Kumite (sparring)

[Akai Shizuku]

Hey. I just need some advice about kumite (sparring). I've been wondering about how you can overcome that little worrier inside your head that tells you not to injure your kumite opponent. I can't spar to the best of my ability with this psychological problem, and I've taken some hard hits (I'm currently a white belt and was sparring with a brown belt. He launched a roundhouse kick to my head, and although I was wearing protective gear, I heard a snap in my neck. The scary thing is that it didn't hurt.) beause of it. I know that in unarmed kumite, it is very unlikely to injure a higher ranking belt (which is who I usually spar with), but that voice in my head holds me back. Please help me with this problem. I appreciate it alot. Thanks!

[sirdarksol]

Take a couple more roundhouse kicks to the head???
This is actually a halfway serious statement. If you get hit hard often enough, and if you are trying to put your all into the kumite, you should eventually shut the little worrying dude in your head up, or at least drown him out
Also, talk to some of your sparring partners. Ask if you can get some help, perhaps before or after class, building up to putting force into your strikes. They can spend this time working at convincing you that you probably won't seriously hurt them while giving you a chance to build up to it.

[SuperCrew]

Normally it is a "feeling out" process. By this I mean that the first 25 seconds or so you are basically seeing what the other guy is going to throw and you both get more agressive. If you are talking about sparring with the same group of people, you will pretty much learn them after a few rounds with each of them.

I have found that talking to some of the more experienced belts has helpped me alot. I have actually asked them to pick it up a little when sparring me to help me to get better. In a short while you will know what is the "right" force to use in your regular sparring. We actaully have a 25%, 50%, and 75% rule that you can work out with your oppenent (we never go at 100% force in our sparring unless it is with an instructor).

[Chapel]

Just focus on hitting a bit harder each time. There isn't going to be a magical bullet that takes away your fear of hurting someone. I guess the best way to over come this is to realize that you aren't superman. Even your strongest hit on padding probably won't take someone down in a single shot.

By the way, it is vital for you to overcome this fear as you will become conditioned to not hitting people and end up in a heap of trouble in a real life situation.

[Drknmnky]

Originally Posted by Akai Shizuku

Hey. I just need some advice about kumite (sparring). I've been wondering about how you can overcome that little worrier inside your head that tells you not to injure your kumite opponent. I can't spar to the best of my ability with this psychological problem, and I've taken some hard hits (I'm currently a white belt and was sparring with a brown belt. He launched a roundhouse kick to my head, and although I was wearing protective gear, I heard a snap in my neck. The scary thing is that it didn't hurt.) beause of it. I know that in unarmed kumite, it is very unlikely to injure a higher ranking belt (which is who I usually spar with), but that voice in my head holds me back. Please help me with this problem. I appreciate it alot. Thanks!

i agree with all of them, also dont try to go all out. it not like your trying to kill them and you two are sparring you both know what can happen your bodies are put throw training so you can take a hit if you need to

[Sensei Tom OBrien]

First I would like to say that you are doing the right thing by sparring with higher-ranking or better opponents, you learn more. I also believe you should always spar with new people as well because they come from the street and fight more like what you will encounter in the street. The brown belt that clocked you should have had more control. If you are doing light contact to the head then that’s what it should be 'light'. After a while you should start hitting harder to the body by experience. As someone else said after you take a few more shots you will start to get your distance and hit harder and harder.

Thanks,
Sensei Tom

[disgruntled]

i have the same problem this is what i did/am doing..... first get hit a lot during sparring by people your own level (don't try to get hit, but charge them and stay in hitting range) each time i get hit i smarten up and say, wow that wasn't that bad (well not all the time but most the time) and to learn to hit someone i like to go partner up with guys build like a bull and are higher ranking than me... that way i pull my kicks/punches less because i know they can take it....

keep in mind that you always should pull your kicks a bit because it is dangerous, but you gotta learn what strength is the best to accomlish what you need to do.

[Akai Shizuku]

Thanks...That voice in my head is gone now. However, every time I spar with this guy I get clocked. I suppose I have a little bit of a confidence problem. My sensei said that I did good after I sparred with the guy, but I don't feel like I did so well. My blocking is O.K., but I can't keep my hands up like I should and I have low stamina. Is this normal for a white belt? I just want to be the best I can be, but I feel incompetent.

[kenpodog]

Originally Posted by Akai Shizuku

My blocking is O.K., but I can't keep my hands up like I should and I have low stamina. Is this normal for a white belt? I just want to be the best I can be, but I feel incompetent.

That's EXCELLENT for a white belt ,
we don't spar until orange belt at our school.
Low stamina and keeping your hands up may be related.
Get in the habit of keeping your hands up all the time, during kicking drills, warm-ups, etc...

At Blue belt, I charged into a sidekick which broke a rib (no fun),
at 3rd Brown I ducked into a chicken wheel/roundhouse kick square in the mouth,
ankle rolled under my leg (still wear a ankle brace),
broken toe,
busted lip,
black eye,
etc... (the list goes on and on)

sirdarksol is right, after an injury or two you won't have any
problem hitting people and you'll protect yourself better.

spar often and have fun!!

[sirdarksol]

As kenpodog said, that's excellent for a white belt.
To me, the part that is excellent is the fact that you are aware of the problems you are facing. Many white belts don't pay attention to why they have issues with a certain thing.
For example: Instead of "I'm not bringing my knee high enough when I'm chambering for a roundhouse kick" they say "My roundhouse kicks don't go high enough."
That you acknowledge at least a couple of your weak areas means you will more quickly be able to get over them.
If you have access to a heavy bag, spar against it. Don't just take swings, but move around it. You can do the same thing if you get a friend (doesn't have to know MA) and a blocking shield (our school uses junior football rushing shields). Just instruct the friend to move around, turn to the side, forcing you to move with and strike from different angles.

[Akai Shizuku]

Thanks guys. By the way, you both have more reputation points now. I do think I can do a decent roundhouse kick, as against a bag I remember to bring my knee up before I snap it out. But in sparring for some reason I get tired more easily, forget to keep my hands up, and forget to bring my knee up before kicking. It results in clumsy swings that are unbecoming to a karateka. I tell myself to quit thinking about my own tiredness and get in the game, but my body just doesn't listen. Is this something that will eventually work itself out in training, or should I do something special to eliminate this weakness?

[nitanbo]

Akai

Keep at it .. Give it some time and you'll be kickin ass and taking names ,

As far as stamina.. that will come with time and pratice,


remember, have fun, try hard and just keep at it.



cya
nitanbo

[Akai Shizuku]

So I should just keep on going? Right on. Thanks.

[kenpodog]

Just to let you know,
Stamina has always been my biggest problem during sparring.

I seem to get winded sometime after the first match, but
I try to stay out there continusly or as much of the class as I can
even though I'm totally wiped out.

The most important thing when you begin to spar is.........
RELAX, fight the other guy and not yourself.
Avoid tensing/flexing any muscles that will get you
winded in a matter of seconds.

Stay Loose and you will be faster also!!

Tonight is sparring night at our school for 1+ hours,
so I'll be fighting with stamina again this week (like every week)!!

[sirdarksol]

Akai, I was using roundhouse kicks as an example because I was just learning them that night, not because I thought you had a problem with them. It was just the first thing that came to mind for me to use as an example.