As things at the school have slowly started to return to normal, sparring, in particular, is making a strong comeback! If you've seen some of your classmates bringing sparring gear to the school, chances are they have already started the next step in their training! Stay tuned as we explain what sparring is and how it can make you and your Kung Fu incredibly strong.
What is sparring? Why should I do it?
We often practice self-defense in class, but we cannot always predict how someone will attack us in real life. Sparring helps quicken your reaction time and trains your body to respond to attacks in real-time. Have you been told to keep your hands up during class? How many times? Sign up for sparring to find out why your instructors stress the importance of a proper fighting stance!
How do I start?
In recent months, you may have taken a kickboxing seminar or class. Guess what? You have actually been preparing to spar all along!
In kickboxing, we learn the movement of fighting and how to properly throw punches and kicks. We also learn how to move and strike with pad work. However, as one famous martial artist/movie star once said:
"Boards[pads], don't hit back." - Bruce Lee
Sparring puts these moves to the test and teaches students how to block while developing better reaction time.
Now that you have learned a couple of combinations and techniques, all that's left is to put on some gear and come to class! But if you haven't done kickboxing or sparring in the past don't worry, a good portion of each sparring class is spent on partner drills to ease newcomers in and also help more experienced students improve their technique. When the time comes to spar with a partner, students are always paired up according to size and level. In other words, the purpose of sparring is never to hurt the other person, but rather to strengthen both partner's technique overall. In fact, sparring encourages good etiquette and sportsmanship.
We hope to see you in class and in full gear soon! Also, stay tuned for weapon sparring in September!