Hand Targets only sparring: Threat or Menace?

**Gulogod** · Posted On: 6/30/2009 7:38am

Originally Posted by k_raben

What about the live hand?

After a few classes I had the students hand sparring with soft sticks. The second group of students realized that they could also attack the live hand and after that we had people going for both hands. It changed it up as they then tried to find an opening where they could attack the far hand. Also, after getting hit a couple of times some of the students changed to their left hand. I think it also helped them understand keeping their live hand ready but close to the body.

Aluminum knife sparring one night a guy had his live hand out and I tapped it with my knife. He looked at his hand, then me, then pulled his hand in and we kept going.

Both hands weaponed and live, are valid targets and if your opponent lean back a lot then his legs and knees should become valid targets. If your opponent "hide" his hands too much, poke him a little bit so he'll realize he's not really defending anything.

**bluesbassist** · Posted On: 7/06/2009 4:29pm

I like to introduce hand hunting (to both hands) early on with noobs, like the first or second session. Since the weapon hand is typically the closest target it will always be important to be able to hit it. Watching live stick matches from the PI recently I noticed that the champion used many redondos to the weapon hand quite effectively. That said I have my beginners move on to including other targets as well as counter-for-counter drills pretty quickly. But as an introduction to sparring in the early stages I like hand hunting.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 7/07/2009 3:55pm

I've been playing around with using a high backhand to force a block, then using an abanico to the hand as soon as the sticks touch each other. It's been working pretty well.

**selfcritical** · Posted On: 7/07/2009 5:15pm

Tip-up block, I assume?

**Permalost** · Posted On: 7/08/2009 12:09am

Originally Posted by selfcritical

Tip-up block, I assume?

Yeah, seems like with a tip down block they could counter with a better attack than mine.

**selfcritical** · Posted On: 7/08/2009 12:16am

Yeah, unless they have a habit of dropping to a low backhand chamber immediately after every deflection.

Not like anyone has posted videos like that recently.

**Jacknate** · Posted On: 8/20/2009 12:39am

I like doing it first thing in a sparring session. As long as everyone stays honest. If one person is fighting normally and the other guy is "hiding" his target it just becomes a waste of time for both. Can be a bit frustrating if it goes on too long. Otherwise, I think its very helpful to remind me of the closest target