Hey Bear...Mantis sparring.....what can I say.....
Hey..I only report what the Southern Mantis guys web site said.....
http://www.mantis.org.uk/mantis_kung_fu.htm
"Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis kung fu training does not include sparring. How can a martial art be valid if the students don't learn how to fight? Students of Chow Gar kung fu do learn how to fight; they just do it without sparring. The Chow Gar system requires a high level of sensitivity in all parts of the body. This heightened awarenes to touch and pressure is effectively an extra perception-sensor (!), allowing the hands and bridges (ie hands, feet, arms and legs) to act and react of their own volition, sticking to, thwarting and overwhelming the attacker's offensive potential. This is not just an instinctive situation-awareness, but something more. To obtain this martial sensitivity, one of the methods used is two-man attacker/defender sets where pre-ordained sequences of attack and counter-attack are practised. Like a post supporting a young tree, these sets allow the students to refine and internalise the techniques and principles. At the right time, the support is removed and the student finds himself (or herself) able to cope with, and act appropriately in, self-defense situations."
What can I say...? Differences in different branches of the style?
Cheers, R
[This message was edited by R on 11-02-00 at 07:14 PM.]
Combat Training and Mindset
here's my view: sparring is necessary but not sufficient for becoming proficent in fighting arts. It's just my opinion. I agree that sparring is nothing like the real thing, but it can show you some things about fighting. It's not a perfect replica of fighting but as someone said-how far do you want to go for skill? The problem is that people who spar often don't catch on that It's not like the real thing. It becomes an end in itself instead of a tool for growth. Without grappling you can't hope to understand fighting. That means that you have to be able to react to instinctive grabs and tackles to prevail in the real thing. Not always but a lot of the time. And sparring only involves speed and technical skill. There is no sense of raw power. A lot of people attack with raw power and this is why many martial artists go down in the street. An effective martial artist has to be able to counter raw power with technical skill, but controlled sparring can never teach this. I still think sparring is useful though, as long as it's understood as a limited vehicle for training. Someone mentioned "combat sparring" in another thread. there is no such thing. Sparring is not even close to combat for many reasons. No grappling, presence of pads, mental intent of training partner etc. The street is far more more brutal than sparring. In street fights there is no round two. A person goes down and gets beat down. And power counts in the street, where it doesn't in the training hall.