Disadvantages of sparring?

[sanjuro_ronin]

Advantages of forms:
Good cardio workout, allows you to train when no one is available, certain forms can increase strength through the range of motion ( isokinetic strength building) and they can stave off monotony for some.

Advantages of ST:
Where to start?
Strength, speed, muscular endurance, etc, etc.

[AmanuJRY]

Advantages of forms:
Good cardio workout, allows you to train when no one is available, certain forms can increase strength through the range of motion ( isokinetic strength building) and they can stave off monotony for some.

Advantages of ST:
Where to start?
Strength, speed, muscular endurance, etc, etc.

...that's the stuff people need to focus on....the positives will weed out the negatives.

[nschmelzer]

OK. I'll play. At least until TN shows up again. For me, forms are useful for expressing concepts and principles rather than techiques and footwork. For example, I am believer in keeping the elbows in, and wrists on my centerline. I use those concepts in sparring. Because I am not a big man (5'9; 160 pounds), I need body structure to help me impose my will on my usually larger and sometimes stronger opponent. So, assuming the concept is that elbows are the key to body structure, and body structure leverages/maximizes stability and power - forms involving the immoveable elbow concept or body structure concept are useful to me. For me, forms are not the practice of techniques or footwork. They are for training my body to automatically employ concepts without thought. If I am startled, I automatically transition into a side neutral stance and a jong sau. Practicing my forms makes this easier for my body to remember. I think it is a huge mistake to consider forms a useless waste of time. Sports are full of examples of performance enhancing "forms." On the other hand, knowing your forms perfectly does not prepare you for the actual game. Just one man's opinion.

[tjwingchun]

And, btw, another problem with sparring is that often what is called "sparring" is really play (pretend) fighting, where what is being done is not realistic (doesn't correspond to what will really go on in a fight). Play fighting is just another unrealistic exercise and can't develop realistic skills.

Which is very close to my view, it is my personal choice not to spar, over the years I have been in many chi sau situations that were closer to fighting than most get to in sparring. I have never been "owned" as the expression goes. I have always been able to manipulate my opponent by what I call "rag dolling", disrupting their stances continually so they never have a chance to settle, never mind think about hitting me.

I have never told students that they should not spar, each has their own mind and makes their own decisions, but I know they would agree with me that if I sparred with them they would learn little apart from which parts of the body hurt most when hit. Even then it could not be full contact, so what are you teaching yourself by repeatedly not using full power in strikes?

I am of the frame of mind that full strikes or "offloading" as I term them, can only be practiced on bags or shields, I use "entry" techniques and chi sau to get me into positions where I can "offload", the point where I recognize an "offloading" technique is available is when I stop, leaving this memory as the trigger for the strike to commence full speed and power when required.

If I got my kicks out of beating students up I would have taken a different path many years ago, my wish is to teach through understanding, I do not follow the theory that a student must get punched in the face before they will be able to defend themselves.

Over ALL the years I have been teaching I have not any student come back to me saying they had frozen and not been able to use their Wing Chun to defend themselves, on the contrary, many have told me how when a situation occurred they simply reacted and techniques just "happened".

Disadvantages of sparring?

Being a beginner and used as a punch bag by everyone else in the school.

Until a newer kid arrives on the block

[Liddel]

If I got my kicks out of beating students up I would have taken a different path many years ago, my wish is to teach through understanding, I do not follow the theory that a student must get punched in the face before they will be able to defend themselves.

You dont have to beat up your students TJ.

For the record im no hard man, ok.

But IMHO, taking hard shots or at least having a little taste of being peppered with light to heavy shots during sparring, is very good for ones training...no matter what the style.

I think understanding as you mention AND good sparring will make your skills more sound than just having one of said attributes.

Unless your taining goal is not to be better at fighting.

But theres a huge area between play fighting as T mentions and full force sparring - This is one of my fav sparring vids on the net......intent is 100% power is not...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...01721507431428

I dont see them getting hurt and given size and experience been close when you choose a sparring partner - youll find you can go harder and harder without serious injury...

One of the biggest disadvantages of sparring IMO can come from not choosing the right partner at the right time....

DREW

[monji112000]

You dont have to beat up your students TJ.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...01721507431428

DREW

perfect clip!
training with boxing gloves and with intent but not power is ideal for fighting. You can't just jump off doing that though. You need to build up, some drills that take aspects of free fighting first. Also they are training with their opponents in mind. IE don't train against WC technqiues and fighting style. Its a waste of time unless you are fighting a WC person.

Disadvantages of sparring = training without someone skilled watching so you ingrain mistakes. without proper building drills you just continue the same poor habits you had before, instead of ingraining proper fighting habits. Sparring isn't the end all to be all you need supporting activities. Pad work, timing drills, power drills, ect..

that being said sparring in the correct environment goes a LONG WAY.