How do you motivate training partners

**BudoBuyu** · Posted On: 11/24/2005 3:27pm

I have this same problem in my class. There's a 3rd dan in Karate in there who refuses to hit hard at all. He *thinks* he's going to hurt someone, but even when I say, "Come on man, I'm not a wuss, GIMME THE HEATER RICK!" he throws these wussy Krotty punches and pulls them. Does the same thing with a kick.

I don't really know if he has it in him to hit hard. I love him to death and he's a really good friend, he just won't hit.

I've tried everything I know to get him to hit, but he just throws faster punches. Oh well.

**Blooming lotus** · Posted On: 11/25/2005 8:56pm

Originally Posted by odacon

If someone goes light against me, I take advantage. If that doesn't annoy them into hitting harder, then they are probably are just not interested in that type of sparring.

I just re-read the last couple of pages of this thread and I think this is true to some agree myself. Aalthough I likely wouldn't 'attack' will full force sparring against someone new or that I didn't think could reasonably deal with it, I would definately up the strength I blocked with and the speed I countered with to try to encourage them to pull out something else.... from my experience ( and particularly as a small fml most men don't like to initially play so hard with until they forget and just have the spar) doing that is a reeeally good way to assess a person ( in terms of both skill aand willingness ) and get them to respond to a point where it's worth doing. Even if they aare wuss bags, if you block hard enough, they know they can't really whinge about it and usually they'll give you something back to smile about ;) :D.....

Something worth baring in mind anyway.

cheers

Blooming Lotus

**Nid** · Posted On: 11/25/2005 8:58pm

Short answer: a yardstick with a needle on the end.

**ojgsxr6** · Posted On: 2/16/2006 3:24am

Well I can't sleep and I thought I'd give an update: The guy who couldn't be motivated quit. We now have two new students a BJJ Purple/Judo Black Belt who has at least 6 inches on me and 30lbs and an another Judo brown who has at least a foot on me and about 20lbs. This is in addition to the other Judo brown belt who is about 5'11" 240lbs and picks me up off the floor with one hand after he throws me. So long story short, I'm now the class wimp.

**mullet** · Posted On: 2/16/2006 3:32am

This is very strange.

At my gym, sparring is usually an all-out war (between beginners) and between competitive fighters it's still a war but with actual technique.

People get TKOed, broken noses etc every time there is sparring. We haven't had one person come in who didn't want to take the other guys head clean off; maybe these sorts of people stick to TKD or Karate or something.

**fanatical** · Posted On: 2/16/2006 3:42am

broken noses EVERY time? haha. Yeah ok

**ojgsxr6** · Posted On: 2/16/2006 1:24pm

Originally Posted by mullet

This is very strange.

At my gym, sparring is usually an all-out war (between beginners) and between competitive fighters it's still a war but with actual technique.

People get TKOed, broken noses etc every time there is sparring. We haven't had one person come in who didn't want to take the other guys head clean off; maybe these sorts of people stick to TKD or Karate or something.

Translation: I don't train in a style that spars.

**Judah Maccabee** · Posted On: 2/17/2006 8:13pm

Originally Posted by mullet

This is very strange.

At my gym, sparring is usually an all-out war (between beginners) and between competitive fighters it's still a war but with actual technique.

People get TKOed, broken noses etc every time there is sparring. We haven't had one person come in who didn't want to take the other guys head clean off; maybe these sorts of people stick to TKD or Karate or something.

Broken noses, my fucking ass. I've boxed at a gym for 4 years that trains amateur and pro fighters (Carl Davis), and no one has ever gotten their nose broken.

**mullet** · Posted On: 2/18/2006 12:08pm

Now I re-read my post it really sounds wrong.

People don't get broken noses every time we spar. But TKO's are very common and bloodied noses occur almost every time there is sparring.

I dunno how you could spar for 4 years and not have somebody break a nose. Your fighters must have 0 power, or you spar half-heartedly or something.

**Judah Maccabee** · Posted On: 2/18/2006 3:52pm

I dunno how you could spar for 4 years and not have somebody break a nose. Your fighters must have 0 power, or you spar half-heartedly or something.

They spar smartly. They get bloody noses and bruises a plently, plus broken hands for some of the people there who didn't wrap right. But never a broken nose.