Techniques to Improve Sparring

Sparring helps fighters develop and maintain their fighting skills. The more rigorous and thorough a sparring match is, the better trained and prepared a fighter will be. In order to get the most out of your sparring matches, you should employ a handful of simple pre-match and post-match techniques, as well as some during-match techniques.

  1. Reflecting on the Fight

    • As with any competitive sport or game, reflection plays a key role in allowing sparring combatants to pinpoint specific moments, moves or slip-ups that brought or lost victory. Some instructors prefer to reflect in the middle of a sparring match, using a teach-as-you-go instructional method. Other instructors eschew this method, insisting it interrupts the flow of the sparring match. These instructors prefer to wait until the match is settled. Many instructors, regardless of whether they reflect during a match or at the end, use video recording equipment to create and review tapes of sparring matches to show the combatants.

    Finishing Your Moves and Opponent

    • Many new fighters hesitate when their opponents become incapacitated, opening them up to feints and fakes. Similarly, these fighters also tend to engage in tag-sparring, in which fighters trade one hit before backing out and circling their opponent. Instructors such as Daniel Alix insist their sparring students finish three, four and five hit combinations before disengaging, which in turn enables them to also develop their ability to finish their opponent when he appears incapacitated.

    Playing to Your Strengths

    • As karate instructor and author of "Fighter's Fact Book" Loren Christensen indicates, a fighter's style relies directly on that fighter's strengths and weaknesses. Large, strong fighters might use a slower, more methodical and power-driven style, while lighter, faster fights will likely use a faster, frenetic, speed-driven style. Prior to any sparring match, combatants should carefully evaluate their strengths and weakness and tailor their style to highlight their strengths, while protecting their weaknesses. The best time to evaluate these strengths and weaknesses is during a mid-fight or after-fight reflection.

    Practicing Different Scenarios

    • Sparring matches often result in fighters finding themselves in a variety of different combat situations. Very rarely do sparring matches occur in which both fighters stand perfectly upright trading blows with each other in the center of a ring or mat. Both Alix and Christensen encourage fighters to place themselves in a variety of dominant and submissive fighting positions. For example, fighters can start the match on the ground or up against the ropes to practice fighting out of submissive fighting positions. Additionally, they can start on top of fighters on the ground or in front of fighters up against the ropes to practice capitalizing on dominant fighting positions.