Perhaps you’ve been training for quite some time now and made the decision to start sparring regularly. Well, it’s a good first step to taking your training to the next level! After all, sparring requires you to apply whatever you’ve learned in class and to think on your feet. By making sparring a part of your martial arts training, there’s no doubt that you will deepen your knowledge of the various techniques as well as elevate your game.
However, there are some unspoken rules that we believe you should abide by, in order to ensure that you have a fruitful and safe session. So why not take a moment to find out what they are!
Today, Evolve Daily shares 5 Unspoken Rules Of Sparring You Need To Know:
1) Don’t Go At 100% Power
The Mixed Martial Arts program at Evolve MMA teaches students the fundamentals of various martial arts disciplines.
It can be easy to get carried away in the midst of sparring, but that shouldn’t be an excuse to go at full force and try to overpower your training partner. After all, your focus should be on getting your technique right and executing it well. Of course, you have the option of going a little harder to match your training partner’s intensity – but with that said, talk to him or her before starting the round and agree on how hard you’re going to spar.
2) Respect Your Training Partners
Sparring can take your game to greater heights.
Like you, everyone in that sparring class is there to learn and make the most out of the session. So don’t spend the time getting caught up with socializing and talking, instead of actually sparring and deepening your knowledge of the techniques.
Apart from that, it helps to know who you’re sparring with and have a rough idea of how experienced they are. For example, if you’re sparring with someone who’s totally new to it, it will be considerate of you to help advise and guide him/her when needed.
3) Leave Your Ego At The Door
Ideally, you should be training at least 3-4 times a week to see improvements in your game.
There is no winning in sparring. Sparring is not a competition, but it’s rather all about learning and improving. To enable this happens for everyone involved, it is important that you leave your ego at the door. There are days when you will get the better of your training partners, and there will be days when they may get the better of you. In the end, it’s all apart of the learning process. If you are ego driven and enter each sparring session looking to “win”, you won’t make it an enjoyable environment for others, and it can hamper your learning. By leaving your ego at the door, you will be able to focus on trying out new techniques and improving while providing your partner with good looks on the mat.
4) Be Considerate Of Other People’s Space
Sparring is the best way to practice timing.
Due to the limited space in the training area, it helps to be aware of your surroundings – so as to avoid colliding into anyone when you’re sparring (especially when you’re grappling!) Try to keep a bit of a distance from those who are nearest to you, and always look out for your sparring partner as well.
In the event that you accidentally bump into someone, apologize and move to another area that has more space.
5) Have Your Protective Gear On At All Times
Sparring is a great way to take your boxing to the next level.
Sparring is all about learning under a safe environment. There’s a reason why your instructor tells you to put on your mouth guard, groin guard, and shin guards. All this protective gear is not there to make you feel uncomfortable or get in the way, but to ensure that no matter what happens, you can focus on learning without having to think about too much else.
Sparring is definitely a game changer for any martial artist. However, it is also important to abide by these unspoken rules, so as to ensure everyone gets the most out of their sparring session.
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