Sparring Tips!

Discussion in 'Tae Kwon Do Resources' started by TigerAnsTKDLove, Dec 31, 2003.

  1. enlwlffo

    enlwlffo New Member

    lol
    the WTF rules have completely made sparring into a sport,
    when i first started taekwondo, the master used old school rules, so it actually felt like real fighting, and when i implemented taekwondo into my street fighting it worked very well

    also, btw, i wasn't saying you should keep your arms down
    everyone has their own thing that works, just experiment with different things
     
  2. LeadLegger

    LeadLegger New Member

    Actually in street fights people don't put their hands up, and it probably wouldn't help anyway (at least in Alabama lol) since the average street fighter will probably blitz, so your best chance in a street fight is to hit him first, and blitz him before he blitzes you
     
  3. basf12

    basf12 Valued Member

    just relax

    just relax the equipment u wear only reduce injuries
    and if u are just a beginner just concentrate on turning kicks because it is
    a good
    attacking and defensive technique and when u attack try using combination turning kicks
    when u are retreating or on a defensive mode try kicking back your opponent and dont let yourself being a football that u are being kick around
     
  4. enlwlffo

    enlwlffo New Member

    yea this is true
    i never keep my hands up in fights
    my hands are at my sides but ready
     
  5. Din

    Din 3rd dan

    the gear can be heavy when you start getting tired but it wont distract your view as long as you wear the proper headgear.the make sure you get a chest protector that is the correct size or it may impare your kicks. if you can get your hands on the gear try practicing you kicks in it ... this will help you to get use to kicking with the chest protector and groin guard on.
    for the sparring part i think you got great tips already.
    so good luck and train hard
     
  6. Guy Mendiola

    Guy Mendiola New Member

    I do olympic sparring also and I really like how when every student sparrs me like higher belts they kick me in my shin and I gave some of them bruises due to the fact that I was in Muay Thai and the students thought that yeah this is a begginner and they say I was going to be easy but the first time I sparred I Muay Thai Roundhouse a orange belt and it was in the mid section and not below the belt so yes we had gear on but the orange belt went flying back so yes I do have previous martial arts experience and Muay Thai will help me a lot in TKD, The main thing is usually focused on is kicking with the feet and that was weird when the first time I sparred in TKD but hey some advice just focused on the opponent's legs and what kind of kick he/she will throw at you and do some combos if you know any, Try doing a mutiple roundhouse it's sorta like what you see in most WTF sparring matches and really flashy it's like doing it fast but I don't know what that technique is exactly called.
     
  7. LeadLegger

    LeadLegger New Member

    What is a Muay Thai Roundhouse? How is it different from the TKD roundhouse?
     
  8. Mujuk Striker

    Mujuk Striker New Member

    Ah, I love seeing all these KoF avatars... anyway to sparring....

    I find the chest guard a little restricting on torque from my body (maybe it's just cause I was too small, or the guard too big) so I preferred lead leg kicks to the midsection of my opponent. It's very safe, closes the gap, and is usually a whole lot faster than a rear kick, especially in the case of a sidekick.

    Also, don't let your opponent keep backing you up. This is usually a problem with beginners sparring experienced opponents, and that could affect your style of fighting (often for the worse). Learn to start an attack as well as counter.
     
  9. HitNRun

    HitNRun New Member

    The post from Thomas has basically everything you need to know. I would repeat, it is very important to keep your hands up.

    In my opinion, the most important gear items are the mouth piece and shin guards. Even if you do non-contact sparring, when you hit someone with your shin, you will feel it.

    I very rarely use a chest protector, but almost all of the females in my school use them everytime. As Thomas said, it is better to get out of the way than to expect a piece of gear to protect you. An unsupported down block will not do anything to stop a strong roundhouse kick. "C" step and "D" step away from your oponents kicks, followed by a lead leg kick or jab is a good easy move. Look at your opponets face or upper body, not his legs. If you look at his legs, he will pound you with his fists, if you look at his fists, he will pound you with his legs. Read his intentions by looking at his face. This is why it is called an "art".

    When sparring, a rear leg kick (such as a rear leg roundhouse) or reverse punch is not a good first move. Neither is a spinning any kind of kick. Practice your jab and lead leg kicks, it will help a lot. Simple is better. If you want to throw a rear leg roundhouse or spinning hook, make it a part of a combination, (at the end of the combination). For example: lead leg snap kick, spinning back kick. A good side kick is your best friend when you spar.

    To me, sparring is the best part of TKD. I love it when after warm-up SBN barks out "all right, bow out and get your gear on". In the school I attend, on the nights we spar, we will do 5 to 7 (3 minute non-stop) rounds full contact. Sometimes, we will do 5 minute rounds. This is a workout! Not everyone in my school likes to spar. I have noticed that most of the females in my school are decient fighters. There is one girl in the adult class, she is 16 years old and very quiet- never says a word. When she spars, she comes at you like a freight train. This young lady -I refer to as the class "sleeper" because when we are not sparring, you cannot even tell that she is in the room. But she will kick yer * if you are not carefull. She is testing for BB in May.

    If you do contact sparring, sooner or later, you will get hurt, so be prepared. Sparring adds the element of stress into the workout. I'm surprised that you are a Purple Belt and have not put yer gear on yet. My daughter was contact sparring at age 6 or 7, yellow belt. She actually got a fat lip the first TKD class she ever took. Let me tell you, today, that cute little girl with the big smile knows how to open up a can of whoop *!

    PS. keep your feet moving.
     
    Last edited: Feb 29, 2004
  10. LeadLegger

    LeadLegger New Member

    some of the best fighters keep their distance, let the person blitz (and miss), then come back with a great counter, like Muhammid Ali, for example. Those fighters are fun to watch.
     
  11. gumby

    gumby New Member

    I couldn't agree with you more. My shins are sensitive and even with shin guards they get bruised. It also is nice for your partner too if you're wearing shin guards. When I block someone's kick I can always tell if they have shin guards on or not. My arms sometimes show it too. :p

    As for sparring tips, my main one would be don't be afraid to be agressive sometimes. When I first started I was terrified of being hit and would always back up. Now I'm not afraid to get up to people real close and attack, it makes it harder for them to kick you that way. I used to be so afraid to spar some people and now people are afraid to spar me. Muhahaha. :Angel: Not really, but getting hit doesn't phase me much now. So don't be afraid to be agressive and get in there and fight, it helps a lot.
     
  12. neryo_tkd

    neryo_tkd Valued Member

    being scared doesn't have any place at a competition. what a person said once: leave the feeling of being scared in the locker room.
     
  13. narcsarge

    narcsarge Masticated Whey

    Great post. Fear has it's place, but not in sparring. Fear of being hit can only be overcome by getting hit and getting over it. As practitioners in the Martial Arts, we all live with some sort of nagging little injury. Right now my cuticle on my big toe bleeds every time we are kicking targets. Oh well. At sparring practice this week we were practicing push kicks and counters without pads. The black belt I was sparring, who is excellent in competitions, was afraid to put much force behind his kicks with me. I had to reassure him that it was ok for him to put some energy behind the drills so he could "feel" the movement and that he was not going to hurt me. Take note of your fear. Accept it. And then leave it behind.
     
  14. tekkengod

    tekkengod the MAP MP

    i have the secret! theres this big red/blue dot, ok. now, you can't miss it, cause its on this 2 inch thick piece of kevlar body armor, that the guy is BOUND to be wearing, now, aim for the big dot on the kevlar. :D
     
  15. KickChick

    KickChick Valued Member

  16. narcsarge

    narcsarge Masticated Whey

    Great Links KC! I may have to print some of them out and give them to the students in our sparring class!
     
  17. Srewolf21

    Srewolf21 New Member

    enjoy

    I think the main thing You can do is to enjoy sparing a lot of people get nerves the first time they spare and from time to time after that if your having fun your relax and if you relax your spare better.

     

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  18. neryo_tkd

    neryo_tkd Valued Member

    what i don't find good is when instructors introduce sparring at a very very early stage. how can they spar when they don't know how to move or perform the techniques?!
     
  19. ronaldk

    ronaldk Valued Member

    things i did to get used to gear: did a full training session with all of it on. hogu, shin guards, fore-arm guards and cup. not the helmet, cuz thats pretty easy to get used to. did everything from basic drills to flying sidekicks with the hogu on, and even asked some class mates to kick me in different places so i could get a feel for the hits.

    getting used to your cup is VERY important, as if you just wear it when you're gonna spar, you'll be really uncomfortable. i did a couple sessions with it on, and my movibility is almost unaffected now.

    tips:

    (i'm a noob compared to most, but here goes)

    1) STAY CALM! remember your techniques. don't just go running around like a headless chicken.
    2) fake a lot, and follow it up with an attack, or another fake. just keep 'em guessing.
    3) notice when he is faking a lot.
    4) try to find a midpoint of power for your 'opening' hits. i wouldn't recommend hitting full force on a kick you only have a 50/50 chance of landing. not to mention, if the kick is at half force and he jumps out of the way, you'll be in enough control to restructure your attack and catch him in mid-move (i love nailing a front push-kick on someone in the middle of an escape).
    5) don't over-complicate things. sometimes a front kick to the face is all you need for a KO. just as well, don't over simplify. a pair of airborne (don't jump too high, just enough) roundhouse kicks is a great opener.
    6) NEVER just throw 1 hit. either attack, or move out of his range.
    7) back kicks are great counters for roundhouses. front push-kicks are great counters for back kicks. a proper lean in punch to the midsection, with the proper footwork, is a great counter for anything.
    8) when up close, use your punch to cause damage, score points, and push your opponent out of balance and just far out enough to nail him with your foot.
    9) kicking the chest area (above the abdomen) will give you points, but won't hurt them anywhere near as much as the stomach or ribs. not to mention, if you can kick them there, might as well go for the head. you can purposely use power kicks (back or side kick, for instance) to the chest to go for a knockdown, which gives you 1 point, and takes 1 off of their score.
    10) cont. of 9): TRY NOT TO FALL! falling in order to make a point is stupid, as the point will be taken away. only do it if the hit will really hurt them, or will be a KO.
    11) fast spinning hook kicks are your friend.
     
  20. neryo_tkd

    neryo_tkd Valued Member

    regarding faking, well, i don't recommend it if you don't know what you're doing and what you're trying to accomplish, because it might backfire with an experienced opponent.
     

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