From sparring to kata based?

OK, so for health reasons (joint damage and concussions) I need to stop training with contact. This is a difficult decision, and one that has taken some time to make. I'm quite competitive, and still believe that sparring is the core of developing effective skills. But I'm wondering about transitioning to kata based training or something similar. Has anybody done this, and do they have any advice?

 

I think that depends, can you make any contact? It's light contact an option?

I went for regular sparring, every session, then the club direction changed to mostly wushu, and sparring was non existent for a year.
It drove me insane and I looked elsewhere.
A few times I have gone from kickboxing based clubs, when changing location and schedule to try out a few clubs which were pretty much form only and no of work and I really didn't like it as it felt like I wasn't learning, just "sequencing" moves I knew into different orders.

If you are ok with just that, and can accept the minimal martial art benefit, then it could work?

 

Sorry to hear that mate! Must be a tough but necessary decision.

I haven't done it, and feel the same as you. My only advice would be to try and find new enjoyment in the martial arts aside from functional ability or to perhaps look into something which still has pragmatic functionality but is based more in tactile sensitivity and low impact training: perhaps some form of TCMA like xingyi?

(I'm sure elmedico will be around to pick my TCMA statement apart soon enough )

 

If you have done forms before and are going back because you like doing them or are looking for a low impact workout whilst understanding doing them is one of the most inefficient ways to learn to fight then I don't see a problem, but you can't get good at fighting without fighting and doing predetermined set patterns in thin air isn't really going to help you, it depends on what you are looking for really, what level of contact can you do, is pad work out, is grappling out, can you do weapons work, if not Maybe its time to find a new hobby

 

Thanks for the comments. To expand on my concerns - wear and tear to knuckles has made gripping a gi very wearing (and the issue is degenerative so I’m trying to avoid making it worse). I can punch fine in boxing gloves with wrapped hands, but I’m also at increased risk of neurodegenerative disease (Alzheimer’s, dementia etc), so I’m keen to reduce any head impact to a minimum (as that is a risk factor I can control). So nothing is ruled out, but At 45 I have an eye on making it to 75 in reasonable shape.

HEMA and kata are the two ideas I’m thinking about at moment

 

Sounds like you have multiple options before settling for Kata though? Hope about no go grappling, Kali or escrima with padded stick sparring? No headshot sparring found in a few karate schools. Why are none of these an option for you?

 

They could be options, if there was anybody doing these things near me. I’m just looking for ideas and weapons are definitely a possibility.

 

BASINGSTOKE CLASS TIMES

Here are some Nogi classes near you.

 

If you like contact I recommend BJJ. As a long time judoka who loves judo, I definitely don’t recommend it to someone looking to tone it down. You really can’t learn effective judo without hitting the ground a lot. With BJJ if you find a place where people aren’t constantly trying to crush you- which at least in California is most places if you just ask- you can still develop a pretty good skill set while mostly avoiding a lot of pain.

Another idea, since you mentioned kata, is to change the type of sparring. I’ve been training at a shotokan club for the past year or so where they have two types of kumite, continuous and ippon. Continuous is more like kickboxing where ippon is point fighting. At first I hated ippon and stayed away from it but one thing I noticed from people who practiced both was the ippon guys were really good at covering distance, landing clean shots and getting back out, once they got used to not stopping so much.

So I think there’s value in light contact point style sparring, especially if you’re already used to heavier sparring.

I bring it up because I recently saw this...



I hope to move that well at 70+ myself.

 

Thanks Bohemian- as aaradia says the joint wear from gi work is an issue, and the last concussion I got was from being double legged hard. Agree re judo, but no gi might be an option

And those karateka are an inspiration!

 

Sorry, I wasn’t clear. I meant no gi, but totally forgot to type that. For some reason I thought I had.

Don’t you just automatically know what I’m thinking?!

 

+1 to no-gi BJJ: a reasonable option for grapple training without having much gripping at all (usually your hand gripping your other hand, or a c-grip on your opponent).

If you want to train striking, you could see if very light sparring/play sparring exacerbates your medical issues. I've trained at gyms where that is the vast majority of the sparring they do (vs heavier sparring). With technical/play sparring, basically no power at all is put into the strikes, it is just mostly-at-full-speed touch contact.

 

I'd suggest some filipino martial arts (can be done without contact, has lots of depth and variation (stick, knife, empty hand, dumog, panantukan, pananjakman, etc) BUT the hand/knuckle issues might take a bashing (both literally and from stick twirling).

 

Personally ice always been in terms Ted in la canne. Looks fun and light-ish

 

I suspect that one of the reasons that the progression in practising traditional Chinese martial arts is from external to internal is because of ageing.

Hung gar starts off with an emphasis on the external but moves to an emphasis on internal muscular, tendon, strenght health, and good body mechanics.

If you are interested in practical fighting but with a training regiment that allows you to opt out of getting punched in the head, hung gar, or baguwa, or possibly flower boxing, or dragon boxing, would be a good fit, in fact most tradditional Chinese arts that use the five animal hands contain a combination of forms work, drills and techniques that include striking, gi and no gi, grappling, throwing and down fighting. five animal grappling contains grips using the fingers and or thumbs. but also many friction and hooking grips. so there are plenty of techniques that work even if your hands are weaker/ more vulnerable due to joint difficulties.