Traditional Sparring

[iron_silk]

With all the talk of sparring experience I was wondering how many people actually use their form moves compared to kickboxing style?

[apoweyn]

i've seen a couple that did. one shaolin kung fu. one traditional japanese karate. but it's a rarity, in my experience.

[Kristoffer]

I do. When training the tecniques that are within forms. But when fullcontact sparring it's more 'kick and box' since we use gloves.

[Xebsball]

I use them all the time and i dont see why some people dont, i mean its not that hard AND it works.

[SevenStar]

probably because they don't drill the applications enough. Once you understand the principle behind a movement, you should be able to apply the principle to your fighting. Don't try to use a specific technique in your fighting. learn the principle and from that you can create applications.

[NorthernMantis]

I use them all the time and i dont see why some people dont, i mean its not that hard AND it works.

The problem is:

1)That people are waiting for that "perfect kick or technique" where they can counter but the opponent rarly cooperates.

2)Just stop when the first technique gets blocked instead of following up and get discouraged. What's the deal with that? Ok , so what if the peson blocks your technique don't just stand there.

3)Some people don't care and just brawl as long as they land hit (these are dangerous to sparr in my oppinion)

4)Like sevenstar said some people just don't drill enough.

Oh and about people who can acutally use they're kung fu...like apoweyn said--there's a couple that I have seen but it's rare.

[OdderMensch]

it's all i've got!

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

"Don't try to use a specific technique in your fighting. learn the principle and from that you can create applications."

word ...

"1)That people are waiting for that "perfect kick or technique" where they can counter but the opponent rarly cooperates."

words ...

both sevenstar and nm bring up awesome points. i'd also like to add that i believe that the sifus should take some responsibility here. if they just sit back and let it happen (past the students beginer stage) then they are just as much to blame. my sifu wouldn't stand for this from the get go .... most students (except for girls, as sexist as it may be, and guys who look like they would get more harm than good from it) go through a hazing faze anyway. this would just add to your hazing. of course there are going to be some students who are just too fu ckin thick or stupid, but there is no excuse for an entire kung fu school not being able to spar and fight with their kung fu.

[iron_silk]

Hey thanks everyone!

I was wondering what kind of advice you guys might have if you were to fight against someone that was faster and stronger?

[Laughing Cow]

Iron Silk.

If it is a sparring partner observe him spar other people and try to find his weak spot. Everybody got them.

In a real fight you got no chance of knowing what your Opponent will be like, speed, strength or skill wise.

There might be some indicators, but those can be wrong or deliberately shown to deceive you.

The best defense against any attack is not to be there when it happens.

Just my 0.2 cents worth.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

"The best defense against any attack is not to be there "

i can't count how many times my sifu has said those exact same words. im sure all good sifu's say something very similar.

iron silk .... well you could have better timing, spacing, agle work, technique . . .

or you could just use a weapon to put the odds back in your favor.

[Ford Prefect]

I don't think traditional arts are really made to spar in the sense of having different exchanges. I think they are more direct and are meant to attack, attack, attack. I think the whole square off and kickbox mentality came from kung fu movies and being used to combat sports. Of course that's just my opinion, and I have very limitted experience in traditional martial arts. The only reason I say that is because in real life, you aren't going to square off with some guy. You will blast him and put him down quick.

[Suntzu]

sometimes it might be the spectator not seeing what they expect… I think some people expect to see a scene from a movie or a sequence str8 from a form one move to the next…

[Colin]

Traditinal free sparring is an excellent way of training techniques from the forms.
But I agree that you have to drill each technique many times before it becomes instinctive for combat use.

So many CMA's learn the forms but never put the techniques to practical testing.
Funny when you think about it, but even though most Chinese stylists put down Karate as being simplified KF, they do actually build on the techniques from 1 step sparring Ju-ippon to ippon kumite etc.

Whereas admittedly within alot of systems including the style I Practice/teach some schools do not teach traditional free sparring, but instead only do the KB stuff.
It seems such a shame that so many people spend years learning a variety of techniques, only to put on pads/gloves to spar!

[TkdWarrior]

I was wondering what kind of advice you guys might have if you were to fight against someone that was faster and stronger?
i dunno if it's good n sane advice but speaking from my experience that no matter how good u r u'll meet just one person who'll humble u up...n then train for that person...

In my class we don't sparr like KF but wat we don't do is fight like kick boxer, fights goes on attack(1),counter/attack(2),counter/attack(1), counter/attack(2), some lucky hit(1/2),
so it's like using most of techniques, sometimes we exchange more counters/attack than there r seconds in fight

-TkdWarrior-