Some Thoughts on Safe Sparring

by Mike

Sparring is a necessary part of training. No doubt about that. It's where you get to put your skills to the test and see how well you hold up under pressure.

Your coach will know what's best for you - when you're ready, when you need to go hard and when you need to go light, when you need to stop for the day, when you need to take a break for a couple weeks while you work on your technique, etc. I'm going to go over a few things that I've noticed about people specifically sparring without the supervision of a coach.

1. They're partners, not opponents

Should be self-explanatory. You're working to make each other better, not giving someone a tune up.

2. Work with people you trust

If you feel uncomfortable working with the other person, just don't do it. You need to trust that they're going to stop when necessary. This goes along with #3. If your coach tosses you in with someone, especially with someone you're scared of, trust them - they've got a reason. If you don't, they shouldn't be your coach. As the Dog Brothers say, "be friends at the end of the day."

3. Don't spar alone

Obviously, if you're by yourself, you'll be shadowboxing, but it's important to have a third party present. Not just in the room, but actively watching, preferably acting as a referee. They should have enough authority (whether respect or straight-up muscle) to keep everyone in line.

This is especially important for safety's sake as adrenaline takes over and your partner may not see that you've been rocked, or that you're too exhausted to continue, or in the event of some massive medical help being necessary.

4. Someone's got to be in charge

This goes a step past #3. Everyone involved should be aware of what you're doing - how hard you're going to be going, how many rounds you'll be doing and especially when to stop. Everyone needs to know that you're listening to that person and what they say goes.

The person in question could change, especially if you're rotating through partners, but someone needs to be running things.

5. Keep your cool, this is supposed to be fun

This isn't a match, it doesn't go on anyone's record. Learning is winning, even if you are dominated.

6. If you're not all there, don't be there at all

There are times when you should work through suboptimal conditions, but when you have the potential to seriously injure someone or get yourself hurt....

7. Keep in mind what you're training for

That is, you're training for full-contact fighting. Although you may be going light, you have to remember that there are things you can and can't do while you are training. You can wade through your partner's punches to land a combo of your own, but be cognizant of what you're getting hit with - it's likely that one of those was a knockout punch.

8. Always wear the proper equipment.

Always wear a mouthguard and cup (or cups). Training gloves (not bag gloves or fight gloves). Otherwise, wear what is appropriate to the situation - shoes, knee/elbow pads, abdominal protectors, kicking boots and/or shin pads and headgear. There may be times when your instructor wants you to more closely mimic an actual competition, so you won't wear your "snow suit," but for all the other times, you'll want to preserve the bodies of all involved, so you'll want to make sure you're appropriately protected.

[Edited on 12/16/07 to add #8]