How Technical Sparring Should Be
Technical sparring is considered by many as the best way to improve your skill as a Muay Thai fighter. However, not all know how technical sparring should be, especially for beginners or newbies.
If you are interested to learn more what technical sparring should be like, here are a few things to take note of:
- There’s no power involved. If you’ve ever taken the time to watch two skilled professional fighters spar, you’d notice how their strikes have little to no power. This is because they’re practicing to learn and improve their technique, not to knock their partners out.
- The use of a variety of techniques is encouraged. Sparring, despite being considered as the closest thing to fighting a fighter can get, isn’t really fighting, but more of a practice. In technical sparring, fighters aren’t only trying to avoid knocking each other out, they also try to experiment and mix things up a bit, as a means to try to apply to see what works and what doesn’t.
- Fighters rarely block each other. In technical sparring, fighters rarely make an effort to block every hit. Rather, fighters allow each other to work and practice their strikes. The lack of power behind each strike makes this easier. Not only that, but allowing each fighter to practice combinations, as opposed to blocking each one. This also allows each fighter to observe each other’s technique and fighting style, helping encourage improvements.
- The transition from one strike to another is smooth. From one punch, to another kick, to a knee, and any other combination one can conjure up, in technical sparring, the transition from one strike to another is smooth, fluid and beautiful to look at. It’s almost as if like the two of them are dancing instead of practice fighting.
This should already go without saying, but you should try your best to stay calm and relax when it comes to sparring. This is why instructors are encouraged to put novice fighters in a soft and controlled environment, often sparring against much more skilled fighters. This is because more experienced and skilled fighters are better able to control themselves and help novices spar more effectively.
If you’re intimidated by the notion of sparring, don’t be. Try to take away the fear of getting hit by a punch or a kick. Once you’re able to do that, you should be able to slowly improve and stay relaxed with each sparring session, allowing you to work on your technique, the timing of your strikes, as well as its speed.
Technical Sparring Will Help You Improve
While there are certainly some clear benefits to be had from hard sparring, most people should focus more on technical sparring. This is because hard sparring is best left out to the more experienced fighters, one who’re actually preparing for a fight not for those who’re a long way from fighting a real opponent.
The fact is, technical sparring is the best way to improve your timing, technique and rhythm, all without having to worry about getting hurt too badly or in worse cases, injured.