Sparring and sparring partner - how much they are needed in martial arts

As in the study of any subject to reinforce the theory requires practical training, and in martial arts. In order to learn how to use learned punches and tricks in practice, you need a training duel or sparring, and for this you need a sparring partner. And if in any so-called "combat" discipline such a concept as sparring does not exist, then this discipline is not a martial art as such. It's more like gymnastics, but not the art of fighting.

One of the most important elements of training a fighter

Immediately need to understand that sparring is in no way a fight, and even the name of the training duel is rather arbitrary. By itself, sparring, perhaps, is one of the most important aspects of the development of the athlete. It's not just testing the shock and defense equipment. During this training, the fighter learns the basics of martial art. He himself learns his strengths and weaknesses, analyzes his behavior in the ring and understands that in his technique it is necessary to change which elements to pay more attention to in their working out. Unfortunately, many beginning athletes think that a sparring partner is a rival to be defeated. Alas, they are very mistaken. After all, instead of hone their technique, they try to hit the enemy with a couple of tricks that they learned better than others. And many even ignore the defense, in order to achieve such a desired victory more quickly. As a result, those who are slightly better prepared begin to consider themselves such cool and invincible guys, and after meeting with a worthy opponent comes a strong disappointment. And those who are weaker can develop fear of an opponent, fear of hitting and generally disappointment in their abilities and sport in general.

Sparring partner: how to choose

Professional growth and improvement of the skill of the athlete depends not only on himself, but also on how professional his partner is for training. After all, really, you will not take anyone for training. If there is an opportunity, the choice of a partner should be approached with all responsibility.

Here, for example, Putin's sparring partner in judo is the honored coach of the USSR Arkady Rothenberg. Of course, not all have such opportunities at the choice of a partner for training, as in Vladimir Vladimirovich, but nevertheless. So what types can conditionally be divided into sparring partners?

• "Do not hit me hard." Often these are beginners, but sometimes more experienced athletes are included. While training with such athletes, it will be very difficult to technically work out blows, because, in their opinion, the sparring partner often exceeds the required level of force.
• Teacher of beginners. Such athletes try to choose a less experienced partner for themselves. On the one hand, training with such an athlete will positively affect your skills, as he is more experienced and he has much to learn. But on the other hand, working with him will keep you in constant tension, as his level of skill will not allow you to feel confident in the training duel.
• The fan. Athletes of this type train hard, do not miss classes, work with complete dedication. Training with such a partner will bring a lot of benefits, as he technically and gently punishes for any mistake, but at the same time, a less experienced partner will work.

In fact, there are many more types of fighters, and it does not matter if it's a sparring partner in wrestling, in boxing or in other martial arts, one more thing to remember. The more often the partner changes, the more diverse will be the training of the athlete.

How best to build a training process

A very good option for a beginner would be sparring with an opponent much more experienced than himself, only with the condition that the experienced fighter only be defended. Also, two newcomers can make a fight with the shadow. That is, opponents stand against each other at some distance and strike either completely without contact, or barely marking a blow. In the same mode, the security elements are also processed. After acquiring some experience, you can go to training in a series of two, and then three strokes. Well, finally, you can go to a full contact training. If it is boxing, a sparring partner can make any strikes, so long as their strength does not exceed 25-30% of the possible. How is this determined? Very simple. A direct blow to an unprotected person should not cause strong painful sensations.

The moments that should not be in sparring should not

During sparring, the coach should pay attention to the following nuances:

• Fighters should not work at full strength. As soon as you hear the sound of strong blows, you need to stop training and make a note.
• Movements of fighters should not be chaotic. This applies to both shock-protective equipment and movement around the ring.
• Athletes should not be very tired. It is better to work at a more relaxed pace, but longer.
• If the athletes move more around the ring and work less with each other, the coach must also intervene. Of course, there is nothing wrong with training the legs and working out the correct movement around the ring, but at the same time, you need to remember to be in the zone of possible attack, so that the remote movement can be sharply changed to attacking actions.

In conclusion

One simple rule should be remembered: the athlete should enjoy the sparring match. It must be loved, and not for future results, but for the process itself. This will bring much more benefits than feeling "cool", invincible, etc. Whatever the mood of the athlete, no matter how his day is formed, for the fight, even for the training, one must approach without any negative.