Sparring and realistic scenarios...

[beachfront71]

Ive been taking Krav for just over 2yrs now and am always reading new info and opinions about it on here and other boards...

One thing I find a lot is that outsiders tend to think we do not have enough full contact/speed sparring to firmly test our techniques with a resisting opponent.
I know in my class we spar at about 50-80% (speed) and it is occcasional at best. I would like to hear what others are doing.

If you disagree with the above statement, let me know...
I understand it would be somewhat tough to go at it full speed but I can also see how a boxer or BJJ would believe that being able to train at full speed can really help in terms of confidence, etc..

What do you think?

[chguise]

We don't slow down the speed, only the power.... 50-80 percent power. The punches and kicks fly just as fast. However, the mark of a good partner is knowing when to back off a bit, because pounding someone with a lower skill set is worthless.

The amount of sparring we do, it depends on the instructor. Some instructors add sparring more than others. Although, if you're asking whether we go full speed during self defense techniques, yes, most of the time, multible attackers, yes, in the higher levels.

chris

[Klem]

I have a question regarding sparring. At the Krav school I was attending, we aloways sparred at the end of class, often right after we had done a strenuous set of exercises. I understand the need for this type of training because a fight can zap the energy from a person right away, and we need to be able to continue until the fight is over.

Having acknowledged that, I would also have liked to occasionally spar while I was still fresh. The reason is that there are some techniques and fight strategies that I would use if I wasn't sucking air and feeling gravity pulling at my arms. In a real world situation, some of these attacks could end the fight much sooner, but I don't practice them as much because I'm too tired to use them effectively when we spar at the end of class.

So my question is, whether sparring when you are tired is the norm in Krav classes or is that just the way it was done in my school?

[jack the boxer]

hi,
in my class we spare around half of classes, usually 15-20 last minutes. about 50-75% power. i always try to execute the drills we've learned at class (hand defense, kicks etc') but i find it very hard. my instructor says that these are drills \"for the street\" and that for fights there are different ones.
i find it strange, because KM supposedly is based on the natural instinctive movements.
what do you think???

[Kurtuan]

We always spar at the end of class, but occassionally we'll begin class with \"light\" sparring with no pads to warm up. Last night a few of us hung out with our instructors after class for about 20 minutes of sparring and that 20 minutes wore me out more than the actual class. I think it is good to spar when you're fatigued because if you are fresh your techniqes will be that much sharper, and as you said, in a real fight you expend energy much more quickly due to adrenaline and other factors....

[La Revancha]

Obviously, every school is different. Our fight classes typically reserve the hard, free sparring until the end. In LIII, however, some of our instructors begin the class with sparring for 10-20 minutes. So for our LIII sparring participants, they see the best of both worlds.

You should ask your instructor if the sparring compoment can be shifted around from time to time.

[beachfront71]

with regards to when we spar..it varies...sometimes during warmup and sometimes towards the end of class...

I think the mindset of Krav is based a lot upon \"if we can teach you when you are tired, you will have a chance of utilizing your skills at a high level when you are rested\"... I pretty much agree with that and it is why a lot of sparring does probably take place late in the class.

But, I have never had the chance to go \" all out \" with a choke and finish...
Maybe I need to tell my instructor to put on the padded suit and attack me ..