Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

[karnos]

I’m just returning from my training session (I train with IKMF) and tonight I had my very first sparing against another student. He’s a level one student while I still do not have a level, although I’ve been studying since last September.

Anyway, I got all my gear on and the only things we were allowed to do were frontal kicks and side punches. (and if we could grapple them and led the to the grown, better) This was also the first time I had all of that fighting gear on (chest pad, box gloves, head gear, etc) so I felt a little dizzy.

By the moment this took place we were all already too taxed from all the previous training, including defending against two opponents, with the gear on.

The thing is this, when the actual sparing began, I started the match by giving a frontal kick, which the other guy deflected, the he punched me on the head and I just lost it, I went dizzy for a time and then I just forgot everything I had learned, I started reacting like a hunted animal, I managed some meager 360 defense, and connected a couple of times and I did give a good kick in the stomach, but otherwise I got the worst rash of the match, really bad.

Now, I know this is stupid, but I actually feel a little down right now because it’s not like I’ve been training for just three months, I simply forgot all of my defenses and counters I’ve been training for. I have no previous history in martial arts of even fights in general, since I’m a very peaceful guy who’s never been in a fight before, but I just suddenly were unable to put into practice what I’ve trained all this time. My exam for level one is sometime in June or August, and I’m actually worried.

What tips can you guys give me? What kind of mindset do I need to have? This was a simple sparing session with gear and the instructors doing some control, but out there is a different story. I feel my reflexes are very low, but I don’t have any young family or close friends to train with, so I’m looking for some solo exercises that might help. Any tips will be very appreciated.

Thanks.

[oneness]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

Its very natural for the experience you had. So first off, you did fine. You also see that you need to work on things and want too, so that is great as well. Your instructors limited you in order to make it more difficult which is great, frustrating, but good.

If you can get more sparring time in with as many people as you can before your test. Like anything else, with more practice it will get better.

Here are some things you can do against someone. Try for the first initial part of the sparring to keep your distance and to recognize what attack is coming, dont worry about countering and punching yet for the first 30 seconds or so.

Next try to be the first to attack. Build your left straight or hook to keep people out. Move getting in and out, constantly changing your attack to keep your opponent guessing.

As you get more comfortable start recognizing thier attack and then work on countering the opponents attack. Start countering thier attacks with punches first then move to kicks.

By yourself, work your defenses in a mirror and visualize an attack and add a counter attack. Build basic combinations that you feel comfortable throwing. They should be automatic from whatever defense or attack you are countering. For the BRMMA system that is why we use the basic 1-4 combinations, dont over complicate the combinations.

With sparring you are going to get hit. Learn to recognize what you are getting hit with and then find out what you need to do to correct it. Usually beginners want to stand toe-toe and throw punches or defend every attack in medium range. Its very difficult for even the top fighters to do that, keep like Krav and block and counter as soon as possible, but dont stand there trying to block ten attacks.

If you have more specific questions, I can try and answer, but with out seeing you spar its difficult to provide a lot more information.

[kior]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

Don’t stress about this in relation to the exam though, there isn’t any sparring involved for P1. Have you got a copy of the syllabus? Check you know everything and focus on performing the technique well, doing strong counters whilst moving off the line and scanning and you should be fine.

[dirty-harry]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

By your own admission, you say you got some good strikes in and managed some 360, so it doesn’t sound as bad as you think. Maybe your just being too hard on yourself.

I think that maybe you had the misconception that training techniques over and over make you untouchable in a confrontation? Once you accept that this is not the case, you should do better; because you shouldn’t let a non-knockout quality punch shake you off your intended path. Just re-focus and carry on.

As for training tips, well I am not an instructor, but from my personal experience, I would recommend you take some hard punches and kicks whilst sparring and learn to cope with them. Learn to avoid, receive and counter them. That’s just me though.

Speak to your instructor. He/she should be able to help you.

Good luck.

[tigeruppercut]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

What you experienced is why sparring is so important. There’s a saying that goes something like “everyone has a game plan until they get punched in the face”. That is really true. But with more practice and instruction you can get to the point where sparring is truly practice and you’ll be able to improve your reflexes, timing and distance to the point where you feel comfortable (or at least as comfortable as possible) in a fighting situation.

Keep up the good work… if you landed a few good shots consider your first session a success.

[kvmorl]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

Sounds like my first sparring session… I stood toe to toe and we where both punching and countering way too much. I learned how to get hit pretty quick though 😉 but as i spar more you learn to move more and more, leg work is important to. I like the quick in and out also, changing directions all the time moving left left, then right, left ect… One thing to recognize is the more you move the more energy you are constantly using, so stamina is also important.

[karnos]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

Well, I had another sparing session tonight. It was quite intense, it was five of us and first we had an intense everyone vs everyone sparing, not too intense, just to get us a little bumped.

After that I had my actual second sparing, I did much much better than yesterday, and my instructors told me so. I even managed to take the other guy and connect a knee on his (protected) chest I still made many mistakes, mainly in my way of defending against some of the punches, but overall, I did better than yesterday, and I feel quite good about it:)

Thanks for the tips and cheers guys, I mean it, this means a lot to me :jerry:

[leam]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

If you connected *anything* and blocked *anything* first time out, you did better than many of us! Not sure what you’re worried about there. 🙂

However, as folks have noted, sparring is training. You’re training your mind to control your emotional state and keeping active mental control of emotions as well as finding new uses for the techniques. As Oneness said, get some “money” techniques in your pocket, get them smooth enough to flow even when you’re tired and tense. That relieves your brain from having to focus on that bit so you can spend more time on the opponent.

Also, keep in mind the stuff you’re learning is for self-defense. One of the advantages of Krav is that we’re not the guys out looking for the fight. We just train to make sure we can win it! If you’re sparring, your opponenet knows Krav and knows what you know. In a fight you’re rapidly making the transition from innocent bystander to defending warrior. The attackers probably wouldn’t have started anything if they knew what you know, and they probably don’t have the ability to transition in as quickly as you do.

All in all, if you’re in the game while sparring I’d say you’re ahead of the game if it comes to real life.

Leam

[chocolate-soldier]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

I doubt there’s anyone training in KM who hasn’t felt displeased with their sparring performance at some point.

Looking at it in a self defense perspective, the practice of sparring deviates from some main KM principles in the following ways:

Standing there trading blows (vs: defend/counter/get to safety)

It promotes focusing with tunnel vision on your sparring ‘opponent’ (vs: actively scanning your surroundings for possible additional attackers / danger)

So why practice sparring in KM training?

IMO – sparring in KM has a lot to do with being an exam component which gauges the candidate’s fighting spirit, tenacity, aggressiveness (to some degree) and determination.

The sparring element is typically unleashed in an exam towards the end where people are already exhausted and have little energy left.

On another note – in a ‘real’ incident, due to the effects of adrenaline, shock, surprise etc – if you can even pull off a KM technique to 50% of what you can achieve in training, some instructors would consider you’d be doing well. The more one can refine and hone their skill-level in training, the higher that 50% threshold is going to be.

KM focuses very much on movements which follow the body’s instinctive reactions and gross motor skills since fine motor skills tend to go out the window in a stressful situation.

With training and repetitions comes confidence and muscle memory – people tend to go into an ‘auto pilot’ reaction mode when confronted with the situations they train for.

Hope this helps – train hard!

[b0123]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

Hey Karnos,

Are you training for P1 level? because I also train with the IKMF (I’m currently P2) and during my P1 and P2 test their was no sparring involved. I have the same “problem” you have, during sparring sessions I tend to get hit more than I’m able to defend against. Also I tend to back up when I’m getting attacked. I think it’s my basic fear of fighting/getting hurt, however I’m not worried about this. I train twice a week (hopefully three times a week after the summer) and I feel I’m making progress every time. I have a great instructor who helps me improve on my sparring ability and I like to train with students that are a bit better at sparring than I am, their often able to give me advice and they motivate me to become better.

Just try to spar as often as you can and make sure your instructor knows you have some trouble with sparring

regards B0123

[brewerm]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

Karnos,

I sparred for the first time last saturday and I know exactly how you feel. I had the biggest guy in the class working with me on the drills and then sparred for 2 minutes.I was terrified that I would get hurt. He overpowered me but I did block most of the punches but not the kicks. I guess trial by fire. LOL.

I do NOT like being hit and don’t really like hitting other people. At first apologized after I every punch I connected, dropped my hands and said “are you ok?” then someone hit me while I was doing that and learned that lesson.

Then the instructor had us switch partners so we ended up sparring with 6 different people. I had a hard time hitting the women until one kicked me in the liver, I got over that “hitting girls” thing pretty quick. I learned don’t turn your head, don’t close your eyes, and don’t back straight up, (they come after you) when in doubt jab.

I did hold me own with most and bested 2 people with the length of my arms and throwing lots of combos in a row.

Looking forward to Saturday!!!!

[karnos]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

quote b0123:

Hey Karnos,

Are you training for P1 level? because I also train with the IKMF (I’m currently P2) and during my P1 and P2 test their was no sparring involved.

That’s good to know! My exam is until August (I think) but I am already training with a couple of guys who are going to do the exam as well. We’re training off hours, going over everything we have seen this far. :box:

[gimgamgommetje]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

You have had some great advise already.
I love sparring and I like competition drills to increase the fighting level.

First of all the advise to create a number of favorite combo’s is great.
You can practise them while shadow boxing, while standing in front of a mirror, while practising on focuss mitts, doing them as counters to other techniques etc.
You’ll have plenty of options during the class.
Just don’t forget the other techniques 🙂

If you have the freedom to do so you can build up the amount of techniques used.
If you start with just boxing, or even with just straight punches you’ll only have a few attacks to worry about so it is less overwhelming and you’ll have more chance to recognize the attack and counter it.

There are many ways to build it up. just straight attacks, or all the kicks but only straight punches etc etc etc

I often use warming up games in my classes that build up sparring skills.
for example just tapping eachothers shoulders in a competition setting.
Or just tapping eachothers groin with a kick. or a combination of these type of games.
I’s great to practise footwork, recognizing attacks , defending them etc.
a tap towards the shoulders is basically the same movement as a punch, but its still just a game to warm up.

After a while even when practising with more force you’ll get used with recognizing attacks and dealing with them.
You will also get used to take hits better and deal with them.
Building stamina is very important.

And finally something you can immediately try is: KEEP LOOKING
Always look at what’s coming to you. do not close your eyes and move your head sideways.

good luck and most of all, have fun

[devilnuts]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

That first-time brain dump happens to everyone and is why sparring is important.

My contribution is this: keep your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth so you don’t end up biting yourself if you get hit 🙂

Also, try to pair up with the more experienced guys once in awhile when you can. You may not be able to hit them, but oftentimes they can give you running commentary and offer on-the-spot corrections that a less experienced partner may not be able to.

[brewerm]

Re: Just had my very first sparing against another student, I need tips.

I had another sparring session on Saturday and have an issue with being susceptible to kicks. While I am looking for hands, I get kicked alot. I can see if coming but can’t seem to get my knee up fast enough or my hand around to block a front kick to”my” vertical target 🙂 Double jabs got me several times too. I’d block the one and then he’d pull back and pop me right in the face!

I could really use some advice

Brewer

[Author]

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