As an experienced martial artist and occasional instructor, Craig
Markham recognizes the important role that sparring has in the development of a martial artist. Good sparring sessions will allow you
to practice new techniques and shore up any flaws that you may notice,
while also offering you the chance to put what you have learned into
practice so that you can get a better idea of how to use it in a
real-life situation. These pointers will help anybody who is new to
sparring and wants to make the most out of their sessions.
Stay Relaxed
It is always important to remember that sparring is used to help both you and your partner develop your techniques, so don’t approach the sessions as though they are full-blown fights. Never go completely 100% with your strikes or throws, as you risk causing damage to your sparring partner. If you accidentally strike harder than you intended to, make sure to apologize quickly and check on your partner. Failure to do so could lead to emotions getting frayed and a poor sparring session as a result.
Focus on The Basics
While sparring gives you the opportunity to try out new techniques, you should always place the majority of your focus on the basic throws, punches and kicks that make up the foundation of your martial art. Again, it all comes down to practice, as learning the basics and, as importantly, how to execute then properly will lay the groundwork for more complex techniques. Remember that all of the best martial artists have reached that point because they focused on the basics to the point where they became second nature.
Break Sessions Up
It may be tempting to try to get all of your sparring done in as long a session as possible, but this will often result in a loss of focus. Remember that sparring is supposed to help you to develop your techniques, making it especially useful if you are struggling with something. As such, it may be worth breaking your sparring sessions up into shorter segments, with each one being focused on a different aspect or technique that you wish to improve. This will ensure that you maintain your focus and achieve more during the course of your sessions.
Find Fresh Opponents
Craig Markham understands the importance of sparring with people of all shapes, sizes and abilities to get the most out of your sessions. If you become too comfortable sparring with a single person, you may find that much of what you have developed is less useful should you need to use it against someone with a different body type. For example, exclusively practicing throws with somebody lighter than yourself will not prove to be much use when you face someone heavier.
Stay RelaxedIt is always important to remember that sparring is used to help both you and your partner develop your techniques, so don’t approach the sessions as though they are full-blown fights. Never go completely 100% with your strikes or throws, as you risk causing damage to your sparring partner. If you accidentally strike harder than you intended to, make sure to apologize quickly and check on your partner. Failure to do so could lead to emotions getting frayed and a poor sparring session as a result.
Focus on The Basics
While sparring gives you the opportunity to try out new techniques, you should always place the majority of your focus on the basic throws, punches and kicks that make up the foundation of your martial art. Again, it all comes down to practice, as learning the basics and, as importantly, how to execute then properly will lay the groundwork for more complex techniques. Remember that all of the best martial artists have reached that point because they focused on the basics to the point where they became second nature.
Break Sessions Up
It may be tempting to try to get all of your sparring done in as long a session as possible, but this will often result in a loss of focus. Remember that sparring is supposed to help you to develop your techniques, making it especially useful if you are struggling with something. As such, it may be worth breaking your sparring sessions up into shorter segments, with each one being focused on a different aspect or technique that you wish to improve. This will ensure that you maintain your focus and achieve more during the course of your sessions.
Find Fresh Opponents
Craig Markham understands the importance of sparring with people of all shapes, sizes and abilities to get the most out of your sessions. If you become too comfortable sparring with a single person, you may find that much of what you have developed is less useful should you need to use it against someone with a different body type. For example, exclusively practicing throws with somebody lighter than yourself will not prove to be much use when you face someone heavier.
