Watching a Sparring Class...

Normally I take part in every sparring class that I can. Not only is the sparring class the culmination of everything that we are learning and have been training for, but it is also where we are to push ourselves beyond our current boundary limitations that we put upon ourselves.

Well today I had to participate in an all day meeting in Biloxi, which is almost 2 hours from Pensacola. We departed for Biloxi at 6:30 am and I arrived back in Pensacola at 5:00 pm (which is when sparring class began). Not anticipating being able to participate, I did not have my uniform or shoes with me. Never-the-less, I wanted to go to class and observe others and learn from them. What I learned was interesting:

1. When you are not exhausted, you can really observe others pretty closely.
2. It is a lot of fun cheering on your friends and encouraging them to open up and do more.
3. Observation can teach a lot!

Not only was I enjoying myself, but I was able to closely watch everyone and see from a "different eye". By this I mean that I was not focused on catching my breath while observing. However I was able to truly observe what was working for some and not so much for others. Although I knew this already, I really "saw" how those people that did not move so well from exhaustion or less experience really were hit much more often and were unable to control the outcome as well.

Master Safakhoo has often said that in order to control the situation, you must first "not get hit". If you are getting hit, then you are vulnerable. That is why we have practice drills or reaction training. These drills are to teach us to "not get hit". If we move correctly, we reduce the exposure to hitting and can therefore control the outcome more easily. Through our movement, we are also able to quickly adjust and adapt our attacks further increasing our ability to control the situation. This is also the reason that some of our drills are set up to make us overcome our lack of control. If we can block with control faster that the other person is able to punch and kick, we can then take control of the situation.

All of this from observing a sparring class. I encourage everyone to observe someone else whenever possible. You can learn a lot by watching and studying someone else.