when to start sparring

**Omar** · Posted On: 6/13/2003 9:09pm

Feed them to the blackbelts.

Absolutely, although I suspect my reasons may be a bit different from what's implied.

If a new student comes throught the door with little or no experience I can pretty much hit them at will and there's no real point to being competitive with them. I like to either contiuosly feed them a low level attack or encourage them to keep trying to hit me and see how little movement I can use to protect myself. Often it's fun to use onyl footwork to defend or to keep trying to get all the way behind the newbie. In this way, we aren't really sparring. It's more like I'm coaching. Begginers should always be paired up with 'black belts' or the equivalent. If two begginers spar, it's just a wast of time in most cases.

The earlier they can get sparring with someone with nothing to prove, the better.

BAH ! Puny Humans !

**Phoenix** · Posted On: 6/13/2003 9:23pm

"Actually, Id say that the blackbelts are the ones in danger. Often martial arts works backwards and DECREASES skill. Let the bbs handle the n00bs to stay sharp."

That is so true. If you ever go to MA tournaments, you're probably likely to see more injuries and "blood" in the beginner ranks than you will in BB tournaments. I think it has alot to do with control.

I'm a firm believer in luck. I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. - Thomas Jefferson

**PizDoff** · Posted On: 6/13/2003 9:30pm

"Often it's fun to use onyl footwork to defend or to keep trying to get all the way behind the newbie. In this way, we aren't really sparring. It's more like I'm coaching. Begginers should always be paired up with 'black belts' or the equivalent. If two begginers spar, it's just a wast of time in most cases. "

THAT's NOT SPARRING!!! THAT'S PLAYIN WITH YOUR FOOD!!!!! RARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!

"Actually, Id say that the blackbelts are the ones in danger. Often martial arts works backwards and DECREASES skill. Let the bbs handle the n00bs to stay sharp."
in a lot of today's clown tap fighting schools...

--
Hard work, Patience, Dedication.

**Blad3** · Posted On: 6/13/2003 10:05pm

when to start sparring

Day one, your first lesson without question.

You don't spar you aren't learning how to fight, or use the system (assuming it's possible to effectively use.) It's as if the entire lesson was wasted almost, although going a day or two without sparring (when you first start) may be okay (just to get you started), but you should start from day one.

"Wrestling is the Martial Art of America";
"If you don't know how to wrestle you don't know how to fight, that's the prerequisite to fighting" David Tank Abbott

Edited by - Blade Windu on June 13 2003 22:14:06

**patfromlogan** · Posted On: 6/14/2003 6:37pm

In Wado-ru it was after a month or two and I remember feeling so stupid trying to spar a high ranked Japanese champion and he gave me a kinda sad smile and tried to tell me in his crummy English just to do it, do what I could do, do what I had learned (because ofcourse he could have kicked me thru the wall-it's called practice dumb white belt).

In Kyokushin they spar first lesson. I think you might as well, if you have a punch or two and a
kick, try 'em out. Atleast you start to learn distancing and timing, which, by the way, is what is learned from point sparring. And that is good to learn. And screw you if you flame me for my opinion because I've done it all; point (which at it's worst becomes light tag-but watch it at it's best like in a Wado tourney; they call it point, but they only call good hits), light contact, full contact, wrestling, and mma nhb'd which I'm rather sucky at, but what the hell, my lack of submission knowledge is not resulting from point sparring. I think point sparring and Kyokushin training actually complemented each other to produce decent striking skills; distance, speed, and power. Oh, I used to say to the guys who did striking and wrestling (jj or judo belted and karate) when they asked what goes, that I'd go for traditional Japanese karate type sparring (strikes, clinching, takedowns, no wrestling) but after reading this fucking forum even an old karate dude like me is convinced that mma is where it's at.

And as one of the Korean masters said in a recent BB, well you always say you'll go light and use control, but then things get going and people get more excited.

**Sensei Mak** · Posted On: 6/14/2003 6:40pm

Actually, Id say that the blackbelts are the ones in danger. Often martial arts works backwards and DECREASES skill. Let the bbs handle the n00bs to stay sharp.

"If martial arts are about sex, the kata must be masturbation." Fighty McGee

agreed

Train to Fight and put everything into it.

**patfromlogan** · Posted On: 6/14/2003 6:51pm

What arts decrease fighting skill with practice?
In my case I got fucked up before I practiced karate. After some practice I learned how to kick and punch and except for one unfortunate drunken time taking on a college line backer, it's seemed to work just fine.
I can kinda see it for something like no contact TKD, but most schools I've worked out with mix it up pretty hard.

**Omar** · Posted On: 6/14/2003 9:42pm

"Often it's fun to use onyl footwork to defend or to keep trying to get all the way behind the newbie. In this way, we aren't really sparring. It's more like I'm coaching. Begginers should always be paired up with 'black belts' or the equivalent. If two begginers spar, it's just a wast of time in most cases. "

THAT's NOT SPARRING!!! THAT'S PLAYIN WITH YOUR FOOD!!!!! RARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!

"Actually, Id say that the blackbelts are the ones in danger. Often martial arts works backwards and DECREASES skill. Let the bbs handle the n00bs to stay sharp."
in a lot of today's clown tap fighting schools...

--
Hard work, Patience, Dedication.

After my sig., I have nothing to add.

BAH ! Puny Humans !