Hi all.
Here are a few questions about the sparring you do:
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
Why, I am asking this questions should be easy to spot, if not I will tell you later.
Seeya.
Re: Sparring questions??
Originally posted by Laughing Cow
[B]Hi all.
Here are a few questions about the sparring you do:
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
Why, I am asking this questions should be easy to spot, if not I will tell you later.
Seeya. [/B]
Now and then
I try to
Usually anything goes. Sometimes we limit it to only hands, or nothing above the shoulder.
If you are wearing boxing gloves, you tend to look like you are doing kickboxing.
No, he does the analysis at the end.
Re: Sparring questions??
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
Yep, as well as various other methods.
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
I try to concentrate on making my sparring as reflective of my style as possible. I know that my styles techniques are awesome, so I work to perfect them. Sometimes, however, such as when boxed into a corner, the old HULK SMASH mentality kicks in and it looks nothing like my style! 
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
Sometimes.
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
The newer guys tend to look like kickboxers. More experienced guys spar with a greater control and deeper reflection of the style.
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
Of course not. Especially if it works!
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
yeah, sometimes
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
always
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
I usually pick a technique or two and try to use it during the seesion. If it works, great. If not, I try it until I get it. Of course, it won’t be the only technique I use, but I do look for opportunities to use it.
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
looks like kickboxing. I kickbox though, so it’s cool.
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
of course not. That’s best left for AFTER the match.
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
Only with my friend, at my school great care is placed on technique.
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
All the time.
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
If I am sparring someone of less skill maybe, gives me a chance to go back to some basics and work on them.
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
The style that I train. We’re the most authentic looking kung fu sparrers I’ve seen in my area.
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
If he catches something major sure he’ll tell you that you’re doing it wrong and correct it. Also the person you’re sparring might do the same.
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
Yes Sometimes
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
Yes
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
Depends
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
I’ve trained san shou, so i guess to an extent, but there are things about how we spar that kickboxers don’t use.
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
yes
Originally posted by SevenStar
[B]4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
looks like kickboxing. I kickbox though, so it’s cool.
[/B]
LOL.
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
Currently we do a couple different free sparring drills.
Of course, we do traditional free wrestling. I want to throw you and you want to throw me. No striking or groundwork. I also practice an adapted form of Tai Chi push hands. We will follow the push hand format (yielding, sticking, following, leading, etc.)
But we add in the Shuai Chiao legs to complete our throws. The idea is to learn how to find the correct throwing opportunity in push hands and then learn how to apply the skill in free wrestling.
In a couple weeks, we are going to start sparring with striking. Muay Thai and Boxing. I’m not 100 % sure, but I think I read on the internet somewhere that both of those styles believe in free sparring as well.
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
That’s the whole point. Sparring is not a fight. Sparring is a tool that you use to develop your technique. It teaches you how to use a technique when the other guy is trying to prevent you from applying it. If all you want to do is fight, go find a local Toughman contest.
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
Not per se. Free sparring should be mostly inrestricted, because if you see an opportunity, you should capitalize on it. Don’t pass up an opportunity because you don’t want to practice that throw today One of the “Big Ideas” in sparring is learning when it is appropriate to apply what technique. Merryprankster likes to call this “High Percentage Techniques” but I think it’s more a matter of YOU learning when YOU are able to pull off which techniques and which you aren’t. This is also the place you figure out which techniques are good for YOU to learn.
We do practice a lot of live throwing drills though. My goal may be to throw you with a hip throw. Your goal may be to stop my attack and counter with a head mopping throw. But those drills develop different attributes than free fighting.
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
Get this question out of your head. Immediately. What does Kung Fu look like? I have no idea. I know what Shuai Chiao looks like in sparring, because I train it. I don’t know what Hun Gar looks like in sparring because I have never seen it. What does a strong punch “look” like? What does a solid throw “look” like? Worry about how effective the techniquesare that you are learning. Don’t worry what it looks like. Shuai Chiao is ugly as [size=2]he[/size]ll in free fighting, but it works!
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style
No
or use a tech from the style wrong?
Only if it was inefficient. Otherwise, it’s basically trial and error.
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
Yes. Sometimes full contact with lots of pads, sometimes with little pads, sometimes in street clothing. Sometimes not full contact, but with various other limitations for various training methodology reasons I probably dont understand. We call it progressive sparring, and I think there is even 17 specific ‘levels’ or ‘limitations’ depending on who you talk to.
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
How could I possibly not use my style’s techniques during sparring? Of course I do, they are all mine. To actually defeat my opponent in various ways, I use my hands, feet, arms, legs, shoulders, hips, head, etc.
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
Often. We call it drilling.
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
I dont train kick boxing.
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
As far as sparring goes, the teacher doesnt interfere if thats what your suggesting. As for your actual question, huh?
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
I haven’t done much sparring over the last few months. Mainly working drills, practicing techniques and doing forms. However I get to use my stuff on resisting opponents in the real world about once a month. My job has some perks:D.
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
I lose sleep over this one, lol. if it works and I know what I’m trying to accomplish, I don’t care what it looks like.
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style
yea the same way someone will stop the fight in the street if someone does something unorthodox.
or use a tech from the style wrong?
if your usage of the tech works then it ain’t wrong
1.)Free Spar?
Yep. No takedowns, strikes to the leg. Beat the hell out the groin, though
2.) Usestyle-specific techniques?
Honestly, at my dojo, it’s not really emphasized. 
3.) Work those techs into sparring?
Not usually
4.) Appear to be kick-boxing or style?
Neither, actually. If something looks like kickboxing, it’s probably ****ing kickboxing (I hope the word before kickboxing doesn’t get edited out. Be ****ing tragic). What’s taken the moniker kickboxing looks like really, really poor fighters fighting with poor technique. Lack of training, control, experience are all sadly evident in these “kickboxing” (I hate quotation marks) devolutions.
If something looks like one’s style, and I’m just hazarding a guess that by style, it resembles the techniques contained within the forms, then yeah. Can’t say this for any kung fu styles (as the two fights involving kung fu students I’ve seen were in the lower ranking point sparring matches I participated in) but . . . what? A martial art gives you the tools to whup the **** outta somebody. Doesn’t matter if someone’s Dragon-Clears-His-Path looked like a ****ing Dragon Clearing Himself a God-****ed Path or the Pivot-Step-Into-Wrist-Break looked like the ****ing guard position in Chinto. You get the tools. You use them. It’s your style if you’ve trained in your ****ing style. You take what you can make work in the sit-chi-a-shun. Or something.
5.) Does teach stop the match, correct technique?
Not usually, unless a body hits the floor.
With all due respect to my sensei, and God knows I have the utmost respect, a lot of love, and a big-as-all-hell debt, for and to him, it seemed our stuff was slowly sliding down McDojo highway just before my black belt test. Now, when it came to the higher grades, those of us who’ve been ta hell an back with 'im, we sometimes get to the hardcore, this is what this technique could do to your granmama’s spleen kinda stuff. But, with the lower ranks, we started doing Chanbara (can’t even pronounce the ****ing name). Foam sword fighting. Got it started after seeing it at a ****ing tournament. Got the kids fired up (the only way we were keeping the doors to that small-ass house open). Then, got adults doing it. Not my bag. I’m a form, form, form, footwork, footwork, bagwork, bagwork kinda guy. Sparring is cool, but often times, as it’s been said, **** devolves to, well, ****.
Don’t know what shape our school’s in right now. I go up there occasionally to hang out with my girlfriend while her nephew’s in class. Don’t recogize half those kids. Don’t really pay attention to the class workout, though.
Another month, time to become a badass again.
~Peace~
sisok i think would rather we figure out what works and what doesn’t with our hands, feet and face. if our hands and feet don’t figure it out, the face will.
and no technique from a style is really all that wrong. application may be (not gonna use my hands to block a kick to my shin, because that’ll leave my head and other bits way the **** open). if i’m sparring and mainly focusing on wing tsun with my opponent, and i can sneak a roundhouse or spinning backfist in, all the better. i expect the same from my partners – if i’m leaving an opening, take it. press me and make me work for it.
Actually, when I kickbox, it looks like bagua! :eek:
Originally posted by Water Dragon
[B][i]
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
Not per se. Free sparring should be mostly inrestricted, because if you see an opportunity, you should capitalize on it. Don’t pass up an opportunity because you don’t want to practice that throw today One of the “Big Ideas” in sparring is learning when it is appropriate to apply what technique. Merryprankster likes to call this “High Percentage Techniques” but I think it’s more a matter of YOU learning when YOU are able to pull off which techniques and which you aren’t. This is also the place you figure out which techniques are good for YOU to learn.
[/B]
It should be irrestricted, but by going into it with a goal of using specific techniques, you’re getting yourself in the habit of being able to recognize the opening for applying a specific technique or principle. Also, it will make you more versatile. I stopped using the kimura during grappling, because about 95% of my taps come from some form of kimura or americana. It’s very high percentage for me, but I needed to be able to be just as effective with other techniques also.
Say I want to work on my uchi mata (ho ti). I will use whatever technique I have the opportunity to use, but I am specifically looking for a way to set up my uchi mata.
interestin inquiry…
i think everyone here can attest to what works for them(hopefully) so i’ll shed some light on some jow ga “sparrin”…
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
“free” sparrin, not much in the beginner or intermediate levels as this helps very little to develop a strong foundation. anything goes? no, its a trainin drill. however, we do drill the obvious maimin techniques apart from free sparrin.
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
yes and no. generally, we don’t believe “jow ga” vs “jow ga” is very productive b/c we’re already familiar w/ the style and how to defend against it, so its more fruitless than anything. rather, we have a “jow ga” guy then a “dummy” guy(usually kickboxer, karate, tkd impressionist). and rather than free spar, we try to focus on specific techniques or concepts to develop(includin footwork and other attributes). so in that sense, YES! all the time…(i honestly don’t see why people have such a hard time doin this, its jus like trainin boxin, if u have a qualified teacher w/ experience to show u properly and u must develop it like anything else-then again jow ga is really combat intensive).
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
(see above)
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
is it “beauty” in motion? hardly. is it effective and to the point, of course.
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
generally no, usually sifu’s too busy sittin on the sidelines w/ popcorn and soda laughin in amusement 
but when i train w/ other sihings, OOHHH yeah! they’re on ya like white on rice! only b/c they know what u r and r not sposta be workin on for the session. so they try to help develop the specified techniques as opposed to allowin u to delude urself out of progressin further w/ the focus of that session.
good questions man, though some may not be relavent, i got the gist that people should be constantly assessin their trainin and their progress. i agree w/ the way someone said on here earlier that people should take sparrin in stride and not all @ one time. i guarantee u(here goes my example again) that if u tried this experiment, ur results would be this: if u had 2 groups of 5 people and allowed each group to train for 6 months in a prescribed manner. group A simply free spars from scratch and learns through trial and error(includin whatever is practiced in class). and u have group B train certain drills and small attributes to solidify their foundation, u give them a few basic techniques and let them work those repeatedly for 6 months(in a certain trainin process) after those 6 months, u can pit the 2 groups against eachother. i can guarantee u that even though group A may be able to use a few techniques and may know a lot more through trial and error, group B through a pre-defined, consistent, simple method(which included periodic “free” sparrin" w/ drills) will spank them by AT LEAST 4 out of 5 matches, that ONE bein if one of the guys had some previous trainin and experience.
point-u must assess how u train and ur learnin(growth) curve. everyone is responsible for their own in the end and can blame noone else if given the tools to succeed but they do not. ask questions, learn different methods, but take responsibility for ur own development.(okay, i’m tired, sorry so long )
We only start sparring in our class once you’ve got some skill, and conditioning. I think this is because most everyone in the class has been doing the internals for a bit and are a fair bit stronger, skilled and better conditioned than me. Which leads me to believe it must be quite hard sparring too.
It’s also quite annoying though, that there’s no sparring for me at the moment, although there are plenty of two man drills to be going on with. And I don’t think it’ll be long before I’m allowed to start playing.
Sorry, just felt the need to share.
Re: Sparring questions??
Originally posted by Laughing Cow
[B]Hi all.
Here are a few questions about the sparring you do:
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
Why, I am asking this questions should be easy to spot, if not I will tell you later.
Seeya. [/B]
Yes.
Yes unless the technique is nasty and then I just do my forms.
Sometimes I will limit myself to only a set of techniques from a form. Sometimes I will only kick of punch or defend/evade. Sometimes I will focus on a target (i.e. the solor plexus) and try to hit that area with every technique. Just depends on my mood and waht I feel I need to work on.
Sometime it does, but I try to incoperate certain aspects from my stlye into my sparring. I really try to keep a good center line awareness when I fight and my guard tends to reflect that.
No. They will provide a running comentary of “that didn’t work.” or “You didn’t see that one coming.” They will critique youafterwards as to what techniques you may want to try based upon your strengths, body mechanics, etc., but they will not stop you unless someone got hurt.
Re: Sparring questions??
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
Not literally “anything goes.” But my sparring has gotten more and more permissive over the years. Started in taekwondo, which was mostly high kicks in sparring (though punches were permitted, if not emphasized).
After that, it was eskrima. The hand-to-hand got more freestyle, though there was still not much contact involved. Low kicks, light elbow strikes, more handwork, and the occassional sweep were all keenly encouraged (though still not taught well enough to make them really useful).
Then, things got eclectic. The contact level increased. Takedowns (albeit inexpert takedowns) were allowed. (I was in college by then, and training with whomever was available, making our own rules.)
Now, I’m trying to learn more about grappling, so that I can incorporate that as well. So is my sparring completely freestyle? No. But it’s getting more free as I go along.
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
Taekwondo and kickboxing, certainly. Eskrima mano mano, not so much. But I’m beginning to train that more, so I can incorporate workable guntings (limb attacks) and the like. I’d also like to incorporate padded weapons into empty-hand sparring, so that a knife could suddenly come into play.
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
Sometimes I work sparring drills, yeah. Concentrate on offense, on defense, on the jab, whatever.
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
One and the same really. But, once again, let’s make it clear that kung fu stylists who aren’t managing to “look like their style” also don’t look like kickboxing. Not to anyone with significant kickboxing experience, anyway. They just look… basic. World of difference.
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
Don’t really have a sifu at the moment. More like training partners. But no, no coach, sifu, etc. has stopped us to correct us in mid session. That’s a highly irritating practice. Success or failure in sparring doesn’t happen from moment to moment or move to move. It happens in the bigger picture. The course of a sparring match (session, whatever). I don’t want to be stopped just because I got tagged with a good jab cross. That breaks the flow of my potential recovery and counter. And I need to learn to do both things. Take the hits, roll with them, regain my composure, and take the fight back to the other guy. Breaking the rhythm of a match is a bad idea, in my opinion.
Why, I am asking this questions should be easy to spot, if not I will tell you later.
Yeah, I think I know where this is headed. But let’s see.
Stuart B.
1.) Do you do free-sparring (anything goes)?
Yes
2.) Do you use your styles techniques during sparring?
What the hell does this question mean? It’s free-sparring.
3.) Do you work a few techs per sparring session?
Depends on who I’m with. If you want to get the most out of sparring you have to pick what you do. If I’m working with somebody’s who’s ass I can kick, I work on something I’m not very good at. If I’m working with somebody who’s about my level, I open up my arsenal. If I’m working with somebody who’s better than me, I open up my arsenal, but am forced to respond to what they are doing and identify my weaknesses.
4.) Does your sparring look like kick-boxing or the style you train?
Wrong Question. But thanks for playing our game!
5.) Does your Sifu stop and correct you when you use a tech not in the style or use a tech from the style wrong?
What the hell does “not using a technique in the style” mean? Am I the only person perplexed by this? If I’m doing something wrong, I might get told how to fix it in transit, but instruction is for later. I’m busy. I would get ****ED if I kept getting interrupted while I’m trying to spar.
What the hell does “not using a technique in the style” mean? Am I the only person perplexed by this?
Nope. I’m perplexed by it. I understand the question. I just can’t believe what an issue it is.
Stuart B.