally figure out what I'm talking about and sometime in their 2/3rd year they can wack me across the head when I try it.

Ceasare,

I'm glad you mentioned this, and yes, after almost 4 years, I am beginning to get this.

I am always amazed by how some high ranking kumdoins can suddenly "materialize" closer to me than they were a split second ago. One moment they are tip to tip, and the next, you're saying to yourself "when did he move in so close?" And every now and then, I find myself doing this to other, less experiecned guys. Maybe in 4 more years I can do this consistently. And maybe this is the reason that my sabumnims finally think I'm ready for my chodan test, which should be in a month or so.


I used to think, "wow - how can that guy be so much faster than me?" I mean, I'm not the slowest person around, and in fact, in my TKD days, I was known for speed. But these guys just seem to be running circles around me. Our gwanjangnim pointed this out the other day, also. He said that the national team guys are quick, yes, but the absolute difference in speed alone does not account for their apparent succes against other fighters. If you actually video taped and measured how fast they execute hits and compared their times to yours or mine, they are better, but not by orders of magnitude (I think KKA actually does things like this). Their perceived quickness is the result of distance management and ability to figure out the opponent. I guess this is really another way of saying opponent management - get the other guy to do what you want him to (or not do what you don't want them to do).

[WalkerKumdo]

I couldn't agree more.

[cesarekim]

John,
Best of luck with the chodan exam. You probably don't need it but luck never hurt anyone...

One thing that I've noticed with some of the senior guys I practice with is the materialization trick you mention. If you look closely, they are stepping in and out and gaining an inch every time they step in. They can do this effectively because they are moving the left foot a bit less every time. It's not something you can really see. Sometimes, the only tell you get is by noticing how deep their point has come into your guard. Some of the craftier guys will pick up the tip a little every time as well. This translates into keeping the point aimed squarely at your throat but at the same time, it means that you loose the point as a reference for distance management. At some point, I have to make a decision and either step out or stick them. I'm personally very fond of sticking it to them but this brings a whole new dimension to the equation so I would suggest that stepping out is a safer solution until you are really comfortable with the chireum...

One slight modification which is even harder to catch is with the guys who like to circle to their right. They are actually stepping in as they move around you. About half a circle around you, they've gained six inches and can easily hit you from that point on in. When I see these guys, I get this really uncomfortable image of a vulture flying around my head...

Now that I've waxed eloquently on these "tricks", I'll just go back to trying to figure out how I can manage a decent muhri. At the end of the day, THAT's what we're trying to achieve in kumdo. Everything else is a copout... Too bad I'm a sonmok specialist.

[johnkichu]

Ceasare,

Wow - who knew! I'll have to try these tricks, but I can already tell it will take a long time to master so I can do it without being noticed.

[June]

Ah the good old circle right, opponent adjust and then bam! Sonmok!

I had a teacher who was big on techniques. One was a sagari men to the left side directly to a kote.


On a side note about techniques and cop outs...I just wanted to share my experience this last weekend at a tournament I attended. I was eliminated in the first round. Never happened to me before. I mean even my first tournament with around 5 months experience I still got through 3 rounds.

My opponent was someone who I dominated the last time I faced and ended up sticking onto me the whole match. Never left tsubazeriai. Even after I tried to disengage he wouldn't reset. Frustrating since I feel I work best when I am in my own maiai from where I can initiate waza's. I ended up getting frustrated at the judges and got a couple of hansoku's and lost.

If I had stuck to the basics and held kamai and let him stick himself in the throat and then gone for a decent muri I would have easily won, but since I let myself get frustrated and lost.

I am on a new road where I want to stop using techniques or waza and focus on nice muri's and a occasional sonmok. Even though winning/loosing isn't important in the grand scheme of things, I'd rather play my best and not look back and have regrets. When you said a good muri is what we're all supposed to be striving for, it struck a chord.

FWIW

[johnkichu]

My opponent was someone who I dominated the last time I faced and ended up sticking onto me the whole match. Never left tsubazeriai. Even after I tried to disengage he wouldn't reset. Frustrating since I feel I work best when I am in my own maiai from where I can initiate waza's. I ended up getting frustrated at the judges and got a couple of hansoku's and lost.

There are always people whom I really DO NOT enjoy practicing/fighting against. I mean, there a some that I used to switch classes just to avoid them. It's not that I'm afraid of them - their kumdo is just UGLY. Sounds like you ran into one of them. I'm surprised that the judges didn't separate you guys and give your opponent the penalty.

I am on a new road where I want to stop using techniques or waza and focus on nice muri's and a occasional sonmok. Even though winning/loosing isn't important in the grand scheme of things, I'd rather play my best and not look back and have regrets. When you said a good muri is what we're all supposed to be striving for, it struck a chord.

Good plan! I've been trying to do this for the past year or so, and it's really helped. Go back to ki-kum-chae and learn to see things. It's also helped me remain humble. Of course, it's still very hard to execute a really clean, pretty muri, but everyone now and then you get one and it's worth it.

[jonpalombi]

Hey All,
While I practice another martial tradition than you folks (Yangjia Michuan Taiji Quan), sparring is sparring. The basic elements are the same, regardless of style and lineage. I agree with a lot of what has been said. I personally choose to take the opportunity to study myself, as well as my opponent, while engaged in sparring practice. Ultimately, it depends on just who I am facing. With less experienced fighters, I let them work on their attacks, while I try out new variations in my defensive strategy. Yes I even let them hit me, especially the beginners, to encourage their sense of growth. After all, it's not a match. When facing fighters of equal abilities, I try to work on my own weaknesses while searching out theirs. In situations where I am definitely less experienced than my opponent, I try to remain mindful of what I'm doing wrong. "Why does that keep on happening to me?" At the same time, I study the effectiveness of their technique and try to burn the essence of the technique into my practice. There is no worthwhile reward in treating a sparring session like a match. I often find that while adopting this attitude, my opponent senses my intention and joins me in the learning process. Then again, sometimes I get beaten to a pulp by an aggressive fighter who is out to prove himself/herself. That always seems like a wasted opportunity to grow. We rarely learn from what we don't really understand yet, do we?

Be well and practice often, Jon Palombi

[sleepykid156]

those sparring gears reminds me of Eskrima/Kali

[b8amack]

Lately, left foot forward.