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Hi
I would like to have some tips for sparring in Krav Maga (ofcourse). Normally I wait ’till the other tries to do something, block it and counter. Unfortunately it isn’t always that easy. In most cases, I strike first with my legs to the genitals, knees or groins. But then is quite hard to do a next move, especially because it’s sparring. I would suggest to give my partner a punch in the liver or kidney, but then I realize it’s only sparring and we don’t want to hurt each other… At the other side, one of our motto’s is ‘Train like you fight, fight like you train’.
It’s also quite hard to see for me what move the opponent will do, can’t really read his body language… (I currently keep looking in his eyes when we’re sparring)
An other thing that’s bothering me, last time I was sparring, I was going for some knee kicks and before putting my foot on the ground again, a horse kick / side kick afterwards. My sparring partner grabbed my leg a couple of times, quite annoying because it wasn’t “realistic” imo. I wasn’t going full power/full speed because I didn’t want to hurt my buddy. In real life fights, would it still be possible to grab my leg when I go full speed?
Any other tips for sparring which I didn’t ask are welcome aswell 🙂
Thanks
Cédric
Re: Tips for sparring
It is entirely realistic for someone to go for your leg when you’re doing knee/leg strikes. In my honest opinion, it seems like going for the leg would be the first human reaction if you were getting hit with it so it is entirely realistic for your partner to grab your leg (and realistic training for you on how to defend against it through sprawls and other defenses). Another point to make regarding where your eyes should be should be the center of their chest, using your peripheral vision to see where their arms and legs are going. It takes time but keep training and you’ll start reading your training partner’s attacks/movements better.
Re: Tips for sparring
Hello KMCedric
First issue – Make sure your wearing all the needed gear. Gloves, shin pads, mouth guard, head protection and I would suggest some Ring Star shoes or something soft soled. Remember sparring is about learning not killing your partner. That being said you need to fight to find your weaknesses and help your partner find theirs. I am a supporter of full contact wil the proper gear full contact is acceptable but be careful of knee strikes those can cripple your partner for life, if done at the knee as opposed to leg strikes to the thigh or sweeps to the foot or calf.
You should focus on proper technique, accuracy, control and power, in that order. If you strike with proper technique, with good accuracy, and with proper control you can hit your partner with a strike that will be full power but will only bruise. You can do the same thing to a bad guy and break bones or cause internal damage.
These aspects come with training, that is why you start with slow movements and light contact. Stay the course and practice, the heavy contact will come but develop the skill above first.
As far a tips here are a few.
If your opponent sticks a hand out to close to you grab and strip his arm. Kinda like walking hand over hand up the arm until you strike him in the face. I really enjoy stepping on the lead leg foot and coming in with a right left strike to the face. The foot stomp distracts their attention and keeps them from kicking with that lead foot. I also like to act like I am really winded and ill slup over and put my hands on my knees. They will close in and you can lunge in and back fist to the groin then back fist to the face and follow up with a round kick.
Hope these tips help. Also watch other spar. learn what works on Tall people short people and so forth.
Re: Tips for sparring
I wouldn’t live and die by sparring as you have rightly pointed out, some partners don’t match intensity appropriately (you both should agree on how hard you should go).
Sparring is still simulated, so that guy aiming to catch your leg will have a rude shock when trying to do the same in a more realistic scenario.
Re: Tips for sparring
Strip hands, or make a dramatic move forward and force a reaction from him. Whether it is or isn’t realistic to grab the leg is irrelevant; the point is you left it out there long enough to be grabbed. Practice using hands-only with your partner and you should see some improvement.
Re: Tips for sparring
I like to have a plan when sparring. When I first started, I was very legs dependent and I only knew attack, attack, attack. My aggression got me a long way, but I really wanted to add strategy into the mix. I got with one of the instructors, told them what I wanted to work on, and we would meet outside of class to help me. First thing we did was to take legs out of the equation. That made such a difference! I was forced to come up with new ways to attack but also challenged to find ways of getting off line. We also added in a LOT of focus mitt work. I used to look at focus mitt work as an extension of our level 2+ warm ups, but my entire attitude towards it has changed. It truly is a way to train not only yourself but your partner as well. I treat focus mitt work the same way I treat a sparring match. Instead of just throwing the combinations called to me, I always try to end them by getting offline or setting myself up to be in a position to continue striking whether it be with legs or hands. Once we went back to sparring, I was asked to have one thing in mind that I wanted to work on and use the match to make that thing happen. Sometimes it would be as simple as working in an uppercut or as challenging as telegraphing as little as possible. I learned how to bait my opponent into throwing strikes I knew were coming and could thus counter off of. I still use my legs quite a bit but I am no longer reliant solely on them.
Keep at it and keep us updated :):
Re: Tips for sparring
Wow. You’ve gotten some GREAT responses in this thread! And I think that PinkGloves has inspired me, I think I’m going to see if I might be able to get a little one-on-one training from one of my instructors…!! (Of course I’m sure I’m not as “purty”, so who knows…) :dunno: :D:
One thing that I used to do as a “kid” in my 20s: I came from a partial TKD background, so I was always really good with my feet – when leaving a room, I’d even hit the light switch with my toe to turn it off, you know? Naturally that carried over into my sparring – and since my Kenpo instructor was pretty quick, he would frequently catch my leg (usually right around the ankle or just above), & work in a combination from that. Didn’t care much for that, so I got to where as soon as my leg was trapped, I was WHIPPING forward at the waist & working punches at his face, ribs, gut, etc. :box:
It’s certainly not a perfect solution (does little-to-nothing to counter getting your supporting leg whipped out from under you, for example), but it’s another option, another “tool in the tool box” & one that I personally feel is worth developing. Good luck!
(Hmmm. Wonder if I can still do that…??)
Re: Tips for sparring
This is my first post on this forum and i found such a nice thread. All posts are informative and i like these tips. I will keep these tips in my knowledge.
Re: Tips for sparring
Focus on footwork and constantly be aware of fighting distance between you and your opponent. Based on the latter, don’t waste energy or movement that does not pose an immediate threat (i.e. outside of your circle of influence). If possible, try to manuever to the opponent’s outside / flank or behind to limit their selection of counters. Try NOT to move backwards for more than 3 consecutive steps. An old adage that I think still has merit is to “Kick a boxer, box a kicker”.
Re: Tips for sparring
I’m suprised no one has said this about your whole reading your opponent thing but, DON’T LOOK AT THEIR EYES. Look at their chest. Their eyes can betray you. The same tells people look at to discover if somone is about to attack can be used against you to fake you out. Not to mention, experienced fighters develop “calm eyes” or “poker face”. Not to mention if they have good boxing experience, they are gonna bob and weave like crazy, which makes keeping up with them very difficult. Look at your opponents eyes also gives YOUR intentions away. remembe that.
Your next instinct may be to look at the hands, but that’s another problem. Do not follow their hands. Hands move. They go up down, back forth, jab in and out, swivil and swerve, drop and all sorts of things…not to mention they hit you.
No, instead look at their chest. All of the limbs are connected to the torse. When they kick, the torso will move. When they punch, the torso will move. If they grab, the torso will move. The center point of your opponent can not attack you, nor can it fake you out itself, but it will betray all of your opponents movements, including bobbing and weaving. If you look at the head of a boxer, you will think he is mad swift, but notice the torso, and you realize his body is still in the same location. The torso is also where jabs and crosses will come from, which are key to anticipate. Hooking strikes are easy to block with your pareipherals (though you will need to practice. You have to get comfortable reacting and places your body where it needs to go).
Finally, just for your kicks, I notice a lot of krav guys don’t use your front leg kicks. USE THEM. Your front nut kick is super quick and super hard to NOT react to, setting you up for punches.
cheers mate
Re: Tips for sparring
Here’s a short blog post I wrote on the subject http://wp.me/p3DRhq-2n a few weeks ago. Let me know your thoughts on it.
Re: Tips for sparring
quote t-krav:Here’s a short blog post I wrote on the subject http://wp.me/p3DRhq-2n a few weeks ago. Let me know your thoughts on it.Good tips, thx for the post. – keep them coming~
I’d add shadowboxing, mirror work and copious amounts of Bas
Re: Tips for sparring
quote CJs Dad:Good tips, thx for the post. – keep them coming~I’d add shadowboxing, mirror work and copious amounts of Bas
Love me some Bas 3 minute rounds. I even have a Bas Rutten soundboard on my phone and ipad. “I’m sorry sir….Baung, no I’m not!”
Re: Tips for sparring
Did Bas “I go you go” with CJ this morning. (he holds for me/I hold for him) it really helps him learn to hold properly. We also do it both geared up my turn to hit you, you defend, then next combo Bas calls we switch he hits me I defend. Its a great drill I do with my classes.
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