Getting Hit Too Hard in Sparring

Post By: S Lee

You're in the middle of a sparring match and your partner starts striking you harder than you are comfortable with. Maybe a punch penetrated your guard and got you hard in the gut, or even gave you a black eye. Or maybe the strike didn't get in, but you are afraid of getting hurt if it does. Either way, you are concerned and in the middle of a very uncomfortable situation.

There are a few ways of dealing with this. First, remember where you are. Karate and sparring in particular are combative. Striking and getting hit are major components, and they are not always a bad thing. Surviving a hard sparring match relatively unscathed shows that you can handle the ordeal. It also teaches you that bloody noses, black eyes, and rough throws to the ground while painful do heal. They are survivable. You learn how much punishment a body can take without being incapacitated. This is extremely important when applied in self defense.

That being said, we do not want our students to all end up in the hospital. If you feel like your sparring match is out of control, then you should say something. Politely ask your sparring partner to ease up or slow down. Stop the match if you have to. Make sure he or she knows that you are serious and not joking around. Also check yourself. I have found over the years that most people return the amount of speed and power they feel that they themselves are receiving. It could be that you don't realize how strong or fast you are going, and that your partner is simply returning that pace. Once both of you are aware and have reset the match, see if things improve. If they do not and you still feel threatened, get the attention of a Sensei. Sensei can intervene and make sure the situation is handled. However, make sure you flag us down and actually have our attention. While we are very aware of our surroundings we are not omnipotent, and we may not realize what is going on right away unless you tell us.

Another option is to wear sparring gear. Gear protects you as well as your sparring partner, and if you want to hit harder without the lasting damage this is a great option. If your partner is punching or kicking too hard bare-knuckle, ask them to put gear on. Those inches of foam padding make a difference, and that might be all you need to make the sparring match civil. This is often a double-edged sword. If you are wearing gear, your partner may take that as a green light to hit you harder. I will often request gear if I want to have an intense match, but I'm concerned that my partner may do lasting damage without it.

Lastly, access what it is that you are specifically worried about. If you have an old injury that could be made worse, such as a bad knee, there are ways to protect it. You can request that your sparring partner avoid take-downs. If you were hit in the temple too hard once and are fearful of experiencing that again, talk to a Sensei. We can help you adjust your guard and give you other strategies to better protect yourself.  

The worst thing you can do is avoid sparring altogether or to avoid specific people. It is perfectly fine to take a break in order to recover, but you must get back to it. Overcoming fear is a huge learning experience in the martial arts. By avoiding you are not learning anything. When I think of the people I used to be afraid of I realize that these are the individuals who have taught me the most. If I had avoided them the first time they had hit me too hard, I would have missed out on some truly valuable lessons. In fact, some of the people I used to be afraid of as a yellow belt eventually turned into my favorite instructors.

If your sparring match is out of control, stand up for yourself. You can also ask an instructor for assistance. Try suggesting sparring gear as well. Never avoid the situation, and instead look for learning opportunities. Get the most out of sparring by being assertive and by working at your own pace.

Photo By: S Ken Smith 

Competitions and the Martial Arts

Post By: Sensei Lee

A few years ago Sensei Kris and I entered an international karate tournament, with Sensei Harp's permission of course. While there were competitions in kata, weapons, semi contact sparring, and no contact sparring, we picked full contact fighting to compete in. Both of us had our own reasons for entering. Personally, I wanted to experience the competitive environment and see how my training held up against someone trying to hurt me.

Fighting in tournaments is very different from the sparring we do at our dojo. There were different rules as well as different goals. For example, elbows, leg kicks, and knee smashes were allowed but not punches to the face. The goal of the match was to render your opponent unable to continue. This meant knocking them unconscious. Points were also awarded for spirit and dominance during the match. No gear was worn, except for mouth guards.

For those who have never been to a karate tournament, they are not easy. There were last minute weight division changes, fighters dropped out and had be reorganized, and the fights were running hours behind. Managing through all this is sometimes just as hard as the competition itself.

Even so, I'm glad we entered. Considering that we had no competition training, we both did very well. Sensei Kris came in second while I came in third in our divisions. We both stuck it out and fought hard during our time in the ring. Sensei Phil was a great corner man as well! While I'm not sure if I would ever compete again, I did enjoy some aspects of the experience. I was able to fight with people from other styles, including the reigning Canadian champion!

Competitions have their benefits and rewards. It feels good to prepare, work hard, and experience other schools and styles. However, you have to be careful not to let it influence your ego too much, or to take the results too personally. Treat it like any other facet of your training: Learn and grow.

Check out S Kris's battle! There is a link to it on the left under the "Harp Karate on YouTube" heading.

Photo By: Ken Smith

The Importance of Open Sparring Classes at Harp Karate

Post By: Lee Phelan

One of the things that makes our dojo truly unique is our open sparring class. This is something that many of us have grown accustomed to and may not fully appreciate. A couple of years ago I asked permission from Sensei to check out some sparring classes offered at other schools, which he seemed to happily encourage. Allow me to again express my appreciation for our sparring class.

First of all, very few dojos have open sparring classes. The ones that were willing to let a foreigner in were, well, unique. Some were more open than others. There was one dojo that had to first gain permission from their head Sensei, who required my name, age, rank, number of years training, tournament history, and gender. After two weeks I was allowed into their inner sanctum. The atmosphere at this particular dojo was very competitive. Despite the full gear I was required to wear, I still left bruised and battered. Another observation I made were the lack of female students who were actually participating in the sparring. There was only one, and she was serving water from a cooler to the guys. (Lee takes a deep breath and calms down, repressing the urge to jump into a feminist rant.)

Another dojo I ventured to was very laid back during their sparring class. Uniforms it seemed, were optional. Which made it difficult to tell who was a beginner and who was advanced. After a brutal warm-up we went back and fourth between sparring and bag work, with Limp Bizkit blasting from a stereo the entire time. Students were allowed at any time to stop and partake in energy drinks which were in a mini fridge on the dojo floor. While I was curious about what 288 mg of caffeine would do to my sparring, I ultimately decided to pass.

One of the strangest dojos I went to was actually a Kung Fu school. Everyone was very respectful there, and I enjoyed the group meditation before we started. Off in one corner of their training floor was a guy with a giant drum. Drum guy would provide a tempo which we had to correspond our techniques with. The result was a bunch of mechanical and robotic movements. This actually could have been a fun training exercise if the beat had changed at any point during the hour of sparring.

Our school has an excellent atmosphere for sparring. We have the freedom to go at our own pace, to advocate for ourselves, and to learn. If you want to work on slow sparring, you can! If you want to throw on gear and train with stronger techniques, you can do that as well!  

Appreciate our open sparring class, participate and learn from the experience.

Photo By: Ken Smith

Taking a Hit to the Solar Plexus (and staying on your feet)

Post By: Meghan Orfitelli

As soon as the blow lands, you know you’re in trouble. Your breath rushes out, pain shoots through your chest, and if the hit was hard enough, your vision cuts out briefly. Suddenly, you’re fighting, not to hit your opponent, but just to stay on your feet.

A blow to the Solar Plexus, that soft patch just below your breast bone, can end a fight. It can, in a worst case scenario, lead to massive internal injury and even death. Aside from blows to the head, hits to the Solar Plexus can be some of the most devastating strikes allowed in sparring.

The best way to deal with a hit to the Solar Plexus is, of course, not to get hit there. Sometimes however, taking that blow is unavoidable or is the lesser of two evils. When faced with the choice of blocking a blow to the head or a blow to the body, I will always choose to take the hit to the body.

One of the most important things to remember when you do get hit in the solar plexus is not to panic. Even though it doesn't feel like it, you will eventually be able to breathe again. Keep your guard up, maybe give up a little ground, buy yourself time. Don’t try anything crazy right now, no jumping spinning crescent kicks. If you need to, throw some quick strikes to back your opponent up, but realize that right now, you just don’t have the breath for anything spectacular. You are strictly on defense duty right now.

The next thing you need to do is evaluate. How badly are you hurt? Are you in imminent danger of throwing up or passing out? Sometimes calling a fight is the best option. You can’t learn if you’re not conscious. If you have to call the match, put your arms above your head to stretch out your chest and give your lungs some space. Concentrate on getting your breathing under control. Sit out a round or two if you have to, and then evaluate if you can get back in a match.

Assuming you’re not too badly hurt to keep fighting, realize that you’re going to have to spare a bit of your concentration for keeping your breathing under control. Your Diaphragm just took a hit, and it’s not going to want to work smoothly for a while. Try to keep your breathing as even as possible. An easy way to regulate your breathing is to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe in for three counts, and out for three.

Once you’ve gotten your breathing under control you’re golden. Remember however, like with any injury, if you’re still feeling it a couple days later, it may be time to get yourself to a doctor.