Sparring Tips!

[TigerAnsTKDLove]

hello does anyone do WTF olympic style Sparring? in 2 months or 3 i will be doing sparring and i was wondering if you have any helpful tips you can give me? this is stupid but when wearing all the sparring gear does it distract your view? and is the gear heavy? i am so interested in sparring and i cannot wait to start it! and if you could provide me with anymore info on sparring i would really appreciate it thanks! :)

[surgingshark]

I had a friend who did Olympic-Style sparring once (and no, he was NOT in the WTF). The best tip he could give anyone who did ANY martial arts was to keep your guard up. That headgear won't protect you from "Coma Kicks".

[KickChick]

Listen, that is a great tip for anyone that spars whether it be WTF tournament sparring or sparring in class.

Yes, gear is cumbersome. It is something that you will get used to eventually. Actually when we train in class we spar without gear and with ... most prefer not to spar with gear hence it impedes your movement, but that is something you must learn to overcome if you are seriously training for tournies.

Yes, keep guard up at all times,.... work on your footwork (keep moving)!! RELAX and BREATHE!!!

Good Luck!

[TigerAnsTKDLove]

thank you kick chick and surging shark

[Poop-Loops]

You get used to the gear. The headgear makes you sweat a lot, so get one with lots of holes. :) You shouldn't be kicking to the head (at least not even half-power) until you are a much higher rank, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Lots of people want their hogu tied loose, so they can move better, but I like it tight so it doesn't flop around, and gives me a bigger range of motion. Find out what you like.

As for actual tips:

KEEP YOUR HANDS UP. I have trouble remembering myself, and that's when I get hit. Also, learn to rush people. Most TKD fighters have no clue what to do up close. Just gotta watch out for those side kicks (my favorite :)).

And last, but not least, ALWAYS do combos, and ALWAYS fake first. Most people can see your kicks coming, since you're not that high yet, so make them get paranoid first, and then kick. Whether you get a clean hit or get your leg blocked, keep going. If you were blocked and are moving away, your opponent can counter you. If you got a good hit in, and run away, you're giving your opponent a chance to recover.

Oh, and don't show any signs of pain. It just fuels some people because they can see you're injured. Just ignore all pain.

PL

[Trent Tiemeyer]

ALMOST always fake first. Don't get predictable.

[Poop-Loops]

You can just adjust the number of fakes you do then.

PL

[Capt Ann]

What little I know:

1. I had trouble breathing well when I first put on my chest pad. Try breaking it in like you would a new baseball glove. Pull it as tight as you can around itself (without you in it), tie it closed, put some weight on it.

2. AMEN on the combinations!! Simple ones work, like Block, Punch, Kick. Also work on roundhouse kicks: front leg or back leg, moving in, or while moving back.

3. Practice re-attack every time you are attacked. (Example: they kick, you kick). Easiest re-attack moves are a roundhouse kick, or a back kick.

4. Use a side kick or a pushing front kick, to force someone back who is crowding you.

5. RELAX!! When I started, I was SOOOO tense, that I couldn't do anything.

6. PRACTICE!!!! Like anything else in TKD, it gets easier the more you do it (and it gets more enjoyable, too)

7. Watch for something called the "red zone"--the distance from your opponent where you are standing right in range of their kick. Don't stay there!!! (Kind of like standing in the zone in basketball). Watch how long their legs are. If yours are longer, keep them right at the distance where they are at the end of your kick (they are in YOUR red-zone, and you are just out of their range). If their legs are longer, move more. Don't just stand in their range and get kicked. Move in to attack, then move back out. Skip roundhouse works well for this. Good to practice on a target or bag, to help judge your range/distance.

8. Move!!

9. Blocking is good, but it gets you no points. You must do offense. And it's OK to move out of the way, instead of trying to block every kick.

10. As far as keeping your guard up: even with full sparring gear on, I was getting bruises on my hips all the time, just under the chest guard and under/inside where I had my arms. I switched to a narrower stance and brought my elbows in more to guard that. Since then, I've taken out five higher ranking belts, all faster than me, all because they landed their best roundhouse kick right on the point of my extremely bony left elbow! Not that I tried to hurt anybody.....just that you should experiment with a stance that you're comfortable with, and that protects where you tend to get hit.

Please let us all know how you do.

[Capt Ann]

Does anyone know anything about the video/DVD from Turtle Press....."100 Top Scoring Techniques" for sparring?

Is it any good? Do you have to be a 256th Dan to use it? Is it hard/easy to follow? Practical?

[TheMachine]

keep your guard up, stick to the basic kicks. DOn't hesitate to kick back.

[Helm]

Heres a short (but not very good) video of me and a buddy in class a month or 2 back

http://www.flipage.com/videos/jamie-matt-spar-pract.mpg

It gives you a basic idea of how WTF sparring works (this was at the end of a long lesson, so we were knackerd!), basically punches are rarely used and attacks are based on fake-hit-counter techniques.

Im sorry if the video isnt of any help!

[neryo_tkd]

check out the following link. u'll find some useful info

http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7451&highlight=sparring+tips


u always have to have a clear head at competitions, otherwise all the training will be in vain. good luck :)

[Thomas]

this is stupid but when wearing all the sparring gear does it distract your view? and is the gear heavy? i am so interested in sparring and i cannot wait to start it! and if you could provide me with anymore info on sparring i would really appreciate it thanks! :)

Anytime you wear protection it will affect your movement and vision. In TKD it is also important to use various types of sparring (do a search under sparring for clarification). Sometimes you will wear no pads... better natural movement and quickness but unable to use a lot of power. Full pads restricts you but will allow you to use more power and get used to hitting and being hit hard. There is a lot between as well... like some nights, you might just wear gloves and headgear... to work your hands and so on...


hello does anyone do WTF olympic style Sparring? in 2 months or 3 i will be doing sparring and i was wondering if you have any helpful tips you can give me?

The other posters gave some good tips. Here's some of mine (if they repeat... they probably bear repeating in my opinion).

(1) Keep your hands up (don't let them hang, don't grab your pants and all that while sparring). Keep your hands closed loosely and try not to block open handed (unless you are going for grabs oir using palm blocks... which you'll get into later).

(2) Keep your eyes open and figure wear the best place to watch is. For me, I watch the midsection in an unfocused way... I let my periphal vision watch for punches, kicks, and othe rmovement. Othe rpeople watch the eyes, some the hands, etc. Practice with a buddy and figure out what works best for you.

(3) Practice good breathing when moving, striking, and such. Remember to breathe when tense!

(4) Practice your footwork... changing stance and circular escapes from the route of power. Try to fight in a circle and not allow an opponent to back you striaght up (into a wall).

(5) (Related) Try not to block all the time. Instead get out of the way (less energy) and counterattack. Blocking when not absolutely necessary can be a waste of energy and can lead to injuries... plus it take time... time that could be used to strike.

(6) Practice your basics... then turn them into combinations.

(7) Use your hands. Jabs to keep the opponent at bay and reverse punches (or crosses) into legal targets for damage. Make them fear your punches.

(8) If the person wants to charge in and "bull" you, use the circular evades to keep out of range until they tire or you see an opening.

(9) If the opponent wants to fight close (esp. hands), keep your distance and kick them. If the opponent wants to keep you in kicking range, move in close and use your hands.

(10) Never stop learning and practicing. Get a partner and run through slow sparring, fast sparring, and sparring where you each work a technique on each other before and after class. Carefully watch other students spar and try to pick up techniques.

(11) Develop a few counters that work for you and practice them until they are second nature. Some examples for me: turning back kick counter to opponent's roundhouse kick, Lead leg "jamming" side kick as they come in, 45 degree step out turning back kick/sidekick/or axe kick.

Good Training!

[surgingshark]

Oh, and don't show any signs of pain. It just fuels some people because they can see you're injured. Just ignore all pain.

True...but remember, you can also fake it. Faking it or not, it's led many a person to RUN straight into a kick to the face :) Overconfidence KILLS, baby!

Since then, I've taken out five higher ranking belts, all faster than me, all because they landed their best roundhouse kick right on the point of my extremely bony left elbow!

I remember the first time I did a roundhouse to an elbow. I haven't performed a roundhouse ever since :'( It's rather traumatizing...

[Poop-Loops]

Exaggerating your level of tiredness or overall pain is ok I guess, but don't fake an injury, you lose points for that.

A guy in my studio got kicked in the elbow. It's been swollen for like 3 months now. Apparently he was kicked in just the right spot. (That's what the doctor told him)

2 good things to do when sparring begginers is kihap when they try and attack you. I know it always freaked me out when someone did that, and it's so fun to do against others :)

And second, if you are one of those people that looks at the other person's eyes, look like you want to kill that person. And dont' stop staring at their eyes.

PL

[surgingshark]

And dont' stop staring at their eyes.

Something I wanted to share:

Wing Chun Guy: Eyes Can Be Decieving!
ME: Umm...okay...
Wing Chun Guy: *goes for sticking hands, staring at the center of my body*
Me: *performs a left hook with the arm nearest to his head. left hook lands perfectly*
Wing Chun Guy: Oh, (explitive)
Me: Did I mention that I was staring at your head the whole time?

:D

[LeadLegger]

If you try to learn all of this before sparring, it won't help for the 1st few days because you will probably forget everything when they are kicking at you. Sparring is really different when you are watching and when you are the one doing it.

[Intan86]

hello does anyone do WTF olympic style Sparring? in 2 months or 3 i will be doing sparring and i was wondering if you have any helpful tips you can give me? this is stupid but when wearing all the sparring gear does it distract your view? and is the gear heavy? i am so interested in sparring and i cannot wait to start it! and if you could provide me with anymore info on sparring i would really appreciate it thanks! :)


Wearing all the sparring gear is not stupid, Tiger. It may look uncomfortable at first but you'll get use to it. The gear aren't that heavy. And the headgear won't distract your view. Don't worry about the sparring gear but concentrate on your opponent. When you're concentrate you won't be worrying about the spar gear.
Oh, this is important. After you scored a point never turned your head away from your opponent. This will give him\her a chance to score back. Trust me. I've done it and I get a blow in the head. Ooouuch! Not good!!!
And don't be sad if you didn't scored a point and the other student just didn't seem to give you chance. You'll get better and better. :love:

Good Luck!

Intan :Angel:

[enlwlffo]

lol im gonna get killed, assassinated, ambushed, whatever for this post.
i agree with everything everyone is saying except one thing
the thing about keeping your hands up to your head.
eh..
ive trained in olympic style sparring for quite a long time, and for me i've found that keeping my arms at my sides works better
most people cannot kick to the head very fast, and you can dodge head hits, but the chest guard hits are what people will try to score with, and when someone kicks at you, all you need to do is twist just a little to the side and move your arm away from your side and take the hit along the arm.
hmm...
just read the other threads on this topic for more information

DISCLAIMER: this is just MHO

[kickcatcher]

lol im gonna get killed, assassinated, ambushed, whatever for this post.
i agree with everything everyone is saying except one thing
the thing about keeping your hands up to your head.
eh..
ive trained in olympic style sparring for quite a long time, and for me i've found that keeping my arms at my sides works better
most people cannot kick to the head very fast, and you can dodge head hits, but the chest guard hits are what people will try to score with, and when someone kicks at you, all you need to do is twist just a little to the side and move your arm away from your side and take the hit along the arm.
hmm...
just read the other threads on this topic for more information

DISCLAIMER: this is just MHO

LOL. You're probably right. Obviously that's because WTF TKD rules are so abstract from real 'fighting'.

[enlwlffo]

lol
the WTF rules have completely made sparring into a sport,
when i first started taekwondo, the master used old school rules, so it actually felt like real fighting, and when i implemented taekwondo into my street fighting it worked very well

also, btw, i wasn't saying you should keep your arms down
everyone has their own thing that works, just experiment with different things

[LeadLegger]

lol
the WTF rules have completely made sparring into a sport,
when i first started taekwondo, the master used old school rules, so it actually felt like real fighting, and when i implemented taekwondo into my street fighting it worked very well

also, btw, i wasn't saying you should keep your arms down
everyone has their own thing that works, just experiment with different things
Actually in street fights people don't put their hands up, and it probably wouldn't help anyway (at least in Alabama lol) since the average street fighter will probably blitz, so your best chance in a street fight is to hit him first, and blitz him before he blitzes you

[basf12]

just relax the equipment u wear only reduce injuries
and if u are just a beginner just concentrate on turning kicks because it is
a good
attacking and defensive technique and when u attack try using combination turning kicks
when u are retreating or on a defensive mode try kicking back your opponent and dont let yourself being a football that u are being kick around

[enlwlffo]

Actually in street fights people don't put their hands up, and it probably wouldn't help anyway (at least in Alabama lol) since the average street fighter will probably blitz, so your best chance in a street fight is to hit him first, and blitz him before he blitzes you

yea this is true
i never keep my hands up in fights
my hands are at my sides but ready

[Din]

the gear can be heavy when you start getting tired but it wont distract your view as long as you wear the proper headgear.the make sure you get a chest protector that is the correct size or it may impare your kicks. if you can get your hands on the gear try practicing you kicks in it ... this will help you to get use to kicking with the chest protector and groin guard on.
for the sparring part i think you got great tips already.
so good luck and train hard

[Guy Mendiola]

I do olympic sparring also and I really like how when every student sparrs me like higher belts they kick me in my shin and I gave some of them bruises due to the fact that I was in Muay Thai and the students thought that yeah this is a begginner and they say I was going to be easy but the first time I sparred I Muay Thai Roundhouse a orange belt and it was in the mid section and not below the belt so yes we had gear on but the orange belt went flying back so yes I do have previous martial arts experience and Muay Thai will help me a lot in TKD, The main thing is usually focused on is kicking with the feet and that was weird when the first time I sparred in TKD but hey some advice just focused on the opponent's legs and what kind of kick he/she will throw at you and do some combos if you know any, Try doing a mutiple roundhouse it's sorta like what you see in most WTF sparring matches and really flashy it's like doing it fast but I don't know what that technique is exactly called.

[LeadLegger]

the first time I sparred I Muay Thai Roundhouse a orange belt and it was in the mid section .

What is a Muay Thai Roundhouse? How is it different from the TKD roundhouse?

[Mujuk Striker]

Ah, I love seeing all these KoF avatars... anyway to sparring....

I find the chest guard a little restricting on torque from my body (maybe it's just cause I was too small, or the guard too big) so I preferred lead leg kicks to the midsection of my opponent. It's very safe, closes the gap, and is usually a whole lot faster than a rear kick, especially in the case of a sidekick.

Also, don't let your opponent keep backing you up. This is usually a problem with beginners sparring experienced opponents, and that could affect your style of fighting (often for the worse). Learn to start an attack as well as counter.

[HitNRun]

The post from Thomas has basically everything you need to know. I would repeat, it is very important to keep your hands up.

In my opinion, the most important gear items are the mouth piece and shin guards. Even if you do non-contact sparring, when you hit someone with your shin, you will feel it.

I very rarely use a chest protector, but almost all of the females in my school use them everytime. As Thomas said, it is better to get out of the way than to expect a piece of gear to protect you. An unsupported down block will not do anything to stop a strong roundhouse kick. "C" step and "D" step away from your oponents kicks, followed by a lead leg kick or jab is a good easy move. Look at your opponets face or upper body, not his legs. If you look at his legs, he will pound you with his fists, if you look at his fists, he will pound you with his legs. Read his intentions by looking at his face. This is why it is called an "art".

When sparring, a rear leg kick (such as a rear leg roundhouse) or reverse punch is not a good first move. Neither is a spinning any kind of kick. Practice your jab and lead leg kicks, it will help a lot. Simple is better. If you want to throw a rear leg roundhouse or spinning hook, make it a part of a combination, (at the end of the combination). For example: lead leg snap kick, spinning back kick. A good side kick is your best friend when you spar.

To me, sparring is the best part of TKD. I love it when after warm-up SBN barks out "all right, bow out and get your gear on". In the school I attend, on the nights we spar, we will do 5 to 7 (3 minute non-stop) rounds full contact. Sometimes, we will do 5 minute rounds. This is a workout! Not everyone in my school likes to spar. I have noticed that most of the females in my school are decient fighters. There is one girl in the adult class, she is 16 years old and very quiet- never says a word. When she spars, she comes at you like a freight train. This young lady -I refer to as the class "sleeper" because when we are not sparring, you cannot even tell that she is in the room. But she will kick yer * if you are not carefull. She is testing for BB in May.

If you do contact sparring, sooner or later, you will get hurt, so be prepared. Sparring adds the element of stress into the workout. I'm surprised that you are a Purple Belt and have not put yer gear on yet. My daughter was contact sparring at age 6 or 7, yellow belt. She actually got a fat lip the first TKD class she ever took. Let me tell you, today, that cute little girl with the big smile knows how to open up a can of whoop *!

PS. keep your feet moving.

[LeadLegger]

Also, don't let your opponent keep backing you up. This is usually a problem with beginners sparring experienced opponents, and that could affect your style of fighting (often for the worse). Learn to start an attack as well as counter.

some of the best fighters keep their distance, let the person blitz (and miss), then come back with a great counter, like Muhammid Ali, for example. Those fighters are fun to watch.

[gumby]

In my opinion, the most important gear items are the mouth piece and shin guards. Even if you do non-contact sparring, when you hit someone with your shin, you will feel it.


I couldn't agree with you more. My shins are sensitive and even with shin guards they get bruised. It also is nice for your partner too if you're wearing shin guards. When I block someone's kick I can always tell if they have shin guards on or not. My arms sometimes show it too. :p

As for sparring tips, my main one would be don't be afraid to be agressive sometimes. When I first started I was terrified of being hit and would always back up. Now I'm not afraid to get up to people real close and attack, it makes it harder for them to kick you that way. I used to be so afraid to spar some people and now people are afraid to spar me. Muhahaha. :Angel: Not really, but getting hit doesn't phase me much now. So don't be afraid to be agressive and get in there and fight, it helps a lot.

[neryo_tkd]

being scared doesn't have any place at a competition. what a person said once: leave the feeling of being scared in the locker room.

[narcsarge]

being scared doesn't have any place at a competition. what a person said once: leave the feeling of being scared in the locker room.

Great post. Fear has it's place, but not in sparring. Fear of being hit can only be overcome by getting hit and getting over it. As practitioners in the Martial Arts, we all live with some sort of nagging little injury. Right now my cuticle on my big toe bleeds every time we are kicking targets. Oh well. At sparring practice this week we were practicing push kicks and counters without pads. The black belt I was sparring, who is excellent in competitions, was afraid to put much force behind his kicks with me. I had to reassure him that it was ok for him to put some energy behind the drills so he could "feel" the movement and that he was not going to hurt me. Take note of your fear. Accept it. And then leave it behind.

[tekkengod]

i have the secret! theres this big red/blue dot, ok. now, you can't miss it, cause its on this 2 inch thick piece of kevlar body armor, that the guy is BOUND to be wearing, now, aim for the big dot on the kevlar. :D

[KickChick]

There are a few Sparring Tip links on the net :) ... thought I would add here for resource reference


http://members.tripod.com/martial_arts_tips/ ... by Martial Arts Book Author-Adam Gibson

http://thewhitewolf.net/sparringtips.html

http://tkdtutor.com/13Sparring/Free-Sparring/Tips.htm

http://www.martialarts.org/media/articles/ar_sparringtips.html

http://www.teamtkd.net/spar.htm

http://www.turtlepress.com/info_sparring_tips.asp

[narcsarge]

Great Links KC! I may have to print some of them out and give them to the students in our sparring class!

[Srewolf21]

I think the main thing You can do is to enjoy sparing a lot of people get nerves the first time they spare and from time to time after that if your having fun your relax and if you relax your spare better.

[IMG]

[neryo_tkd]

what i don't find good is when instructors introduce sparring at a very very early stage. how can they spar when they don't know how to move or perform the techniques?!

[ronaldk]

things i did to get used to gear: did a full training session with all of it on. hogu, shin guards, fore-arm guards and cup. not the helmet, cuz thats pretty easy to get used to. did everything from basic drills to flying sidekicks with the hogu on, and even asked some class mates to kick me in different places so i could get a feel for the hits.

getting used to your cup is VERY important, as if you just wear it when you're gonna spar, you'll be really uncomfortable. i did a couple sessions with it on, and my movibility is almost unaffected now.

tips:

(i'm a noob compared to most, but here goes)

1) STAY CALM! remember your techniques. don't just go running around like a headless chicken.
2) fake a lot, and follow it up with an attack, or another fake. just keep 'em guessing.
3) notice when he is faking a lot.
4) try to find a midpoint of power for your 'opening' hits. i wouldn't recommend hitting full force on a kick you only have a 50/50 chance of landing. not to mention, if the kick is at half force and he jumps out of the way, you'll be in enough control to restructure your attack and catch him in mid-move (i love nailing a front push-kick on someone in the middle of an escape).
5) don't over-complicate things. sometimes a front kick to the face is all you need for a KO. just as well, don't over simplify. a pair of airborne (don't jump too high, just enough) roundhouse kicks is a great opener.
6) NEVER just throw 1 hit. either attack, or move out of his range.
7) back kicks are great counters for roundhouses. front push-kicks are great counters for back kicks. a proper lean in punch to the midsection, with the proper footwork, is a great counter for anything.
8) when up close, use your punch to cause damage, score points, and push your opponent out of balance and just far out enough to nail him with your foot.
9) kicking the chest area (above the abdomen) will give you points, but won't hurt them anywhere near as much as the stomach or ribs. not to mention, if you can kick them there, might as well go for the head. you can purposely use power kicks (back or side kick, for instance) to the chest to go for a knockdown, which gives you 1 point, and takes 1 off of their score.
10) cont. of 9): TRY NOT TO FALL! falling in order to make a point is stupid, as the point will be taken away. only do it if the hit will really hurt them, or will be a KO.
11) fast spinning hook kicks are your friend.

[neryo_tkd]

regarding faking, well, i don't recommend it if you don't know what you're doing and what you're trying to accomplish, because it might backfire with an experienced opponent.

[hal-apino]

hello does anyone do WTF olympic style Sparring? in 2 months or 3 i will be doing sparring and i was wondering if you have any helpful tips you can give me? this is stupid but when wearing all the sparring gear does it distract your view? and is the gear heavy? i am so interested in sparring and i cannot wait to start it! and if you could provide me with anymore info on sparring i would really appreciate it thanks! :)

make sure you have good gear! Tekno is great. and a good mouth guard, invest in a custom fitted one,(helps your breathing) and start running every night you have to have great endurance. Eat Pasta the night before tournaments!
If you’re a girl get a pedicure before every big tournament for good luck! Know who your fighting, watch them in forms competition usually those that score well in forms will be your toughest competition.
And lastly, have fun! When you fight for fun you will be great! also invest in some good DVD's Tekno aso has a great line of DVD's and watch the top fighters. When your at the tournaments tape all the fights in your division as well as your own and watch them over and over you will learn a lot.

[neryo_tkd]

i'm sure you'll do some sparring at the club with your gear on, so don't worry, you'll get used to it.

[Counter]

what i don't find good is when instructors introduce sparring at a very very early stage. how can they spar when they don't know how to move or perform the techniques?!

Why not? If the beginner is paired with a more experienced fighter he can get taught the basics of sparring really fast. The higher belt goes easy on him and makes the beginner comfortable with actually kicking someone and getting some (minor) hits.. Like this, he immediately learns the basics of real sparring, what could it hurt, even if his technique is lacking skill?

[TJ StyLeZz]

Why not? If the beginner is paired with a more experienced fighter he can get taught the basics of sparring really fast. The higher belt goes easy on him and makes the beginner comfortable with actually kicking someone and getting some (minor) hits.. Like this, he immediately learns the basics of real sparring, what could it hurt, even if his technique is lacking skill?


Zzzz his technique in battle is what he gettin used to.
If he kicks bad he will kick bad later...
I think its good to introduce the sparring early so people will choose either if they want to spar or to do the technique :)

[Tommy-2guns...]

gloves up
chin down
keep moving

remember the magic 3 and youll do alright. the rest is just practicing and perfecting,loosing and learning,winning and analysing why.

[neryo_tkd]

Why not? If the beginner is paired with a more experienced fighter he can get taught the basics of sparring really fast. The higher belt goes easy on him and makes the beginner comfortable with actually kicking someone and getting some (minor) hits.. Like this, he immediately learns the basics of real sparring, what could it hurt, even if his technique is lacking skill?


so it's the task of the higher belts to teach the lower belts?

[Counter]

I think it's the task of the higher belts to guide the lower belts according to what the instructor says.. Don't you all help eachother out during training? Don't you tell eachother what you do wrong during an exercise? The instructor can't possible see everything so that's why (at least at my school) we help eachother out. And in the case of lower belts, we help them by purposely leave gaps in our defence and give them the chance to fight back.

[neryo_tkd]

of course it's alright to help each other out, but now it's questionable if the one giving advice is giving the right one.

[Counter]

Well if our instructor tells the experienced fighter what to do (e.g.: show him/her how hard it his to actually connect a kick if the opponent is trying to dodge it).. The person the beginner is being paired with is always an experienced tournament fighter so he'll be able to teach and guide the beginner considering some basic sparring movements and rules.

[neryo_tkd]

The person the beginner is being paired with is always an experienced tournament fighter.

maybe at your school, but there are certainly schools (as we could witness here as well) where that is not the case.

[Counter]

maybe at your school, but there are certainly schools (as we could witness here as well) where that is not the case.

Do you mean that this is something that would not be allowed in other schools or that the beginners wouldn't be paired with EXPERIENCED people? i.e. do you mean this as a negative thing at our school or not :P

[TKDTraditional]

Do you mean that this is something that would not be allowed in other schools or that the beginners wouldn't be paired with EXPERIENCED people? i.e. do you mean this as a negative thing at our school or not :P

The routine I'm most familiar with--in a school that spars every class--is where everyone lines up with a partner of "adjacent rank", all the Black Belts at one end, all the lowest ranks at the other. After sparring, we rotate, the highest ranking student stays put. After several rounds, the Black Belts are sparring the beginners. Every class. Sometimes the Brown belts are the toughest to spar, sometimes it's the Black Belts. One thing that always seems to happen: Black Belts get their butts kicked--literally. White belts can't get their kicks up and Black Belts don't block very low. Result: Whack! You catch one in the bum!!

In this school, every Black Belt teaches, usually one-on-one during whatever exercise the whole class is doing, and every advanced belt is an example.

One of my instructor's great sayings is "It's OK to be frustrated when you spar anyone is this class but you should never be afraid to spar anyone in this class."

[kwang gae]

Do you mean that this is something that would not be allowed in other schools or that the beginners wouldn't be paired with EXPERIENCED people? i.e. do you mean this as a negative thing at our school or not :P
I suspect that a lot of schools would not be *always* pairing up experienced students with novices. For example our school is quite small, some classes we may have only 6 students. When it's time to spar we trade off so that everyone gets to spar everyone.

Ideally a white belt can learn more from sparring a red or black belt than say another white belt. But in practice, it seems to me, that just the experience of sparring is valuable, even if the two students are novices. A good student will still take a positive away from that experience.

[kwang gae]

There are a few Sparring Tip links on the net :) ... thought I would add here for resource reference


http://members.tripod.com/martial_arts_tips/ ... by Martial Arts Book Author-Adam Gibson

http://thewhitewolf.net/sparringtips.html

http://tkdtutor.com/13Sparring/Free-Sparring/Tips.htm

http://www.martialarts.org/media/articles/ar_sparringtips.html

http://www.teamtkd.net/spar.htm

http://www.turtlepress.com/info_sparring_tips.asp

I don't know how I missed this thread until now :confused: but I'd like to add my own humble site to that list TKD-sparring.com (http://www.tkd-sparring.com). I hope some may find it helpful.

[Counter]

I suspect that a lot of schools would not be *always* pairing up experienced students with novices. For example our school is quite small, some classes we may have only 6 students.

I think I didn't express myself very well there.. With beginners I meant people who are taking classes for less than a month, so really really really beginners. During that period they will be guided by a more experienced person, at least a few times. Neryo_tkd and me were discussing the usefulness of getting taught the basics by higher belts..
I've taken a look at your website as well, looks good! You give insights on both ITF and WTF style taekwondo, respect!

[neryo_tkd]

Do you mean that this is something that would not be allowed in other schools or that the beginners wouldn't be paired with EXPERIENCED people? i.e. do you mean this as a negative thing at our school or not :P


there are schools in which there aren't (many) competitors (or not at all), or schools where there aren't many members to begin with.

[guobin2]

For me, sparring depends primarily on your range of movement and your reaction time.

If you can't find an opening, you're going to have to create one. One move which I find quite useful is to spin, something like your standard 360 roundhouse or tornado kick, but instead of kicking you land. And spin again, around or towards the opponent. Spinning tends to confuse novices, or just people who aren't used to seeing a spin. It also helps to cover your movement- for example, when you're hammered into a corner and need to get out before being ringed out- spin your way around the opponent, preventing him from scoring as your movement.

Always practise your counter-attack drills. That's where most of your points are going to come from, unless you're really good at faking or extremely quick at attacking. Jumping roundhouse, back thrust, back hook, are all some great counter kicks to be used. However, you need to be able to recognize the incoming kick and initiate your counter before the opponent strikes you, so that would depend on your reaction speed (which, of course, can be built up to mere milliseconds by reptitive drills which sorta burn the movement into your instincts (:).

[Counter]

If you can't find an opening, you're going to have to create one. One move which I find quite useful is to spin, something like your standard 360 roundhouse or tornado kick, but instead of kicking you land. And spin again, around or towards the opponent. Spinning tends to confuse novices, or just people who aren't used to seeing a spin.
Well yeah, but you have a sharp and fast opponent, it's kinda risky. In general, you give your opponent a chance to score the moment you turn your back to him, you can't see him. If you can anticipate on his next action really fast you can try it, but it's risky.
You can also try to just switch, for instance from left front right rear to right front left rear. This will leave you less exposed than a full spin, but people will still try to take the chance to score when you switch. If you anticipate on that, you can make some nice counters. :)

[guobin2]

Hmm. Usually I try spinning quite close to the person if I'm using the spin to just move around, but yea, fast and sharp fighters could catch you in the back I suppose.

[Ty-00]

I spar ITF style, but this still applies.

1st time is a good shot
2nd time is a habit
3rd time is a mistake

If someone hits you once you have to deal with it, if they do the same thing again you should know what to look for, you make them regret trying in a third time. Same thing applies to you, don't present a habit to your opponent, they will eventually pick up on it and make you pay. Rhythm is the same, look for it and time your shots but don’t fall into it yourself. It makes you easy to read because your rhythm will change as you prepare to attack and this gives the attack away. If you break up your rhythm you can disguise shots a lot better.

[locust]

Listen, that is a great tip for anyone that spars whether it be WTF tournament sparring or sparring in class.

Yes, gear is cumbersome. It is something that you will get used to eventually. Actually when we train in class we spar without gear and with ... most prefer not to spar with gear hence it impedes your movement, but that is something you must learn to overcome if you are seriously training for tournies.

Yes, keep guard up at all times,.... work on your footwork (keep moving)!! RELAX and BREATHE!!!

Good Luck!

The first one in the ring to say i cant keep this up is usually the one who loses

[potlucky10]

My best advice would be to just keep sparring. That was the one thing I could not wait to do and still light up every time sparring class comes around.
Also try to spar as many Higher ranked belts as possible, they were in the same position as you were one day, and will teach you a lot.

[johntm]

Where to start? Learn to check, always follow up, don't move your front foot if you're about to rear leg kick. Look at the triangle formed from the shoulders and the solar plexus, that's the best way to tell if someone is about to move. Work on timing, get a good roundhouse kick on both legs(get good at variations of the roundhouse, suck as double roundhouse and hopstep, etc.), and don't be afraid to hit/get hit. Also, the headgear doesn't protect you from getting hit. It protects you from when you get hit, if you get knocked out so your head doesn't hit the ground too hard.