Sparring
(Kyrogi) Sparring
(Kyrogi)
When practicing both partners should have the opportunity to train attacking and defending. Some opponents tend to charge in, while others prefer to respond. The people who respond don't hit any less hard, but usually produce a less intense fight.
Beginning sparrers have a tendancy to approach sparring like a fight and this results in them letting their adrenaline get the best of them. They begin to kick/punch way to hard. Even blocking can be bruising. A more advanced student could simply evade or redirect the kick. The best block is not being there.
An effective fighter is one who is flexible in his sparring. You will never defeat an opponent with a memorized combination of techniques. You must remain alert and be able to adapt to the situation.
Sparring Etiquette
Before sparring competitors must bow to opponent and referee. During sparring in a tournament, when competitor returns for round breaks, competitor must bow to coach before taking a seat. After sparring competitors must exchange handshakes before bowing to opponent and referee. In a tournament, competitors must exchange handshakes with opponent's coach after final round. At the tournament, when approaching another person to ask questions or when someone approaches, students and instructors must bow before speaking to show respect for others. Always assume the other person is of a higher ranking and never show disrespect, even when there is disagreement.
Sparring Rules
WTF has the following rules for competition sparring: no fist to the head, no low kicks and strikes, and no attack to the back or the back of the head is allowed. The ITF allows two additional techniques in competition: backhands to the head and foot sweeps.
Some people from other styles often complain about the WTF style of sparring because it does not allow punching to the head and that this is somehow not realistic.
In WTF sparring, punches very rarely score points. A good use for a punch is to jolt your opponent, and then kick off the punch. Or if you are in to tight to kick you can punch.
Strategies
Always look your opponent in the eye, and make sure you never look down. Watch your opponents arms and legs with your peripheral vision. Look at the big picture. If your opponent moves a lot don't move with him. Let them tire.
Work on being relaxed and focused before you step up there. Make sure you have control of your breathing and keep calm. Keep your hands up but not to high. You must look fierce and take charge. Anytime your opponent throws an attack from outside their comfortable zone, their yours.
Don't expend to much energy moving around outside of your opponents reach. Plan your movements, have objectivity. Follow through with your techniques, don't be half committal.
It's important to control your breathing, and keep the excitement out of your techniques. If your opponent throws a technique with their rear leg, kick them with your front leg to the midsection, fully committed, then punch if they have not fallen back. If the opponent throws a front leg technique, block by raising your front leg, then punch or roll your hip over and sidekick or, if they back away, step through and sidekick.
Watch the way they move. When people are moving backward, they are vulnerable to a solid shot. If they move to the front, punch them, then kick.
Never stop moving, stay on the balls of your feet bouncing. Always keep your head up, never look down. Look your opponent in the eye so you don't telegraph your move. Always keep your fist's tightly clenched to avoid injury to your fingers. When executing a spin or back kick, turn around quickly because many knockouts occur when your back is to the opponent. Use the front snap kick (ahp chagi) or push kick to block an opponents kick. Use a back kick as counter kick. Try to always attack with combinations using one kick to setup another, it is very ineffective to simply attack with one kick.
As a general rule with your stance, present as little target area to the opponent as possible. This leaves your front leg free to either use a jamming side kick to stop opponent from charging in or lift it up high to block.
Try to predict opponents next move. Once the opponent launches the technique, you can sometimes move forward to get out of harms way. If you can't evade a technique, you must block hard or the kick will get through. You shouldn't get in the habbit of blocking by raising your leg. You will continually smash shins & knees. Counter with opposite leg.
Try to fight from within your comfort zone, if you cann do this you can direct the fight. Plan and execute strategies that you know.
Techniques against a smaller opponent
A smaller person can't block a kick by a taller and heavier person. They have to evade or take damage. Even if your kick is not super quick, you can still push through a smaller opponents defense and knock them off balance. This allow you to score with a follow-up technique.
Keep smaller opponents back; they will naturally want to get close and inside your reach. Punch to make room, or even use a push kick.
Techniques against out of control opponents
When sparring against an out of control opponent being aggressive is usually better than not. Moving to attack positions is best accomplished quickly, but control is the essence of the art.
With out of control people, it is the job of the referee to control these competitors. If you get kicked in the back of the head or in the back, the referee should give a warning, and if it happens again, another warning, which would mean a deduction point.
One thing to remember about sparring with out of control people is that the fact that they are out of control means they are not thinking when they fight.
You do not have to spar your opponent the same way that he "fights" with you. Some say you cannot fight fire with fire. You need to use water. In Korea the principle of Uhm and Yang are prevalent in these types of situations. Uhm and Yang can be interpreted that if someone acts in a violent and uncontrolled manner toward you, you should act the opposite of it. This doesn't mean you just stand there and get beat to a pulp, but instead use your opponent's own aggression, anger and violence against themselves. You blend with your attacker's own aggression and return it to them as seen in the Muk and Yum of the Korean Kuk-ki. For example if your opponent were to charge at you with multiple kicks, trying to block the attacks and counter with your own would be a foolish waste of energy and strength. Rather, move away from your opponent's attacks, and let him or her tire themselves out, and counter only when you "feel" that the time is appropriate to counter. Blend with your attacker, not against him.
However, sometimes it is practical to fight fire with fire. If two people were to spar each other in an overly aggressive way, the one who is more aggressive is likely to win. What happens if you are not as strong or aggressive as your opponent? The concept of uhm and Yan opens a pathway for a smaller and less aggressive person to follow. If you relent in your aggressiveness, eventually the opponent will tire and will allow him or her self to be open for counters. An opponent attacks, you relent; your opponent tires, you counter. One way embraces another; giving in to get your way.
OFFENSIVE STRATEGIES
With all the below techniques, the first move must be to close the distance between you and your opponent so you are in striking distance. Always fake a move before executing a kicking technique, or else you set your self up for a counter attack. The following items are listed in the format of technique # - initial stance (open or closed). Then actual attack technique.
DEFENSIVE STRATEGIES:
The next series of techniques are employed when your opponent attacks first. Your opponent is most vulnerable when he is launching an attack. The following items are listed it the format: a(attack technique) initial stance (open or closed). defensive technique.
Stepping techniques (Poom Bal Ki)
1) Skipping in step (Chunjin step) - the rear foot is brought up to the front foot and then the front foot is slid forward. Advanced students will slide both feet forward at the same time, but it is strongly recommended that people learn the first way initially (sliding the back foot up then sliding the front foot forward). Do NOT move the front foot before sliding the rear foot. This is an advancing step. The korean slang for this now is Front Step.
2) Skipping back step (Whojin step) - is the opposite of Chunjin step. In whojin step, the front foot is slid back towards the rear foot, before the rear foot slides back. Advanced students may slide both feet back at the same time. Do NOT slide the back foot before the front foot. This is a retreating step. The korean slang for this now is Back Step.
3) One step forward (ilbo chunjin step) - is done by taking a natural step forward with the rear foot in as straight a line as possible. The shoulder initiates the motion and the body and foot follow through. The front foot acts merely as a pivot point and does NOT slide forward before the rear foot steps.
4) One step back (ilbo whojin step) - is the opposite of Ilbo Chunjin step and is done by taking the front foot and stepping back as straight as possible. Again the shoulder initiates the movement. Most people find Ilbo who jin step easier to do when they move their shoulder first because the body then naturally follows the shoulder.
In order to do these steps, one must have the proper stance. There are many variations, but all involve a "weight forward" approach, where more of your weight is situated over the front foot. The weight distribution can be as little as 51/49 front/back, but 55/45 or 60/40 seems to feel comfortable to most people. You will have an extremely difficult time of incorporating the steps if your natural fighting position involves a back stance because your momentum and energy will be towards retreating and you will have to take the time to shift your weight forward before performing an offensive movement. Back stance at a WTF tournament is a very obvious, very big no no. There hasn't been too many national team members in recent history who adopted a back stance and were successful.
