If a then b is mainly in grappling sports?

[TrainingDummy]

When -I- say sparring, I mean training against an uncooperative opponent within the confines of the drill that I'm practicing. In my own training I see boxing, wrestling and ground grappling as sparring AND as drills for a MMA stylist, they are a training drill that confines attacks within a limited range so that each player can focus of building skills.

Some posters on this thread are assuming that sparring is an all out flurry that doesn't train anything but instinctive reactions or skill-sets that have already been previously learned. My gym does sparring with beginners that consist of nothing but jabs and jab evasions in an uncooperative manner, yes it's a drill but it is sparring. Both players are trying to hit each other even if it's a playful tap within the small range of techniques that are legal within that drill.

I highly recommend the writings of Matt Thorton, and the "Aliveness" training method of Straight Blast Gym. After experiencing it I can no longer train a rote drilling method and expect to gain practical skills.

Matt Thornton's Training Blog
http://aliveness101.blogspot.com/

[CaliG]

When -I- say sparring, I mean training against an uncooperative opponent within the confines of the drill that I'm practicing. In my own training I see boxing, wrestling and ground grappling as sparring AND as drills for a MMA stylist, they are a training drill that confines attacks within a limited range so that each player can focus of building skills.

Some posters on this thread are assuming that sparring is an all out flurry that doesn't train anything but instinctive reactions or skill-sets that have already been previously learned. My gym does sparring with beginners that consist of nothing but jabs and jab evasions in an uncooperative manner, yes it's a drill but it is sparring. Both players are trying to hit each other even if it's a playful tap within the small range of techniques that are legal within that drill.

I highly recommend the writings of Matt Thorton, and the "Aliveness" training method of Straight Blast Gym. After experiencing it I can no longer train a rote drilling method and expect to gain practical skills.

Matt Thornton's Training Blog
http://aliveness101.blogspot.com/

Matt's cool, but I think Steve Morris has a deeper understanding of training.

Now, we could just fight all out all the time, but then we wouldn’t be addressing some of the factors that are essential to fighting. It would just be sink or swim for the student. There would be no way to get across the key lessons of hitting without being hit, learning to synchronize and syncopate, and being able to retain an enhanced visual and tactile sense of the target.

So what I do, I’ll take a flow drill (empty hand on the feet, on the ground, or with weapons) and during the course of the exchange, without any warning I’ll call, ‘Fight!’ or ‘Hit it!’ and the participants go all out for ten seconds trying to get each other. Then I say, ‘Stop’ and they go back to flow again. This enables them to make a connection between skills they’re developing in the flow drill and the violent, unpredictable exchange of the fight. Sometimes I’ll give a role or a mission to each person to accomplish.

The progression of flow-to-fight and back will not only test the validity of the various possibilities that may arise in the flow, but because of the short duration of the 'fight' phase, you get a more accurate representation of a violent exchange than you would get with a prolonged, 'sparring' type exchange. And paradoxically, I've found that these brief, high-intensity exchanges are actually safer than the longer-duration, lower-intensity fighting.

http://stevemorris.livejournal.com/

[TrainingDummy]

I like the Steve Morris drill, but I couldn't give it to a raw beginner.They'd freak out and I'd never see them again.

[CaliG]

I like the Steve Morris drill, but I couldn't give it to a raw beginner.They'd freak out and I'd never see them again.

My point was even if you train with someone as hardcore as Steve Morris you're not going to spend 80% of your time free sparring.