Punching people in the face; what could be more fun or educational? Sparring is a beautiful thing, but to reach it's full potential it's important to consider that it's not as simple as gearing up and going at it. In this guide I will address the finer points of sparring, how to get the most out of beating the hell out of each other and having fun doing it.
First, lets address the most important thing to consider when approaching any sparring session. Why are you sparring? Depending on your level of participation in martial arts/combat sports this will vary drastically any time you gear up. Fight preparation, trying to improve your skills, casually messing around with your training buddies, or just getting your feet wet and trying something new are just a few reasons for people to spar. You need to be aware of not only your own reasons for sparring but what your sparring partner is looking to get out of sparring. Depending on the answer for both you AND your partner, you are going to have to go about things differently. Always make sure you and the other person are clear on what you plan to get out of the sparring session, whether it be casual sparring or competitive, it's important that neither of you are taken by surprise.
So, the next thing we come to (and really this is every bit as important) is sparring etiquette. Obviously sparring involves two people having to interact with each other, so for this to work smoothly a certain etiquette has to be observed. One thing you see on bullshido is constant threads titled "How do you deal with hyper aggressive douchebag/incessant nose bleeding cry baby" or some other type of thread with people complaining about the way people spar. Etiquette is a fairly involved topic so I'm going to break things down into a few different elements.
Setting a pace Yes, it seems like a fairly simple thing, but it also seems to be the biggest thing people have problems with. My number one rule for this that I really think EVERYONE needs to follow is this: Every time you spar with a fresh partner (one you haven't sparred with during that particular session) START SLOW.
I know it may be difficult for some people who've already been sparring a few rounds with someone else and been bangin' away, but SLOW YOUR ASS DOWN. Start at the slowest pace and gradually pick up the pace as you get used to the new person. It's important that, even if you've sparred with someone before, you give yourself a chance to get used to them and give them a chance to get used to you. If your partner is comfortable upping the pace, then continue to do so at whatever pace they seem comfortable matching. One of the easiest ways to make your sparring partner not want to be your friend is to jump right in with a fast pace when they were still easing their way into sparring.
At the same token, if you know someone wants to get a little work in, put some pep in your step and be active. If you agree to spar with someone who you know is looking to get in there and really work, either get your ass in gear or know when to step aside. We all have a limited amount of time we get to spend in the ring so it's no fun having your time wasted by someone that wants to do slow motion play fighting when you're looking to really push yourself.
Sparring Gimmicks and Tricks Do yourself and everyone that spars with you a huge favor and save these for people you know. One of the quickest ways to piss off a new sparring partner who would happily have been your friend up to this point is to do some silly ass move you came up with from sparring your buddies. Sometimes people have cool tricks that they do that can be used to throw off opponents in fights and it's nice to get yourself acclimated to the weird shit people do... but more often than not it's some stupid ass "sparring trick" you've come up with which has little more than a "gotcha!" effect on your opponent. It's good silly fun to do this with your friends when just goofing off, but when sparring with someone you just met... just stick to the damn basics.
CLARIFICATION ON THE ABOVE: This is not to say you should never under any circumstances use gimmicks in your sparring. The above is referring to when sparring with people you don't know in order to solidify good relations with new partners. If sparring with people you train with all the time, feel free to be as gimmicky as you like since these people have probably already decided if you're a jerk or not. When sparring with people in preparation for a fight, however, do whatever techniques you think you will use regardless of whether or not you know them.
Establishing The Pecking Order Every time you spar with new people, probably the biggest thing going on in both of your minds is going to be "how do I rate?" Even if your intention in sparring isn't really to show what level of bad ass you are, demonstrating to a new person where your skills are at and judging their skills are going to be there.
My rule on this is that when you spar with someone you've never sparred with before it's time to do your best. You want to establish with each new person exactly how good you are, demonstrating your best technical ability and composure. That very first round or maybe first two or three rounds you should be totally focused on doing your absolute best. What this does NOT mean, however, is that you should go ballistic and pummel unsuspecting sparring partners who are looking for a nice casual round of sparring.
What I mean by this first and foremost is to demonstrate every ounce of your technical ability and focus. Don't "let" them hit you because you've decided they don't hit that hard or because you need to be generous and allow them some "free hits". Don't be lazy and only throw the occasional counter attack. Don't assume that your awesome skills are so obvious and apparent that you think you'll come off as much cooler if you barely try to fight back. If you demonstrate your ability by doing your technically best then you do yourself a favor by letting the other person know how good you are and you do them a favor by showing them the proper respect in giving them a good solid sparring match. The same rules apply for both ends.
First, lets address the most important thing to consider when approaching any sparring session. Why are you sparring? Depending on your level of participation in martial arts/combat sports this will vary drastically any time you gear up. Fight preparation, trying to improve your skills, casually messing around with your training buddies, or just getting your feet wet and trying something new are just a few reasons for people to spar. You need to be aware of not only your own reasons for sparring but what your sparring partner is looking to get out of sparring. Depending on the answer for both you AND your partner, you are going to have to go about things differently. Always make sure you and the other person are clear on what you plan to get out of the sparring session, whether it be casual sparring or competitive, it's important that neither of you are taken by surprise.
So, the next thing we come to (and really this is every bit as important) is sparring etiquette. Obviously sparring involves two people having to interact with each other, so for this to work smoothly a certain etiquette has to be observed. One thing you see on bullshido is constant threads titled "How do you deal with hyper aggressive douchebag/incessant nose bleeding cry baby" or some other type of thread with people complaining about the way people spar. Etiquette is a fairly involved topic so I'm going to break things down into a few different elements.
Setting a pace Yes, it seems like a fairly simple thing, but it also seems to be the biggest thing people have problems with. My number one rule for this that I really think EVERYONE needs to follow is this: Every time you spar with a fresh partner (one you haven't sparred with during that particular session) START SLOW.
I know it may be difficult for some people who've already been sparring a few rounds with someone else and been bangin' away, but SLOW YOUR ASS DOWN. Start at the slowest pace and gradually pick up the pace as you get used to the new person. It's important that, even if you've sparred with someone before, you give yourself a chance to get used to them and give them a chance to get used to you. If your partner is comfortable upping the pace, then continue to do so at whatever pace they seem comfortable matching. One of the easiest ways to make your sparring partner not want to be your friend is to jump right in with a fast pace when they were still easing their way into sparring.
At the same token, if you know someone wants to get a little work in, put some pep in your step and be active. If you agree to spar with someone who you know is looking to get in there and really work, either get your ass in gear or know when to step aside. We all have a limited amount of time we get to spend in the ring so it's no fun having your time wasted by someone that wants to do slow motion play fighting when you're looking to really push yourself.
Sparring Gimmicks and Tricks Do yourself and everyone that spars with you a huge favor and save these for people you know. One of the quickest ways to piss off a new sparring partner who would happily have been your friend up to this point is to do some silly ass move you came up with from sparring your buddies. Sometimes people have cool tricks that they do that can be used to throw off opponents in fights and it's nice to get yourself acclimated to the weird shit people do... but more often than not it's some stupid ass "sparring trick" you've come up with which has little more than a "gotcha!" effect on your opponent. It's good silly fun to do this with your friends when just goofing off, but when sparring with someone you just met... just stick to the damn basics.
CLARIFICATION ON THE ABOVE: This is not to say you should never under any circumstances use gimmicks in your sparring. The above is referring to when sparring with people you don't know in order to solidify good relations with new partners. If sparring with people you train with all the time, feel free to be as gimmicky as you like since these people have probably already decided if you're a jerk or not. When sparring with people in preparation for a fight, however, do whatever techniques you think you will use regardless of whether or not you know them.
Establishing The Pecking Order Every time you spar with new people, probably the biggest thing going on in both of your minds is going to be "how do I rate?" Even if your intention in sparring isn't really to show what level of bad ass you are, demonstrating to a new person where your skills are at and judging their skills are going to be there.
My rule on this is that when you spar with someone you've never sparred with before it's time to do your best. You want to establish with each new person exactly how good you are, demonstrating your best technical ability and composure. That very first round or maybe first two or three rounds you should be totally focused on doing your absolute best. What this does NOT mean, however, is that you should go ballistic and pummel unsuspecting sparring partners who are looking for a nice casual round of sparring.
What I mean by this first and foremost is to demonstrate every ounce of your technical ability and focus. Don't "let" them hit you because you've decided they don't hit that hard or because you need to be generous and allow them some "free hits". Don't be lazy and only throw the occasional counter attack. Don't assume that your awesome skills are so obvious and apparent that you think you'll come off as much cooler if you barely try to fight back. If you demonstrate your ability by doing your technically best then you do yourself a favor by letting the other person know how good you are and you do them a favor by showing them the proper respect in giving them a good solid sparring match. The same rules apply for both ends.
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