I was wondering if anyone finds it easier to spar with someone they know over someone they didn't know. I recently just one a match against someone I didn't know but it was by luck because he punched me in the face so he lost a point and they gave me a point which cause me to win. Although I think the problem might also be that I'm too use to holding back when I spar with friends and that it carried over into my match. I noticed I was about to hit my opponent in the head with a round house kick but I slowed down right before giving him enough time to move up and hit me in the face. Although I'm pretty good for my level from what everyone tells me, I just don't like to hurt people so I always hold back when sparing. Actually the only time I wont hold back as much is when someone hurts someone I care about. (I'm really live Vash from Trigun in many ways lol.) So what advice would anyone give me to help me train to not hold back so much, or to actually connect with my technique?
Are you sparring semi-contact? I find this kind of hesitancy to be symptomatic of semi-contact/light continuous sparring. When I used to spar under those rules there was always an underlying sense of reluctance to my strikes engendered by the fear of point deduction for 'excessive contact'. If not that then maybe enter more open comps outside of your training group to get used to unleashing more on opponants who are unfamiliar?
Well when I spar friends its just for fun, but yes the match is point spar semi contact, at i was afraid of hitting to hard, so that might also have something to do with it also.
I used to have this problem in tournaments, because once I got out into the ring I would feel all the pressure and everything would feel like it was closing in around me. The result was that I lost a lot of my fighting will. All I wanted to do was get the fight over with and stay alive p). It continued until one match where I got third place, which made me very upset because I knew I could have won. I resolved to win no matter what the next match, and when that time came around I kept telling myself that I was going to win no matter what. When I went into the ring I fought two opponents in a row and only one of them got a point once. I felt great. Try telling yourself "I'm going to win this match! I'm going to dominate my opponent and win this match!" and imagine yourself with the trophy/medal after the match feeling great. Also, I have a problem with some of my fellow students sparring intensity too (not all, just some), and I suggest that you just ask them to fight you hard. In my situation, there are people I fight hard and there are people I fight lightly. Just find someone way better then you and ask them to fight you hard. I guarantee you'll improve! I hope that helps!
They would all agree, but me, I just just don't like to hurt people, someone of my friends the only way I could beat them is by going all out. Maybe that will teach me more control, or would you recommend me training with some someone who will force me to go all out, because they wont hold back?
yeah visualisation works wonders... I'm continually trying to visualise my threesome with Monica Bellucci and Denise Miliani however success has eluded me so far! :hat:
I think if you up the contact gradually among your friends (you can add extra safty gear if you like) it might make you less hesitant... you don't have to go tooth and nail. you won't hurt anyone seriously if you are sensible with it. I think just entering more comps (against strangers) and making an effort to really try and commit to the win will help too.
Okay, I'll be sure to try the visualization like Patrick recommended and trying to spar my friends more and uping it a little each time.
I like the idea of sparring strangers using about 3/4 contact, enough to let you know you've been tagged but not enough to really hurt much....
Yeah, good advice. You could even just box to minmise injurys. 16oz gloves, decent gumshields and headguards, and go full contact. Try not too knock each other out though, if you hurt someone with a good shot give them a few seconds to recover. Keep it friendly A whole different ballgame to semi contact, and a bit of a shock at first. Highly recomended though
In addition to what the other members have already suggested, I suggest that you find someone who is so much more advanced then you that you have to go all out to merely stay alive. I find that it often stimulates development!
Different situations do call for different attitudes. For sparring purposes: Visualize. Try to set your fears or whatever that feeling that makes you hold back aside. Set yourself a single goal for each round of sparring. Remember,when you hold back your strike you're boosting the training partner's confidence. Your comfort level will come with time.
If you are sparring in a competition that is semi-contact than don't focus on the hitting hard end of things. You do not need to "hurt" your opponent to win. Focus on the fast and finesse end of things. If you throw proper combination techniques to make your opponents guard open up, then you should be able to tag them and get your points. Remember this is a game, a sport, not a "fight". I have been competing in semi-contact for about 10 years now and I love it. It's not that you can't hit hard, its just that when you hit hard you have proper techniques. If your opponent is running in and you end up connecting more than that fine line between what is to hard and what is not, than you are defending yourself therefore will not be called on excessive contact. After discussing the contact matter with some of the members of the Umpire committee for the ITF as long as your technique is not thrown with emotion or the intent to hurt (and is a legal technique) you will most likely not be called. But it depends entirely on the center official you are with.
Sparring with your friends at your dojang allows you to work on your combinations, clean up your technique and close up your defense. However, the occasional sparring session with strangers helps you try out what you "perfected" on people who don't expect it, so it's a great way to gauge your progress. What you do at your dojang isn't competition and shouldn't really be viewed as such. You and your fellow students just help each other get better.
