Does anyone else do Taekwon-do or something similar? Any tips for sparring cos I keep getting hit on the head! There’s this one guy who really follows through on his punches even though we’re not really supposed to be hitting hard.
First question – is this full-contact, limited-contact or no-contact sparring? (I’m assuming limited-contact from your OP.)
First tip – keep your hands up! My taekwondo instructor taught us to keep our fists at just under chin level – that way you can bring them up to protect your face or drop them quickly to protect against a lower-level attack.
Second tip – check your stance and balance while you’re sparring. Are you sticking your head out? Are you keeping your chest and head centered over your pelvis, or are you leaning forward? If so, that’ll contribute to someone playing chin music on ya.
Third tip – be more aware of your defense. Are you concentrating so much on your next attack that you’re not blocking incoming attacks adequately?
Fourth tip – keep your head mobile. If you see an incoming punch, you may be able to lean your head enough to dodge or partially slip the punch (and be able to retaliate when your opponent’s off-balance from missing with his attack).
Fifth tip – keep your body mobile. Are you standing flat-footed, or are you moving around? A moving target (obviously) is a lot harder to hit.
That’s about all I can think of off the top of my head.
Are you looking for something besides “work on you blocking?”
Thanks. One problem I know I have is I tend to turn my head away from an incoming punch instead of raising my hands to protect it. Also I do tend to get a bit intimidated when sparring with the more aggresive people in my class (two in particular). It annoys me cos it always gets to me even when I try not to let it.
Sure, keep your guard up. 
Seriously – Tae Kwon Do is notorious for producing students that drop their lead hands (and sometimes both hands) when delivering those pretty high kicks (or sometimes even when preparing for the balance transfer that allows those pretty high kicks). Obviously, Tae Kwon Do can also produce some very fine fighters who display no such weaknes. I suspect, though, that you might still be struggling with the flexibility required to deliver some of your techniques without “unintended movement” of your guard.
Now, the following should be taken with these grains of salt: it’s been 5 years since I taught/trained seriously, I’ve never seen you spar, you haven’t provided details on when/how you are getting hit most often, there is no techniques guaranteed to work for everybody in any situation. Nevertheless, here are some quick sparrring tips:
[ul][li]Keep your eyes open–wide open–during all exchanges. Watch some students as they “lose” an exchange. You will be amazed how many of them shut their eyes.[/li][li]Blocks and deflections should be small movements–reaching for a block is simnply opening yourself up wider for the next technique.[/li][li]When you shadow box or hit the heavy bag pay at least as much attention to what the “rest of your body” does as what the striking limb does. A left hand should not require any motion of the right hand and only the subtlest shifting of the right shoulder. If you have to swing your arms to get that round kick up to his head, them kick him in the ribs instead. [/li][li]You are most vulnerable when you retreat straight back. Do so only when you have no ohter good option. (Unless/until you become a strong “counter” fighter, in which case precise control of distance is your true and dear friend.)[/li][li]Timing is more important than quickness, but only by a little. Work to develop both.[/li][li]In the early stages particulary, focus on 2 or 3 techniques that come “naturally” to you, especially things you find yourself relying on “unconsciously” when inside a sparring exchange. Practice those techniques both individually and in combination with each other. Make sure you have at least one “quick” technique and one “power” technique in the group.[/li][li]Understand the “natural” distance for your favorite techniques. Do not extend your reach to land a technique. If you hit, it will lack power, and you will be in poor position for a follow up. If it misses, you have sacrificed your defense and achieved nothing.[/li][li]Combinations. Always fight with combinations. If your first punch knocks a man out, the second should be swinging through the air as he hits the ground.[/li][li]Counter–every block & dodge should ideally contain a counterpunch/kick as part of the same motion. This is a very hard standard to approach in a dynamic situation, but it should always be your goal. [/li][li]Practice. A lot. Free sparring is not the only, or even the best, way to develop fighting technique. You do need the exercise in dynamic exchange, control of distance, timing, flow of technique, etc.–but you can accomplish a lot in “static” or “controlled” drills.[/li][li]Speaking of which–DRILL HARD! TKD almost always uses some form of 1-step drills to teach techniques. In 90% of the schools I have ever been in these are pretty much a waste of time as far as teaching fighting technique. That’s a fault of the students & teachers, though, not of the drills themselves. Any time you have the privelege opf working with anoither live human body, take advantage of it to the fuillest. Drill with intensity, focus, and most importantly PURPOSE. A controlled situation allows oyu to deeply explore individual elements of a technique. Any time you are not fully involved in what you are doing during a class, you are not doing your job as a student.[/li][li]Move your head. Your whole body, really, but your head in particular. Bob & weave is the best thing western boxing ever contributed to “martial arts” sparring (and I have a lot of respect for western boxing).[/li][li]On the same note–learn to “hide behind your guard”. This is all about angles, not movements. Understand where he is, where your guard is, and where your head is. Now, if your guard is not naturally in the way of his techniques reaching your head, then it isn’t a very good guard. He should have to adjust line in order to reach his goal (bopping your nose). You should be able to block the first punch (assume a straight jab/backfist for now) with nothing more than a slight shift of angle. Remember, defensive motions should be small.[/li][li]Balance. Defending by sacrificing balance is better than getting hit, but not that much better. It usually means you will get hit just as hard a few seconds later. [/li][/ul]
The above is by no means complete or comprehensive, but it’s a beginning.
Thanks Spiritus Mundi that’s great. I’m gonna print that off actually.
A couple other suggestions from someone whos been im martial arts (karate) for years, but really doesn’t do much sparring:
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Learn what is and is not a threat. Just because someone extends their hand doesn’t mean you should be looking for a punch. You really don’t need to react until that fist is about 8-12 inches from you. Once you see it is indeed coming in, take appropriate countermeasures. Don’t react to just a hand moving–it might be a ploy to draw you into a high block and the next thing coming could be a kick to the stomach or a low punch.
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When you want to avoid an attack, backing up is bad, I agree. Otherwise, your opponent will just chain punches and kicks together to force you into a corner and then you’ll have nowhere to run. A great thing to do is to step to the side, avoiding the punch, and counterattack.
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Practice drills, as Spititis Mundi suggested. Work on having a partner punch at you and wait for the punch to come in, then block it and counterattack. Repeat until it becomes second nature.
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Don’t get focused in on any one part of your opponent durning a fight or you’re liable to get clocked with the other hand/foot. Look at your opponent, use your peripheral vision to see the feet and whatnot.
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Don’t plan out moves (i.e. "OK, if he punches with his right hand I’m gonna step left and do an inblock etc.). Take things as they come. Be aware of all possibilities and react when you need to.
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Don’t worry about getting hit. It doesn’t hurt much with the gear and if you’re worried about that, it’s hard to fight back.
Nice post, spiritus.
My initial response was, well, i’ve done a bit of sparring, but I don’t know squat about TKD. If it fits in with what yoy are doing, allow me to strongly second the recommendation for head and body movement. It is amazing how hard it is to hit a head that keeps moving.
Of course, effective bobbing & weaving is more than just bobbing up and down. Work it into your combinations. For example, lead with your jab, then lead hook, retract your hook, bob and weave and come out of it with your cross. Or work it the other way. Cross, retract, bob, lead hook. Practice uppercuts to the body while bobbing.
Complete your punches. Far too many folk throw out a nice punch and just leave it there as if admiring it. What they don’t realize is that just about every offensive technique leaves you exposed to a specific counter. Punch and retract - throwing another weapon while you retract. Many proper combinations aim at covering up your exposures, while taking advantage of your opponent’s likely responses to your punches.
One of my favorite drills for working effective movement was to spar with our lead foot’s shoelaces tied together. Man, if that doesn’t get you moving, I don’t know what will. Remember, don’t lean over, drop your elevation with your legs. If you are not feeling it in your legs, you aren’t doing it right. And keep your head up and eyes open while moving.
Again, I don’t know squat about TKD, but will discuss this sort of stuff as much as you wish.
belted in Tang Soo Do.
It’s similar to TKD, but relies on a lot of punches, kicks tend to be lower, and the big difference is the roundhouse kick. At any rate, I noticed something when fighting in tournaments with TKD students (usually lower belts); they try to work high kicks too often. It takes a lot of energy and a lot of time to get your foot to the level of your opponent’s head. After two rounds many opponents can’t lift their legs that high any more.
the point: High kicks are like freight trians - you can see it coming for 5 minutes before it actually pulls into the station. Plenty of time before it gets there, plenty of time to get out of its way. If you don’t get out of its way, you know why the freight train analogy is appropriate.
my suggestion (I agree with everything above): work on vertical movement!!! I have NEVER been kicked in the head. When the foot gets higher than nipple height, you know your opponent has committed to the high kick. It’s so easy to duck under it. Drop down vertically, and weave under the kick. Instead of coming straight up, come up towards your opponent. You are now inside his leg, and have a lot of momentum behind an uppercut or whatever.
Another suggestion: Have no fear of spinning attacks from a TKD opponent. Again, this atack takes a lot of time. When your opponent commits to the spin, just step in. This puts you inside the leg/arm and gives you lots of time and momentum for an attack.
KEEP YOUR GUARD UP!!! Use 1/2 lb wrist weightsweighted gloves when you hit the heavy bag. This builds up shoulder strength that will keep you from tiring your guard as quickly. Early students tend to keep their guard down because they are tired or protecting their stomach. Realize that your front leg can also be used to protect your stomach. (And getting a quick reflex raising your front knee with out losing balance is also good to render leg sweeps ineffective.)
Tips from my TKD days-
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Relax- fear makes you stiff and slow.
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Keep your dang hands up. You are probably dropping one or both of them on kicks.
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Never throw spinning kicks anywhere, jump kicks anywhere or roundhouse kicks to the head- all take way too long and leave you WIDE open if you miss (which you probably will).
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Fake a few things, don’t complete each attack.
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concentrate on side to side movement.
Practice mental attacks on the heavy page so the montion feel natural when you do it for real. Fear makes people hit harder then intended- also sometimes people mistake fast for hard.
Best policy I found was a good stiff counter shot.
-me