Drysdale’s School Of Tae Kwon Do

 

 

Free Sparring – Cha Yo Daeryon

 

“Victory can be 100% guaranteed only when knowing the capabilities of yourself and your enemy”.  Sontzu, the famous Chinese strategist.

Taekwon-Do is a defensive art, but as martial artist we must be able to apply our techniques against another martial artist in combat. Instructors can have their students kick bags, focus pads, performs floor exercises, set up pre-arranged sparring drills, etc., but there is no comparison to actual combat. Through total unrehearsed sparring a student and Instructor can measure progress. 

Free Sparring is the student’s forum to show the knowledge that they have acquired through the months and years of their Tae Kwon Do journey. It allows the student to be totally independent in his/her movement without the instructor telling them what to do. Many students find this aspect of sparring very difficult and still others use the difficulty aspect as a challenge to improve their skills. Many leave the Martial Arts because they lack the fortitude to persevere.

Students who show progress in their individual technique usually begin to understand sparring and what it really is all about. Here at Drysdale’s School Of Tae Kwon Do we use free sparring as a means of preparing for self-defense. Every opponent is an adversary that you must defeat. There is no room for error or you life is lost. Within the confines of the rules for engagement – the student learns to survive. He/she learns to accept being hit and hiding the pain that may be associated with it. To “look” your opponent in the “eye” after being hit and implying, “Is that the best you got”? The students learn individual fighting stances and movements that are unique to them making the challenge of free sparring even greater. It is through the creativity of the Student that makes each of them unique and not “Clones” of the Instructor or their art.

Students learn how to move, evade, fake, and respond to attacks in free sparring. The techniques taught in class are shown to “Work” in combat and the student’s confidence level rises to maximum heights. Students are “killed” and “kill” in free sparring and still live to see another day. They learn the way of the “Warrior”, the new Samurai of the 21^st century. Honor and Respect for your enemy is instilled and that there is no dishonor in taking another’s life in a “Righteous” Cause – the defense of one’s self, family, friends, and Country. The Oath of the Hwa Rang Do Warrior is forged within us – “Make a Just Kill”.

However, free sparring must be kept in context. It is a part of the Tae Kwon Do Journey not the entire journey. Too often many schools and organizations put the primary emphasis or objective on tournament sparring. This is foolish and cheats the student from the knowledge of their art forms. It can also lead to a false sense of security. Those of us who have been in the Art for many years realize that sparring has constraints. These constraints limit our ability to use our full potential in free sparring. This of course is necessary for we wish no physical harm on our opponents. Yet, many focus their classes solely on sparring and stray away from techniques that can be of invaluable service to the student caught in a real conflict. Sweeps, drop sweeps, throws, and lock-ups are but a few of the techniques that are extremely effective in actual combat. But, because of rules of engagement many of these techniques are left out of free sparring matches and tournaments. Yet, the qualified Instructor can teach these techniques that limit free sparring in one-steps but more importantly in Ho Sin Sol – self-defense techniques. Consequently, under the watchful eye of an observant instructor they can be applied to free sparring formats. It is only now that the Tae Kwon Do students sparring will be almost complete for street application.

The emphasis of free sparring should be to develop the student’s self control, fighting skill, indomitable spirit, and putting logical and effective techniques together. The student learns to maneuver properly against various attacks and how to counter fast and effectively. Sparring has its pluses and minuses and if kept in the right perspective can be an invaluable part of Tae Kwon Do.

Students must come to understand certain criteria when sparring. Common sense must be used when sparring. One cannot fight a younger student as they would someone closer to their own age or fight a woman the same as a man. Senior Ranks cannot fight junior ranks with equal intensities and use of advanced techniques. Understanding your opponent’s abilities, weaknesses, etc. all comes into play as you begin to spar. The object is of course to win. Yet, humiliating someone, injuring them, or totally demoralizing them is counter productive to the principles of free sparring. This type of free sparring will only lead students to leave the Martial Arts. Again, the idea is to Win but not at the cost of loosing students because of lack of control, humility, restraint, and honor.

The final and most necessary ingredient for one to become proficient in free sparring – is “The Killing Look and Instinct”. Once this is achieved your adversaries respect and to some degree fear you.

FYI - Did you know that the late Bruce Lee never entered a tournament? It is true, like myself he was not a big fan of tournaments because of limitations that they put on the student’s ability.

 

Original Source Unknown

Edited By: Master David D. Drysdale Sr. VII Dan ITF/USITF/DSOTKD

Mrs. Joan M. Drysdale VI Dan ITF/USITF/DSOTKD