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Traditional Martial Arts by Nathanael Verbeke, 4th Dan |
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Page 1,2,3,4
Sparring for self-defenseThe main difficulty of sparring practice is the maintenance of safety for the two participants. Even in mixed martial arts bouts certain techniques have been banned (such as finger jabs and strikes to the back of the head) because of the danger to the competitors. Traditional martial arts schools can overcome this problem by utilizing various forms of sparring. The first form of sparring is point fighting. In this style of sparring competitors are not allowed to execute techniques to the groin, back, or back of the head. They are also unable to execute finger jabs, grabs, or throws. The goal is to hit your opponent with a controlled technique in a legal target area thereby securing a point. At the end of the match the fighter with the most points wins. This style of sparring develops timing, speed and stamina. It will not, however, prepare a martial artist against an attack outside the limitations of these rules. The next form of sparring is one-step fighting. In this style of sparring one martial artist acts as attacker while the other defends. During the beginning stages of this training the attack is agreed upon beforehand and the defending martial artist concentrates upon performing a counter-technique that is reliable and effective. For advanced practitioners the attack is not pre-determined forcing the defender to react instinctively. Because this form of sparring is more controlled it allows the defender to use the full range of their techniques, including joint locks and throws. Advanced practitioners can also practice this form of sparring against a weapon such as a knife or stick. Another variation of one-step fighting is to give the attacker the freedom to attack with any technique, but to limit the defender to only a block and counter movement. From this exercise students realize how a simple technique can be applied to nearly endless self-defense situations. The last form of sparring is intended only for advanced practitioners. In this style of sparring all techniques are allowed but are not performed at full speed. In this way martial artists can safely practice any variation of their techniques including knees, elbows, and grappling. This helps the martial artist comfortably move from long range to short range fighting. Within this framework it is possible for practitioners to be creative and practice any variation of sparring, the only limitation being their imagination and skill level.
Integrated
Curriculum
The goal of martial arts training is to provide students with the tools necessary to defend themselves. Like a painter they should be able to take individual colors (martial techniques) mix them together depending upon the desired result (type of attack) to produce a unique piece of art (fighting ability). This requires unrestricted creativity and adaptation. The first step to developing this kind of martial artist in a traditional school is to employ an integrated approach to the typical training formula. It is a fallacy to believe that traditional martial arts training can be broken down into unconnected modes of practice and still be a fully effective form of self-defense. For example, a student learning the form Pyung Ahn Ee Dan should start by memorizing the sequence of movements. Next they should concentrate upon developing force in their technique. After this they should learn the fighting applications of the form and how those fighting techniques relate to their one-step sparring and free sparring. For example, a typical beginning one-step fighting sequence is an evasion from a punch followed by a counter punch. In Pyung Ahn Ee Dan this same evasion is practiced but with a counter front kick strike to the armpit. When students have mastered this movement they can add grappling techniques, such as a take down or arm bar, which they have learned from self-defense one-steps. This same movement can then be applied to a kicking attack or weapon attack with a knife or stick. In this way students have combined basics, forms and fighting in one sequence of movement against a variety of possible attack.
Conclusion All martial arts training should be pursued with the goal of developing fighting ability, which in traditional martial arts schools means training for self-defense. This requires a high degree of concentration, commitment and physical effort. From this the byproducts that have made traditional martial arts training famous; such as increased focus, physical fitness, flexibility and discipline, inevitably result. Above all, students should keep in mind that every physical conflict has three possible outcomes: one; the student emerges without injury; two, the student is injured; or three, both combatants are injured. The intensity of training should reflect these odds.
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