by Mike Webb

Created on: July 09, 2010   Last Updated: September 29, 2010

Sparring in the martial arts is used to help students face an opponent using the skills that they are trained with; this allows students to act and react to an attacker under controlled circumstances.  Sparring is mostly used in sporting situations but it does allow for practice against a live attacker and helps develop reflexes, mobility and most importantly overcoming fears.  Here are 10 Tips for Martial Arts Sparring that will help you prepare for tournament participation.

1.  Get in shape first. 

 Aerobic and strength training are very important to be able to overcome your opponent.  Being in shape will intensify your timing, speed and ability to explode into your techniques.  You need to be in shape to go 2-3 minutes in a round otherwise it won’t matter what kind of techniques you have.  You will be out of gas quickly and unable to perform well enough to attack or even counter.  If you do win the match you may be out of breath to continue to fight the other matches.  Being in shape will give you the edge when it comes to sparring plus help prevent any injuries that may occur.

2. Know the rules for your organization or tournament. 

To be successful at winning in a sparring match it is necessary to understand what consists of scoring a point, how many points it takes to win and how long each match is.  To win the division you will also want to know what system they are using:  double elimination, single elimination or repechage.  Be savvy about the rules so you'll understand how to perform when you spar.  Make a point to help the judges see "your point" by using Ki-Ai and sharp techniques.

3.  Training is the key to successful sparring. 

Consistent and constant practice with techniques that are eligible to score points within your tournament rules is the key to being successful.  You may be very good at spinning and jumping techniques but if they are not allowed then you will need to direct your focus somewhere else.  Train to win when you spar with your partner in the dojo, unless you are trying to help another student build confidence.  After I received my second belt level, I never lost a sparring match in my dojo.  I sparred to win and to protect myself during the match so I could gain the self-defense aspect of sparring. 

4.  Don’t limit your training to sparring only. 

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