Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts Blog

Sparring Strategy Against Kickers

full contact vs point sparring strategy tournament sparring Aug 05, 2007

I love to teach, and I like to use this blog as a teaching tool. I want visitors to walk away with information they can use in their practice. Here is a fighting tip that can work on the street, but since I don't get in many fights (I think my last real fight was 1970 in high school), I have to do tournaments.

Tournament sparring isn't real combat, but even point sparring teaches you strategies and timing that you would need on the street. I love tournament sparring. And believe me, it gets rough in there. In black belt divisions, you often have to make contact to get the point.

In the internal arts, particularly Chen tai chi, a kicker would be at a disadvantage. Trap the kick and take the kicker to the ground. But in most tournament sparring, you can't do that.

No problem.

Here's a strategy that will help you defeat martial artists who like to use kicks. I've found that a fighter who uses mainly kicks are not often well-rounded fighters. I've never understood styles that won't ...

Misdirection is Important in Sparring and Fighting

full contact vs point sparring strategy tournament sparring Jul 29, 2007

Yeah, that's me nailing this poor guy in the face with a hook kick. I was 27 years old competing at a tournament in 1980 sponsored by my first teacher, Grandmaster Sin The. I still use the hook kick in tournaments, even at my advanced age, because as one judge laughed a couple of years ago after I nailed a guy with it -- "that's sneaky."

As anyone who has purchased my sparring DVD knows, I believe in being a well-rounded fighter, using both hands and feet. I can score with either, and I use both to misdirect my opponent.

Whether in tournaments or in a self-defense situation, you should try to put your opponent at a disadvantage by making him think you're going somewhere you aren't. In the photo above, I had only been kicking at waist level. I'd thrown several side kicks at this guy and he had blocked them. He was very good at the reverse punch and had already scored.

But he was holding his hands down and leaving his head open. It happens all the time. So, as he expected another si...

Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts

Sparring Strategy Against Kickers

Misdirection is Important in Sparring and Fighting

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