Sparring trouble?

Question

I take American Kenpo and I've been sparring for awhile now, but there is one issue that I have. It seems impossible for me to be offensive. I always wait until my opponent comes at me before I fight, then I back off and wait for them again.

All my classmates say I need to become more offensive, but when I start sparring someone I just can't help it. Any advice please?

Answer 1

If you are a counter fighter, then be the best counter fighter you can be. There is nothing wrong with waiting for your opponent to attack first. The thing is, when you see the opportunity for your counter, attack explosivly. That's called being an "aggressive counter fighter."

Answer 2

Lots of good advice.

Sifu Frank had some real good stuff there.

The key is that if you are going to be a counter puncher, (most people start off this way) the way to help become a bit more offensive, is to take advantage of your counters.

Trust me, if you wait for them, you counter them, and you keep on drilling them until they are backed off the mat, the "you are not offensive enough" talk goes out the window.

The key is to take advantage of those openings and as Sifu Frank said, counter in combinations. Right now it doesn't hurt for you to be over aggressive in your pursuit. And use those times that you do fight in response to them coming in, and make your offense from that longer.

A lot of people when they start off, get into this mind set. Especially when much of what they are taught comes from blocks and counters. Meaning one step drills and katas, and person punches at me, I block, then counter. Well what ends up happening is you have two people waiting for the other person to punch lol.

One of the keys is to realize that you are sparring. You will not get hurt, and there is no winner or loser, no pride involved. So if someone says you aren't being offensive enough, tell them thank you, and the next round just charge them and try to overwhelm them.

The point of sparring is to try the things that you don't do, and to add that to your tool box. You should various approaches, philosophies and be able to fight a variety of types of fights by taking advantage against your opponent.

It doesn't do you any good to spar with the techniques you are already good at. You want to keep your timing and keep them honed, but you should be doing things outside your comfort zone in sparring.

Try to keep that in mind, don't get frustrated by your natural tendencies. Just be open minded and try things, such as charging people, doing strikes you don't normally like to do. Moving in different ways. That is how you open yourself up to understanding new techniques, and what things work for you, is by experimenting during sparring in your dojo. It is safe, there is nothing on the line, but two people trying to learn.

By not being offensive, you are short changing your sparring partners by having them only fight a purely defensive person. It is rare they will encounter someone like that. Sparring is a mutually beneficial thing. Don't make it entirely about you, and realize that there is no ego, no shame, and getting hit or countered is a temporary and minor pain.

Hope that helps...

Answer 3

I like to let my opponent initiate an attack. I than counter. Perhaps when you counter you need to press the counter more. I advice my students never use Less than three moves in a counter. Kempo and Taekwando are not to different. I would recommend to practice never backing up, always moving up the sides, always use a three count offense as a defense.

For example: opponent attack with a front kick. Block with a down block side step up countering with a series of quick role punches or at least double punch to the ribs  which should be exposed from the kick. Yell loudly to get the attention of the judges.

Every once in a while try to initiate an attack. Over time with experience you will develop more confidence to recognize a real opening and take advantage. I also recommend a lot of positive self talk when sparing. Never let a negative voice be herd in your head. Even when you are clearly losing speak positive to yourself. Yes it is old school. Yes it does work wonders.

Answer 4

In a way, you're kinda like me. You're a counterpuncher. I also prefer to wait for my opponent to attack first.

Here's my advice to you.

Work on your fakes. Throw your fakes with such conviction, your opponent will either counter or show what defense he or she will use.

It's good intel. If you know how your opponent will respond to your attacks, you know where and how to hit him.

If you change and do this, this will greatly help you. When you counter, don't let up. Don't throw just one technique and stop. Combo up, let your fists and feet fly.

If you are hesitant to attack, I'm thinking maybe you are afraid to get hit or just have a hard time dealing with your killer instinct.

For attacks, build yourself up. Work on your jabs. Advance quickly, and double jab, and then circle outside. Your opponent will probably come toward you, and then boom, set up your counter.

After you build your confidence, try closing the distance with a jab, then a leg kick (if Kenpo allows it).  Or basic jab-cross. Stick and move.

When you have lulled your opponent to thinking you will just use a simple jab to approach him, then surprise him.

Go in for a jab, then use your rear uppercut and lead hook. (If you really want to do some damage, double your hook to the body then head.)

Hope this helps you.

Answer 5

Just don't wait. Just go! I did this and i won that match. Don't be afraid.

Answer 6

Some top class answers here :-)

I am a counter fighter like yourself, once you learn the art of the side step you can dominate your opponent.  Like many others have said you need to combo up after you counter.  When you do this it will scare the h**l out of the person, they will think what ever I throw I get hit by several of his/her shots.  Then they will stop attacking and you can then start to dominate that person.

I always tell my students you are one of two fighters; you are either a Ryu or a Ken (streetfighter 2).  Ryu is a counter attacker, he defends and waits for the fighter to make a mistake.  Then he destroys with some well place solid counters.  Ken on the other hand is an all out offensive fighter, who relies on shear volume and work load to overwhelm his opponents (sometimes I change the names to Mayweather and Hatton if they have never played on SF2).

Both are good, they both have their strengths and weaknesses, so just be who you are!

Good luck and keep on training hard.

Wolverine

Answer 7

just  practice to fight an imaginary opponent and try to attack first and make sure that u score then when doing kumite try to go first so dat u can score 1st

Answer 8

attack !  attack !  attack ! and never look back !

Answer 9

stop being a wimp and fight

Answer 10

Start sparring with your friends one way.  By that I mean you are offense, they defense, and they can only counter-punch or counter kick.  Try not to be a little machine gun and just rat-a-tat-tat and run them all over the place.  This will get you better offensively and more into that mode and at the same time also develop their defense.

I would also vido-tape my sparring and or look at what and when I am waiting and when I am backing off.  Perhaps you need to work on your footwork, speed and agility and develop that  more fully so that you have the confidence to move forward and press the attack more quickly.  Also look at when you are retreating as you may have a weakness in your fighting defensivly and they are capitalizing on it.  If you are weak at blocking and parrying for instance and have been hit a few times then you will lack the confidence to stand in there and block and counter attack and instead retreat.  If that is the case then work on developing that skill by having one of your friends use a Blocker or a piece of foam pipe insulation to swat, strike and jab towards you and work on intercepting it with your hand or arm and then countering and try to step forward with your front foot slightly when doing this.  If you take a slight step backward you are usually to far to score or get your counter to the target or area that you are going to direct your counter at even if you block it-especially with hand techniques.  For kicking develop a good lead leg side kick; slide action for offense and other multiple kick combinations as well as how to use your side kick defensively.  Bill Wallace's book and Christine Bannon-Rodriguez's book on kicking are very good for this as well as Joe Louise's book on distance, footwork, use of angles, and set point are also very good and I would suggest you read them and it will give you more knowledge in how to use your skills and techniques.  Your techniques are like tools and in order to use them to the fullest a good understanding of them will help give you the ability to do that.

Answer 11

When I was younger, I had the same problem...  The reason?  I was too afraid to hurt someone else.  

What helped me was an instructor I had who literally kept badgering me to attack him during our one-on-one sparring sessions.  He kept smiling while he said, "It's okay, you can hit me", and he'd teach me how to "read" openings in his defenses so that I could get comfortable with how and when to strike.

I needed the consistent reinforcement from my instructor to break my fear of seriously hurting someone...  Once I got passed that initial fear, I felt a tremendous weight lift from my shoulders (the guilt I felt after hitting my training partners and friends).

Don't stress yourself over it too much.  Martial Arts training is supposed to help you "grow" with your physical techniques, as well as "grow" in your mental ability and will to take the techniques you learn and actually apply them to a fight scenario.  Its okay, you'll get there -- as long as you have an instructor willing to take the approach my instructor took with me.

You need the positive reinforcement of learning to be comfortable with striking a real-life opponent in front of you.  You need to feel comfortable with finding openings, when and where to strike, and how it physically "feels" to deliver punches and kicks to the targeted areas of this living, breathing person.

You'll get there!  Good Luck!

Answer 12

every fight or sparring training i have had always move forward, sometimes it hard to set the pace, but  if you dont, you will get handled most times, this isnt too much help but it goes down to, if you wanna get handled or put someone in their place ya know

Answer 13

I will first start off to say that a very strong defense is very very beneficial when dealing with real world situations.  But when sparring, you cant win without attacking (or counterattacking)

Sounds to me that you have a underlining fear of hurting someone.  I find that many women have this initially when starting to fight.  This is what you need to do to remove that.   You need to find a sparring partner that is willing to help you.  You need to have them do nothing but defend.  They can block and move and all of that, but no attacks.   Your job must be ALL attack.  Start off slow and work on the techniques you learned in class.  Work on a few combos.  The important thing is that you press the attack.  After several or many of these sessions, then they can begin countering.

I have seen this work several times

Good Luck

Answer 14

I too am enjoying Kenpo.  Well, maybe that's your style, are you winning?  If not, people may be correct when they tell you to be more offensive/aggressive. If it is nerves, randori is an excellent way to get comfortable in a "more realistic" training approach..also, try drills like combination moves with a partner without actual contact.  However, until you become comfortable with that, stop waiting for this and that, the only thing you should be waiting for is an opportunity.  When the opportunity is there strike! Only you can find it within yourself to pull forth that "animal" from within.  

Good luck and have fun!

Answer 15

I'll preface by saying that I don't spar in a traditional sense. I don't get padded up and do 1 on 1 with others. I do a form of randori where my class comes at me either one at a time or in groups and I practice that way, at about 60% strength. I also have more than my share of fights under my belt, and I know that none of these are sparring...

When fighting, it can often be beneficial to be slightly more defensive. Pressing an offensive can be draining. You can use your opponent's force against him if you're careful. Once you make contact off the defense, turn it and press the offensive and force them to back away. When they back away, back off yourself and wait for them to return.

You can't force yourself to be someone that you're not, and doing so in a fight means denying what's natural for you. Being natural is most important, but never forget that if you're in training, it's okay to do it wrong so that, when you do have to defend yourself, you're able to do it right.

Answer 16

yeah, you pretty much just have to change you attitude and force yourself to attack first a few times even if its not natural, who knows you might like it :D

Answer 17

NOT an easy thing to do... I agree.

It is a matter of practice.

You have practiced your counter-attacks, before first attacks.

Get used to the risk- the experience- of attacking first.

Fakes are also GooD for opening the opponent's guard. See if you can spar with one that is INSTRUCTED to allow you the first strike (with ready guard/counter, of course). This may help.

Answer 18

lol its ok i do that a lot =] just do what u normally do but just fight more aggressively it really helps. throw harder punches, kick faster and harder, block and grab punches or kicks then take them down. do whatever u have to do just be more aggressive, u might find it more entertaining and thrilling this way. i fight with no pads at all and spar like a real fight, punches and kick with no pulling back.

Answer 19

Quit being chicken.  Start with someone shorter than you because they are less intimidating.  Don't worry about getting hit because it's not the end of the world.  You won't die or loose your belt or anything.