Why Sparring in Martial Arts is Great for You
Whether you are a fan of it or not, sparring is one of the most important aspects of martial arts training. It is one of those things that separate great fighting styles from bad ones. I mean, name just a single, famous fighting style that works in real life that does not include sparring?
Sparring is not just about two people trading strikes or grappling on the ground like being in a real fight. No, sparring gives you a great insight into your strengths and weaknesses in your game, and we are speaking about the mental aspect as well. You can’t expect to master a technique, learn how to fight, or prepare for a match without sparring.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at why you should never skip sparring sessions.
It is the only way you can develop the most important skills
Learning and drilling the techniques on a heavy bag is a great way to develop a proper stance or how to throw strikes. But knowing how to rotate your hips when throwing a punch or circle around the bag doesn’t mean you know how to fight. It all changes once you are in front of a real person, who like you, is also moving and throwing strikes at you.
Sparring allows you to elevate your game to another level by learning skills like:
- How to keep your opponent at a safe distance
- How to set up the timing
- Footwork and positioning
- How to apply techniques you learned from the instructor
- Spot the strengths and weaknesses in your game
- How to stay focused and calm in a fight
You can’t develop good timing without sparring because the bag is not a moving target. You don’t have to worry about the bag hitting you back or slipping the punches. Once in sparring, the first thing most people realize is that they can’t attack whenever they want. Throwing a strike at the wrong moment may leave your chin open and in a bad position. This gives the opponent a chance to catch you coming in with a clean shot.
The same stands for footwork and how to keep your distance which you can’t learn without sparring. Learning how to move around the bag or while shadow box is good. But once you are dancing with the partner in front, it’s really hard to apply things you know and it takes a lot of time to develop the feeling for it. Staying at the safe range is not just a technique you practice, it is also a feeling you can develop only by sparring.
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The same stands for grappling arts like Judo and BJJ where you have to spar every single class. This is because it’s impossible to become good at it without sparring.
It is the only way you can apply techniques you learned
Now that you learned how to throw a jab or place a submission, how would you know when is the right time to execute it in a real fight? How do you move when someone is putting pressure on you? Do you leave your chin too exposed when throwing combos or going for a takedown? These are all vital questions and you need sparring to find out the answers.
Don’t get us wrong here, sparring is not a real fight. But it is the only place in which you can apply techniques you learned in a safe environment. You don’t have to worry much about getting hurt or KO’d as the focus is on executing the techniques the right way.
Sparring is not about two people beating each other and proving something to someone. No, the focus is on learning how to apply things you learned in a safe environment.
Just think about it, where would you apply the kick or punching combo you learned if not in sparring? In a street fight? You would agree that doing it in sparring is a much better and safer option.
Sparring is great for self-defense on the streets
Have you ever asked yourself what separates martial arts that work in real life from the ones that do not? Stop reading this article for a moment and think about it. The answer is simple. Just about all fake martial arts do not include sparring and competition. Among all other reasons, these are the two most important ones in our opinion.
Things go to another level when we move to the mental aspect of fighting. Sparring is the only way you can get a feeling of how it is to be in a real fight with a person trying to hurt you. It will play with your senses and trigger emotions like fear or a sudden rush of adrenalin the same as in a real fight. This is because your mind will forget, for a brief moment, that you are in training and a safe environment.
Over time, you will learn how to control your fears and emotions and stay calm in the heat of the moment. This is, perhaps, the biggest advantage you can have in a street fight where most average people tend to overreact.
It is the best way to prepare for competition
Many martial arts put a lot of emphasis on sports competitions. Of course, we are talking about boxing, karate, BJJ, and many other fighting styles. A lot of people train in these arts to compete in amateur or pro matches, become famous, or earn money.
To prepare for these events, fighters must spend many hours sparring in the gym. No matter if it’s an amateur or a pro match, sparring is a place where all the training comes together. Yes, they spend time drilling techniques on the heavy bag or hitting the pads. They also do a lot of cardio and strength workouts. But sparring is that last key element where your skills get sharper and better.
As said earlier, sparring allows you to set up your timing, reactions, learn how to keep the distance, and manage energy. These are the skills that separate great fighters from the average ones. For instance, having the best jab or uppercut is useless without good timing. It’s very simple, the more you spar, the better and sharper you become.
And this is not just about fighting, let’s look at some other sports like soccer for instance. Just imagine practicing how to dribble a ball without the defender trying to steal it from you. Most of us would look like world-class soccer players, right? I mean, it’s really absurd to even think you can learn how to fight in real life without sparring.
Above all sparring is fun and safe
As we have seen in this article, sparring has many benefits and it will elevate your game to an extra level. But if we put benefits aside, the bottom line is that sparring is safe and provides a ton of fun. Although it may sound scary at first, trust us, it’s one of those things that will make your day better.
First of all, all students must wear protective gear while doing anything that can get them hurt in training, including sparring. They all must wear gloves, mouthguard, headguard, shin pads, and groin cups.
Second, sparring is not about knocking the opponent out and swinging wild and powerful strikes. No, it is a part of the learning process where the focus is the technique and using around 50% of the power. Pro fighters may go harder, but that’s not for beginners. In grappling martial arts like BJJ, sparring is even safer as there’s no striking at all.
In case you feel any pain or get too tired, you can always pause the action and take time to recover. Once you get used to it, sparring will become your favorite part of training. Rolling on the ground or trading strikes will trigger many positive chemicals in your mind that will make you feel good and happy. And that’s what it is all about!
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