Kumite/Sparring... Help!

A big part of Karate and martial arts in general is sparring and I've tried to improve but I feel like I'm not making much progress. I think it has alot to do with the fact that I don't  have the quickest reflexes out there and that I'm not "agile". And it certainly doesn't help when white belts can whip your butt.

I was wondering, was anyone else 'slow' in the beginning and then got better, or is it something that has to come naturally? Also, are there any tips or techniques or anything that would help me improve in sparring more quickly? Is this something you can acquire with practise or are there some people that won't ever be that good? I'd appreciate any input from anyone really..

Thanks heaps,
~Jenny

well, i can tell you when ever i have come back to judo from an extended brake, i am much slower than i am in my mind.  i surprize myself by how clumsy and slow i feel.  but as i work out, the movements come back to me, the rust rubs off and my agility improves.  I reccomend just sticking with it.  don't take the whitebelts whipping you personally, it is just a chalenge you can set for your own improvement. 

i don't know karate techniques, but in judo, there are movements that can be done repetitivly so that when i am fighting, they become second nature.  I like to find one or two of those techniques to focus on at a time, and do them over and over, both on my own and wth a partner... then work on combining them.  if you really want to improve more quickly, i would reccomend practicing those movements everyday... perhaps in your room when you are getting ready for the day?

I think with sparring that you have to both study the techniques and then work on applying them in sparring sessions.  When you're first starting or coming back from a break you might want to start working with the lightest person available to reduce the risk of injury and as you get better work your way up to heavier and more skilled opponents.

Thanks for your advice. It all makes sense - practice, practice, practice. I do have a sister who I can practice sparring with, so that'd probably help alot. Thanks again,
~Jenny

Sparring is the most difficult element of a martial art to master. Don’t be too hard on your self. This is how I was prepared to start sparring. To develop striking strength and over come the fear of hitting something I practiced striking a heavy punching bag. I developed combinations while striking the heavy bag, this helped develop my timing and distance. I started slow with light strikes and slowly build up the speed and power. Once I got comfortable striking the bag I started practice flow drills. You have probably seen this in boxing where one guy wears round target pads on his hands and the other strikes at them.

Sparring is about applying the basics with out thinking about it. The only way to get there is develop muscle memory, which of course leads us back to practicing the basics over and over. The only way to get good at sparring is to spar. Work on one or two combinations at a time. Go slow and have fun with it. Sparing is about developing your skills not knocking out your partner. Keep at it and in no time you will see yourself improving and your confidence growing.

Hello! Truly, kumite is challenging and down right scary! I recently took a good hit from my Sensei that left me bruised and bloody. Not fun, but an important lesson that left me wondering if Karate is something I should be doing at all. Indeed, after five years of training, it doesn't get easier. And it shouldn't: we should continue to challenge ourselves at each level we attain.

After I took my hit, my other Sensei said that because I'm slower (and older than most of my fellow karateka) I should take a more defensive approach. Watch and block...wait for the opening to score. Once they come in, there is an amount of vulnerability that can be advantageous. Learning where those openings are is where it's at. Also, we sometimes must take the hit in order to get in on our opponents. That means that once you are in, you need to stay in with continuous techniques and then get out.

For all my advice, I still have much to learn and put into practice. In fact, learning about myself is the only way to improve. That's really what it's all about.

Ossu!

Merster