Sparring without instructor

[MightyB]

We had an evening sparring group back when I trained formally. It was no big deal. It's just sparring and yeah, sometimes guys got a little hurt.
After that happens, THEN we'd ask sifu for advice.
Later, sparring with others just became a matter of fact thing.

New learners tend to fight instead of spar and they also tend to carry a lot of ego.
That can be ironed out with repetition.

Jamieson for the win.

I try to spar all the time with my friends. Nobody gets hurt... too bad. Then again, we're adults. Like someone else posted - stay away from psychopaths.

[MightyB]

I generally follow the approach that, if I don't know someone enough that I don't know that I trust them to spar reasonably, then I don't spar them. There are so many boxers, bjj guys, taiji guys, etc. out there, that there's no reason I should feel any need to train with the douchiest of them, I'll opt for the coolest.

Sparring is about testing what I've entrained, imo, not the time to start entraining. And finding what else needs to be entrained. Not about testing whether I can defend myself. I train to make a tech effective before the sparring stage, I don't try to enter the sparring stage unsure on what the effect of the technique is, that's asking for trouble.

That said, if I choose training partners wisely, a moderator is not always important.

As for the other question, about habits, particular people will make sure to develop good habits, sloppy people won't, with or without a teacher. Good students can ask someone whose knowledge they respect, "I sparred the other day, while no teacher was around, and kept having this occur, what are your thoughts," and they learn, or they do their own research or thought on it. If someone needs a teacher to notice they get uppercutted a lot, they aren't sparring to learn, they aren't paying any attention, and until they do, sparring without someone to guide them is almost pointless, imo.

this post is worth repeating.

also- sparring is not fighting. Free sparring doesn't even have to be all that "free". You can use that time to perfect new moves and only new moves. For example - If you can throw anyone you want with a Sumi Gaeshi, then ban it the next time you spar so you are forced to develop something else. Or only allow left handed throws. Or strikes and locks only, no kicks. Etc.

[YouKnowWho]

also- sparring is not fighting. Free sparring doesn't even have to be all that "free". You can use that time to perfect new moves and only new moves. For example - If you can throw anyone you want with a Sumi Gaeshi, then ban it the next time you spar so you are forced to develop something else. Or only allow left handed throws. Or strikes and locks only, no kicks. Etc.

This is a very important point. The problem is if you have a good winning record, when you force yourself not to use your favor moves, your winning record will drop. If you try to maintain your winning record, you will not be able to develop any new skills.

Did someone say, "invest in your lose"? That's a good idea.

[Faux Newbie]

This is a very important point. The problem is if you have a good winning record, when you force yourself not to use your favor moves, your winning record will drop. If you try to maintain your winning record, you will not be able to develop any new skills.

Did someone say, "invest in your lose"? That's a good idea.

I live by that idea.

When I hurt my knee a few years back, I had to learn to transition weight in a very controlled way, and realized things I did that were bad for footwork. My footwork improved from this.

When my heavy bag broke, and I didn't want to put the money into replacing it with Christmas and all, I began working shadow boxing more and implementing new moves into it. On New Years Eve, I sparred with one of my best sparring partners, and he had to change his game against me because I had expanded my repertoire.

[MightyB]

This is a very important point. The problem is if you have a good winning record, when you force yourself not to use your favor moves, your winning record will drop. If you try to maintain your winning record, you will not be able to develop any new skills.

Sparring isn't fighting, and it isn't Shiai (competition). Sparring is a training element, and if you think it affects your win/loss ratio, then you have a serious ego and maturity problem and this misunderstanding about what you're trying to accomplish with sparring practice is where injuries and everything else that's been written about needing a third person to be a moderator becomes a factor.

[Faux Newbie]

sparring isn't fighting, and it isn't shiai (competition). Sparring is a training element, and if you think it affects your win/loss ratio, then you have a serious ego and maturity problem and this misunderstanding about what you're trying to accomplish with sparring practice is where injuries and everything else that's been written about needing a third person to be a moderator becomes a factor.

sacrilege! Destroy him!

[SimonM]

this post is worth repeating.

also- sparring is not fighting. Free sparring doesn't even have to be all that "free". You can use that time to perfect new moves and only new moves. For example - If you can throw anyone you want with a Sumi Gaeshi, then ban it the next time you spar so you are forced to develop something else. Or only allow left handed throws. Or strikes and locks only, no kicks. Etc.

MightyB touched on what I was getting at perfectly. Thank you.

[Faux Newbie]

Sparring isn't fighting, and it isn't Shiai (competition). Sparring is a training element, and if you think it affects your win/loss ratio, then you have a serious ego and maturity problem and this misunderstanding about what you're trying to accomplish with sparring practice is where injuries and everything else that's been written about needing a third person to be a moderator becomes a factor.

Yeah, and I'd go further to say that if people are sparring full on without a large amount of the sort of narrowed focus sparring you're talking about, they're wasting a lot of their own time.