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[Mick Coup]

The whole 'sparring' issue is something that I've tried to give a lot of thought to over the years.

In the classic/usual sense, I stopped sparring a long time ago - both from a personal and 'professional' perspective - and found that 'fighting' became more accomplished as a direct result.

This is not to say that I do not rate direct force-on-force training - far from it.  I simply believe that the format of sparring-type engagements is actually counter-productive to what is usually the intended aim and objectives of such training, and that there are far more productive and relevant formats possible, with a little thought and effort.

The following clip has a collection of examples of what I term 'live drills' taken from various courses.  The terminology I use is simple enough, and leads on from basic, enhanced, active and stress drills as a logical progression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq-dX8HdrGA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Please read the descriptive 'blurb' attached to the clip for details as to some 'why/what' points...

Mick

[Professor]

I enjoy sparring and it adds a tremendous amount to my personal training.

If you know that the result of your poor training on Monday is a bloody nose on Wednesday, you will train harder.

Do you learn from Sparring?  yes.

Do you get dumber from Sparring?  no.

Do you learn bad habits?  sometimes.

It depends on your attitude and your background.

[Hock]

I haven't sparred in about two years.

Some of you will remember that was when I had a rib broken from sparring. MMA gloves. Also, that was around the time when I tore two right leg muscles while trying to move a guy my size when I had him in the guard. (I know this now, I just thought it was a lower back injury.)

Before little idiots and daushbags on Martial Planet or Bullshido run to the presses and proclaim "Hock never spars," I will remind them that I started sparring/kickboxing in 1973.

I too, just like Mick Coup said, always ponder the subject. How much? Doing exactly what?  Since I started the SFC in 1995, in our level 10 "Black Belt" test we require kickboxing with take downs as part of the test. Just cause. Just cause you half to. This means that throughout the years and the nine levels all people need to be working on some kickboxing/sparring.

Invariably this is where our people get hurt because it gets crazy during the test And it is the last part of the test. People are tired and injuries occur. (Worst injury? Randy Nickels, a Chicago cop broke his knee years back during one.) I will tell you I grimace during this process because it gets real wild west.

But I think ya' gotta do it. It's a rite of passage. But it eventually needs to include take downs and ground finishes. We accept any ground finishes but we like ground n' pound.
(and suddenly we have the look of the UFC in many ways)

But you will NEVER replicate reality unless you are on the "Hollow Deck" of the Enterprise. (spelled Halodeck)

I don't know that I will spar again? Maybe in very short bursts. I know I cannot kick with right leg. And now I even feel the impact into my left leg. Will I heal up great and feel horsey enough?

If you really want to see some non-stop action? See clips from these tests.
http://www.hockscqc.com/shop/product323.html


Hock