St. Louis Sparology Classes

Sparring is a form of training commonly used in many combat systems. Although there are several variations, sparring is essentially a form of fighting combined with rules and regulations to prevent serious injury. It is intended to develop certain skills and to educate fighters. The variations of sparring are meant to protect the combatants, and in Krav Maga, which is frequently referred to as the best self-defense system, it is meant to facilitate control of the body and mind. There are generally several levels of sparring in most fighting disciplines—slow, light, medium, hard, and full-contact.

The Purpose of Sparring

The main reason that fighters spar is so they can be introduced to the pressures and elements of a real fight. By controlling their speed and impact, fighters also learn to control their mind and body. Preparing for real life encounters, dealing with stress, and learning to lose are all essential qualities of the best self-defense system

Losing a Sparring Match

A key element of sparring is that there is no set winner and loser—each sparring session is meant to function as a learning experience. Even if you experience dismay when you feel you haven’t performed well in a sparring match, reviewing your weaknesses, learning from your partner, and fixing any technical deficiencies are all crucial elements that contribute to personal growth and success. 
To prevent frequent disappointment for an unseasoned fighter and to ensure that every fight is a learning opportunity, the inexperienced fighter should always be in control of the intensity of the fight. It is essential that the opponent is aware if you need a slower pace, lighter blows, or a short break. A fight that is too intense may not be beneficial for either fighter and can often trigger a fight-or-flight response.

The Slow Path to Control

When you maintain complete control over your body, you can easily modulate your speed and power, ensure proper balance, and keep a proper distance from your opponent. However, controlling your body does not always come naturally—you may have to practice more than expected to master the best self-defense system. 
Controlling your mind is also an essential element during sparring. When you control your mind, you can maintain your composure instead of losing your temper, assuage your fear instead of succumbing to it, and curb any inflammatory behavior.

The Importance of Rhythm

Analogous to dancing, sparring requires you to remain constantly aware of your partner, maintain your balance, use predetermined moves to complete a combination, and work together to improve. On the other hand, you don’t want to move at a constant rhythm. Moving at the same pace makes you predictable and gives your opponent an advantage. You want to keep your motion a surprise to your opponent, while simultaneously trying to predict their own. You can disrupt your opponent’s rhythm to gain the advantage in the fight, throw them off balance, and land a series of blows.

How to Use Combinations Effectively

Landing several blows one after the other can be a difficult task. It mandates thinking several moves ahead, both for yourself and your partner. Ask yourself which sequence you plan to implement and how your opponent will react to each in order to supplement the best self-defense system. 
Although going through this thought process while fighting at full speed is an incredibly difficult task, when you use sparring as a medium, thinking quickly in high pressure situations becomes more natural. The goal of Krav Maga is to keep yourself safe and neutralize an attacker quickly and efficiently. Thinking ahead will help you predict your opponent’s actions and counter them swiftly.

Slow Sparring

The key to successful sparring is knowing how hard and how fast to hit your opponent. Once new fighters are comfortable with basic techniques, sparring at a slow pace can be very beneficial. 
Since the main purpose of beginner sparring is mindset and preparation, moving at 20-30% of your full speed while maintaining 80-100% of the impact of strikes is standard. The proper protective gear includes a mouthguard and groin padding. Since this kind of sparring is for beginners and is mostly concerned with watching an opponent and predicting their moves, minimal protective gear is required. 
The goal of sparring at a slower pace is to get a feel for the basic motions of Krav Maga in a more intense fighting situation. The technique is the primary focus for fighters, as most of the power and precision of strikes come from understanding how to move. Much of beginner sparring is about learning to recognize attacks, using defenses and attacks with correct timing, and using the best attacks from various distances.

Don’t Jump in the Ring

One of the biggest surprises for people who are just beginning to practice the best self-defense system is how much it revolves around focus, control, and prediction. Those who come into Krav Maga hoping to enter the sparring ring and immediately punch and subdue their opponent will quickly be disappointed. Not only is punching a very small aspect of the system, but sparring is also only acceptable when an individual has learned enough of the technique to be disciplined and controlled.

Predict Oncoming Attacks

Firstly, self-defense should only be administered when there is no other choice. Your primary goal is to avoid getting attacked so that you can escape a threatening situation. Instead of power-punching, you should remain aware of your opponent to predict their next move. Concentrating on your opponent allows you to be prepared when an attack comes. Predicting and dodging attacks is very important when training in Krav Maga, with slow sparring in particular. 
In order to practice predicting attacks while sparring, consider how every motion can be slowed down significantly. When an attack comes your way, recognize that you have time to foresee the attack and plan a defensive move. Once countering attacks at a slow speed becomes natural, faster attacks will also be easily avoided.

Mastering Your Timing

Timing and accuracy are what transform a good fighter into a great fighter. With proper timing, you can win a fight with fewer offensive moves using less energy. 
For example, when considering a baseball player who completely misses the ball by swinging too early or late, it makes no difference if he attempts to connect with the ball—any energy directed to swinging is ultimately futile. The same sentiment holds true in Krav Maga. To throw the best strikes, you need to hit your opponent at the right time and at the right place. A major reason why Krav Maga self-defense is considered the best is its focus on timing and distance.

Keeping the Proper Distance

Kicks and punches can be rendered ineffective and weak by striking from the wrong distance. By stepping into or away from strikes, you can minimize the damage you take and maximize the power of each strike. Trying to hit a moving target emphasizes the importance of distance, timing, and prediction. Knowing where your opponent will be and when he or she intends to strike will allow you to avoid hits while reinforcing yours.

Light Sparring

Light sparring in the best self-defense system has the opposite approach from slow sparring. Instead of prioritizing slow movement and strong impact, it emphasizes moving quickly at 70 - 90% speed with a decrease in power, striking with only 10 - 20% of the impact. The purpose here is to increase the pressure and decrease response time while still maintaining a safe environment. You’ll also be trying to sensitize the central nervous system for high-speed drills. For this level of sparring, shin guards and proper Mixed Martial Arts gloves become essential additions to mouth and groin protection.

Learning About Response Time

In a real fight, you won’t have much time to react to an attacker. After growing accustomed to prediction, timing, and distance during slow sparring, it’s good practice to test what you have learned for light sparring. You’ll get to gauge how quickly you can recognize signs of a pre-emptive attack and properly respond. Because the speed of light sparring is so high, for safety, the hits are much lighter so there isn’t a danger of an injury should someone misjudge an attack. This stage of the best self-defense system will take more concentration and place more pressure on you. Proper footwork and faster reaction time will be essential during light sparring practice. 

Medium Sparring

With 40 - 60% speed and 30 - 50% impact, medium-level sparring maintains both paces and impact squarely in the middle. The goal at this level is to add more pressure with higher impact but slow the pace for safety. For medium sparring, you’ll need the same gear as light sparring, except with heavier gloves. Since you’ll be hitting the opponent noticeably harder, you’ll need gloves that have more padding. Wearing proper gear ensures that you aren’t endangering yourself during Krav Maga training.

Higher Pressure

During medium sparring, mental and physical pressure increase because the strikes you’re trying to avoid are falling at a much higher impact than before. Each time a blow connects, there are more painful consequences than compared to lighter types of sparring. You should focus on fighting, instead of concentrating on techniques that further your learning. 
Introducing more pressure is meant to trigger a quicker response from the central nervous system, which improves reaction time. The best self-defense system is a balance of poise, speed, and strength—Krav Maga Worldwide instills these elements into every single training session

Hard Sparring

While medium sparring is about half-speed and half-contact, it prepares you for hard sparring.  Sparring at this level increases both the speed and contact during the fight to 70 - 90% pace and 60 - 80% impact. Krav Maga is the best self-defense system because it allows you to experience the real pressure of a fight without risking serious injury. As sparring becomes more intense, communication becomes much more important. Talk to your partner and indicate which levels of impact and speed you’re comfortable with to ensure that neither of you are at risk for injury.

Resist the Impact

An important goal during hard sparring is working on your ability to absorb and avoid blows. It’s hard to conceptualize the impact of a blow until you take a few in hard sparring practice. As you experience the impact of harder blows, you’ll learn how to properly balance your weight and adjust your feet so that you can maintain a quick reaction time. Given the added impact and intensity during this level of sparring, you’ll need to use supplementary protective gear. In addition to mouthguards, shin guards, groin protection, and gloves, you’ll also need headgear to prevent concussions and head injuries.

Full Contact Sparring

The only difference between full-contact sparring and a real fight is that you’re still controlling the strength of your impact. While you are fighting at maximum speed, you should only be using 80 - 90% of your strength, especially in relation to your opponent’s head. 
Since you’re going full speed, and nearly full strength, you’ll need to use everything you’ve learned to dodge attacks and stay ahead of your opponent. For full-contact sparring, fully protective, impact-reducing gear is a necessity. 

Benefits of Full Contact

While other levels of sparring have similar benefits, full-contact sparring intensely affects your heart, muscles, and adaptability. If you spar consistently, your endurance and stamina will improve, you will be able to adapt to any threatening situation, and you will learn to get hit and maintain your composure.

Training Your Mind