Does your Sifu/instructor spar with you?

[Becca]

It's about intent. If your opponents "intent" is to hurt you (eg ego-filled beginners) and they lack control (ie beginners) then they will eventually hurt you.

I have had alot more trouble from non-beginners being ego-filled and out-of-control. The beginner may not have much control but lack of control is deliberate, and usually comes from someone who has been there a while and is feeling full of themself. A sure fire sign of this is when they hit hard them whine when you follow kwoon ettiquette and hit'em back. Or they hit elbows in arm banging even after you point out to them they are hurting/ potentially injurring you.

[Judge Pen]

I think its invaluable to cross hands with as many different people as you can; form different disciplines and skill levels. I like sparring newbies because they can be less predictable and potentially more representative of a self-defense type encounter (i.e. more innate ability than formal training). I like sparring people who have bought into a system and truely fight from it 'cause you see and understand the strategy behind their fighting principles. I like fighting the ego-filled students who are startignt o get good and get full of themselves because they can present a challenge. I like sparring kids because of their enthuiasm and agility (just try to out step them). You can take any type of sparring encounter from the most friendly to the most contentious and learn from it. My teachers feel the same way because they are not shy to cross hands with any of their students.

[Becca]

I agree on most of those points JP, but I really get annoyed with the eagotists from time to time. But sparring kids is just strait-out fun! There's nothing like seeing a timid kid develop the self confidance to take on someone 3-4 times thier size!

[scotty1]

My instructor spars with us. I think it's good to be able to feel
what it is you're trying to achieve.

Plus it's good for him both as a teacher and a 'lifelong student'

[SifuAbel]

I spar with my students.

My teacher did too. We asked him to stop. His iron palm hand was crushing even with the lightest blows. Ever been hit with a lead lined glove or a sap? You get the picture.

[IronFist]

^ What's a sap?

[Mr Punch]

A gullible person. You better not get hit by one, some of them can be quite heavy.

[SifuAbel]

A sap is a bag of lead wrapped in leather with a handle.

A rounded one is also known as a blackjack. The flat one is a slapper.

The flat ones are still called saps.


http://www.eliteselfdefense.com/sapgloves.htm

http://www.selfdefenseproducts.com/misc.htm

[SimonM]

Yeah, my sifu spars with me. There are sifu's who wont? Wow.

[Serpent]

Originally posted by SimonM
Yeah, my sifu spars with me. There are sifu's who wont? Wow.

There are boxing coaches, etc. that won't too, because they're too old or out of condition, etc. Can Ian Thorpe's coach swim well enough to win Olympic gold? Doesn't devalue their knowledge and ability to teach however. I think there's a lot more to the argument than simply "will" or "won't".

[Mr Punch]

Originally posted by SifuAbel
The flat one is a slapper.

I dunno, met some fat slappers in my time.

[Mr Punch]

Originally posted by Serpent
There are boxing coaches, etc. that won't too, because they're too old or out of condition, etc. Can Ian Thorpe's coach swim well enough to win Olympic gold? Doesn't devalue their knowledge and ability to teach however. I think there's a lot more to the argument than simply "will" or "won't".

Sure, I agree if your sifu is that old and out-of-shape... but since most kung fu styles make a big thing about how you can practise till you're as old as Sifu Abel or even older ( ) one would hope that most sifu could still show you a thing or two in light contact if nothing else.

There is a lot more to the argument than "will or won't" but there's also a lot more than comparing it to boxing and swimming. I don't want my kungfu to be like my boxing, nor my swimming...!

I went to a seminar with Ip Chun a couple of years ago (think he was knocking on 70 at the time), and he was actively and easily slapping some people around in chi sao. Admittedly chi sao is very much not sparring but it can involve a fair amount of taxing physical contact for an old geezer.

If a sifu is that old or out of shape one would hope his most senior representative wouldn't have a problem with sparring.

[Ming Yue]

Yep. Sifu spars rounds with all of us. He winds up sparring almost continuously. Generally we'll do a few rounds of live instruction, then just free spar.

I've also never been in a situation where the instructor didn't spar. I have studied under a Master who was ill and no longer fighting, but he'd jump in and pop me a couple times every once in a while just for fun.

My first instructor is gone now, but both he and my current Sifu were fighters first and foremost. They both just light up in the ring.

[SifuAbel]

[LEGEND]

Sifu Abel...I see u are using the FIST INC. Headgears...is that a quality headgear to use with JKD/KENPO gloves...advice appreciated.