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SPARRING PART 1
For any martial artist, sparring has to be one of the key elements of your training — it’s essentially what it all boils down to.
With regular sparring you will learn to deal with different opponent sizes, strengths, skill levels, fitness levels, strategies and tactics.
If possible you should try to conduct your sparring training within a limited area, either matted or a boxing ring. This will help you to acclimatise to the feeling of moving around the competition area with your opponent. You will also be able to practice controlling the centre of the fighting area and cutting off your opponent, trapping them in a corner. You can also practice your defensive manoeuvres to avoid getting trapped yourself!
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>Light technical sparring
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Sparring Categories
Even for full-contact fighters, sparring can be split into three levels. Semi-contact fighters will use the first two levels:
- 1. Light ‘Technical’ Sparring
- 2. Full Speed Sparring
- 3. Heavy ‘Full-Contact’ Sparring
Light ‘Technical’ Sparring
Light sparring should be very technical, focusing on effective use of footwork, distance, speed and timing. It is also an opportunity to try out some different techniques or tactics on your opponent, without fear of having your head taken off! This kind of sparring can be very valuable and should not be dismissed as inappropriate by fighters.
Technical sparring allows fighters to develop their repertoire, adding to their list of techniques and tactics that will emerge when under pressure. If you continually spar full speed (under pressure) these new skills will never emerge. It is possible to practice technical sparring without any protective equipment (as long as both partners have sufficient ability to control their techniques), and can help to remind both partners of the contact level.
Full Speed Sparring
Whenever sparring beyond the light technical level, you should always wear appropriate protective equipment. This must always consist of a minimum of a pair of semi contact mitts, kick boots, a gum-shield and a groin guard. Full speed sparring will place high demands on your fitness and timing, and will naturally place both sparring partners under more pressure. This pressure will affect the techniques employed by both fighters. Fine motor skills will desert you, and gross motor skills will tend to prevail. Only techniques that you have trained enough to be ‘second nature’ will be successful, while those requiring conscious effort will feel cumbersome in comparison.
The exact contact level for this kind of sparring is difficult to substantiate, but it is generally agreed that techniques should make contact with the targets but not excessively – you shouldn’t be seeing any bloody noses etc. Both partners should be in agreement of the contact level acceptable.
Heavy ‘Full-Contact’ Sparring
When full-contact sparring you must use relevant safety equipment, which is a minimum of a pair of 10 oz gloves, a gum-shield and a groin guard. Depending on your fighting status (and your attitude to injuries), full-contact fighters should also consider shin pads and head guards.
When heavy-contact sparring it is important that both partners are consenting! Before you both touch gloves to begin sparring, the exact level of contact should be agreed between you both. When sparring with members from your own club, it is usual to not spar ‘continuous’ unless you specifically decide to. This means that if one of the fighters is caught by a ‘good’ shot, i.e. one that lands on-target with power, then a subtle break is given and acknowledgment of a scoring blow indicated by both fighters. Rather than moving in to finish them off with follow-up knock out blows! If continuous sparring is the order of the day, then relative safety equipment must be worn.
Full contact sparring allows you to test not only your technical ability under pressure, but also both your fitness and your body conditioning. Your body must be accustomed to taking the punishment of a fight. And that relates to the cardio vascular and anaerobic demands, as well as the localised impact of strikes on various targets on the body.
It is important that you are desensitised to the sensations that your nervous system will generate when various parts of your anatomy are hit. By receiving blows on your body you can reduce the likelihood of a ‘shock’ response resulting from a painful strike that you haven’t experienced before. This doesn’t mean you should go out and start kicking trees with your shins, or head butting brick walls, but that controlled exposure to safe levels of contact will enhance your body’s ability to function effectively when under physical attack!
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>Full contact sparring
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Remember, heavy contact sparring isn’t about trying to injure your sparring partner (or yourself!) it’s a learning tool for you both. Getting injured only means that you must rest completely (or at least reduce your activity) which will obviously slow your progress.
Sparring Sub-categories
Each ‘level’ of contact regardless of intensity will also generally fall into one of three sub-categories:
1. Structured sparing
2. Themed sparring
3. Free Sparring
Structured sparring is performed using previously specified techniques. For example, person A attacks with a rear leg round kick while person B defends and counters as they see fit. This sparring category is useful in forcing fighters to work on an area that they may be weak in, or in developing a natural response to an opponents’ favourite combinations before a fight.
Themed sparring may specify that a particular fighting range is focused on, or a fighting style is utilised (aggressive, counter, elusive or tricky). Fighters are given far more freedom to use natural techniques for them, but within a pre-specified theme. Themes should be picked that will develop fighters beyond their current level and encourage a well-rounded mix of abilities.
Free sparring allows the fighters to do what ever they wish, and most closely resembles competitive fighting. Contact levels can vary from ‘touch’ sparring which should be as technical as possible (focusing on distance, footwork and speed), to full contact sparring which should prepare fighters to give and receive full power techniques.
Timing Structure
It is important for an athlete of any kind to train in the manner in which they will perform in competition. Semi contact and full contact fighters need to work extremely hard for a complete round, and then recover within a defined rest period - and then work hard again!
If your are using the Martial Concept CD, then the interval periods in-between rounds are proportional to the length of the working round, i.e.
1 minute working round = 15 seconds rest
2 minute working round = 30 seconds rest
3 minute working round = 60 seconds rest
Lighter contact / lower energy sparring will not require a rest between rounds, and this interval can be used to interject some higher energy drills – press ups, sit ups, standing squats, tuck jumps etc.
During full speed and heavy contact sparring the CD round timings will be used as a ‘working round’ followed by a short ‘rest period’. Your level of fitness (or the length of the rounds in your up-and-coming bout) will affect your choice of training round duration. Generally, you should aim to use the longest rounds possible and to work for more rounds than you’ll need in competition. Remember the maxim ‘Train hard, fight easy.’
Next month we will look at some specific timer training drills for your sparring practice.
If you missed any previous Timer Training articles, you can see them at the Martial Concept website – www.martialconcept.co.uk.
For more information regarding the Timer Training Mix or timer training, please e-mail info@martialconcept.com.
You can buy the Timer Training Mix online at www.martialconcept.co.uk for £11.99 – free UK delivery (buy online and receive a free user’s e-guide). Or see the advert elsewhere in this issue.
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