so, anyone wanna give me hints for sparring? :D

[danielson]

other than keep my guard up

i know a lot of it will come with practise....but i was hoping i could by pass some un-necessary pain and ask a couple of questions on here (its a striking style but it has a few joint locks in it etc)

• i've been watching a lot of muay-thai fights and kickboxing in prep. for it, and a lot of the time one fighter will completely overwhelm another by throwing lots of attacks, basically bludgeoning the other guy into submission. if your on the recieving end, what tactics may help you get out of the situation other than withdrawing
• how do you avoid telegraphing kicks, other than trying to make them more explosive
• do you find kicks with a lot of power in them may leave you a bit more prone as you find it harder to snap your body back into your stance
• when do you work in any combo's...after a succesful hit (like a jab) or even if its been blocked go in with a cross, which might leave you more open

if any of this is something i should learn myself just say just thought id post it

 

[Thaibox]

This is what I would do for your questions...

-Don't withdraw. The whole idea behind muay thai is advancement. Thats why it is so devastating, because its unexpected. Think about it...when you attack an opponent, you expect him to withdraw or defend, right? Do you expect him to attack? If he does, it will catch you off guard. I'm not saying to continuously attack, but mix it up(feel him out), and have attacks as your main defense.


-Never stop moving your feet. Faint(fake) as much as needed. Get your opponent use to your feet moving, so its more difficult for him to see it coming.

-No. Follow through with the powerful kicks. That way there is no snapping back(creating the reversal of power and difficulty) even if you miss.

-Hmmm, not sure I understand your question on this one but I'll try. Personally, I usually work in combos after I have felt my opponent out a little, learning what his reactions are to different things and how he thinks. If its a good combo, it won't leave you open becuase whatever is going to potentially "leave you open" is going to be immediately followed by something else covering your opening and countering anything he may do to take advantage of it.

Sparring is great, especially if you're training with someone more experienced than yourself. Have fun with it, mix things up, never repeat your actions unless you're setting him up, just flow with him and you'll do good.

 

[danielson]

BRILLIANT REPLY!!!

thanx dude.....that helped a lot

hes got 4 years experience on me and is an instructor. i suppose it will be a learning experience

 

[RiverRun]

I am still an amateur in martial arts, although I am learning more every day...

One of my training colleagues taught me to punch my way out of a confrontation by circling out of the engagement, rather than fighting head-on... for example, if the opponent is punching/kicking at you face to face, you would turn your body and work your way around the person, rather than letting him/her hit you head-on. Of course they will continue to turn toward you, but you can gradually take the offensive

It doesn't sound very effective, but I can assure you that it helps to distract the opponent, as well as shift the angle of attack just enough that attacks may be deflected.... by continuing to shift away (punching throughout), you can also get a few jabs in and maybe a point or two (if this is a competition).

As for training with a more experienced person, I wholly agree... I prefer it. However, you can always learn froma younger person, because you never know what little bits of wisdom and technique they have picked up along the way.... Even my instructor says "teach me" to his students at the beginning of each class...

 

[Thaibox]

However, you can always learn froma younger person, because you never know what little bits of wisdom and technique they have picked up along the way.... Even my instructor says "teach me" to his students at the beginning of each class...

I've taught a lot of people formaly and informally, and I definately agree. Sometimes a fresh mind will ask a simple question about an attack/counter/defense/situation etc., that I just haven't thought of, or they'll throw in some unthought of variable, that makes me go.....ummm...damn, lets sit down and think about that for a while. Then we will drill it hundreds of times until I'm confident we have come up with the best solution. I have definately learned things from people that I have taught.

 

[Spanky11]

I think alot of it takes time. I don't know how long you have been training for, but it took me a while to actually get over the fear of being hit, and/or overwhelmed by an oppent.

Some things that can help, is to watch some of the K1 kickboxing fights on tape. Even though I train Kyokushin Karate, I learnt alot from watching experienced fighters like Peter Aerts and Ernesto Hoost. I would watch all of their fights and look for the combinations that they used - suprisingly enough, both have only 2 or 3 that they use repeatedly.

I guess you should also think through a few counter attacks. Most guys will do the same attacks, again and again, so, think about a few counter attacks. When it comes to sparring time, try them out. In the end thats what sparrings' all about - experimenting new things, before comp time (if thats your goal).

Good luck, and keep you hands up!

 

[danielson]

i think i may have scared my sparrng partner off

i didnt lose control or anything, but he seemed very uncomfortable and said he wasnt used to sparring like this. he;s used to semi-contactstuff (karate) and he;s only learning full contact now with me, i didnt hit him hard or anything but it seemed enough to unsettle him, either way with this and work etc no more proper sparring till summer

main problem i have is getting the confidence to move in close, my style is very similar to wing chun close up but with more grapple/joint locks type moves thrown in and im not exploiting the advantage i have over him in this, im tending to rely on kicking and only ever using my hands when i see an opportunity.

i learnt so much the few times we did spar, i hope he gets enthusiastic again

 

[punisher44]

I have to say the whole key to sparring is to RELAX. if you are in there Sparring then you must know your stuff. (I mean serious not just messing around) So just relax and do what you know how to do. And use it as a total learning session. Remeber it's not a fight, it's you going to school.

 

[RiverRun]

strengths/weaknesses

It also helps to know your own strengths/weaknesses, as well as those of your opponent.

In the dojo where I train, there are about 15 students at my level who I rountinely spar with. Over time I have gotten to know how they approach it. For example, Donna kicks ALL OF THE TIME; Joe is a demon and you just have to stay away from him or else he will absolutely pummel you...

Of course knowing your opponent only helps if you train with them or if you watch them closely. I was in a tournament and knew none of the competitors... but I watched them closely and when my turn came, I knew my opponent loved to use spinning kicks... I avoided every one.. He was also exhausted and I kicked his @ss

Know thyself... I have long arms and legs so I should use them to my advantage, etc. Ask your instructor or your fellow students what they think...

RR

 

[Thaibox]

Danielson, if you have access to a video recorder, record yourself. Go balls out with someone. Use only knuckle gloves and go full contact. This way there will be fear and you will react as you will in a real fight. After the fight, watch the tape and see how you react to different things. Again, I believe this is only useful if you go balls out, because without the fear/reality factor, your fighting will be coreographed and useless as a visual training aid.