Purpose

Sparring looks like fighting, but it isn’t. It is a controlled, restrained version of fighting.

Most people start out scared of sparring, and their ease grows over time. Until this happen they simply cannot do it well.

The problem is, some people start to feel too comfortable. This is also a problem.

Let’s say somebody is new to sparring, and tense. They hop forward and throw a round kick just to be doing something. That is just fine.

Let’s say somebody else has been sparring a lot, and is totally comfortable. They hop forward and throw a round kick just to be doing something. This is very, very bad.

A person who is at home in sparring should act as if they were in a real fight. Would you just hop up in a real fight and throw a round kick? Why?

The kick will not land if the adversary knows anything at all. So there you are, on one leg, wide open for no reason.

If there is a plan, this is fine. For a middle-skill person, it can be a brain plan. For a high-level person is should be automatic.

The kick could be to draw the opponent’s defense out of line. How do you take advantage of it? Perhaps a reverse punch. What comes after the punch? In any case, there can be absolutely no pause between the techniques. It must be an explosion of movement.

Let’s also assume that the opponent survives every technique of the assault. What next? Sparring is wonderful training for this as the opponent always survives. After executing this explosion of technique one must get out of range again instantly. Either that, or take the adversary to the ground. No stopping within danger range.

It may sound rude, but you never give him a chance.

Just like fighting.