The Importance of Sparring Etiquette in Modern Self-Defence
Sparring is a vital component of martial arts training, especially in mixed martial arts (MMA). It simulates real-life combat situations while maintaining safety measures. But in order to spar effectively and safely, there has to be good etiquette. Jeff Chan of the YouTube channel MMAShredded underlines this in his video “Don’t be this guy in sparring! (Good vs Bad Etiquette)” uploaded in June 2023. Bear in mind, although our understanding of the video is limited due to the lack of a detailed transcript, we can still grasp some critical takeaways. Based on my expertise as an MMA specialist, I will share some important pointers on sparring etiquette that reflect modern self-defence practices. Respect is Cornerstone First and foremost, respect for your sparring partner is crucial. This respect should be evident in many ways. For instance, acknowledging your partner with a brief touch of gloves at the beginning and end of every round, practicing light to moderate contact depending on agreed-upon levels, and maintaining control of your strikes. It’s not about throwing full-force punches or kicks to “win”. Remember, sparring isn’t a real fight; it’s a learning experience. Controlled Aggression Stemming from respect, controlling your aggression is a critical aspect of sparring etiquette. While martial arts will inherently involve some degree of aggression, channelling this aggression in a controlled and disciplined way is what separates martial artists from street brawlers. Controlled aggression allows for the effective application of techniques without causing unnecessary injuries. This is paramount, especially in MMA, where multiple combat disciplines are blended together. Feedback Loop One of the vital elements of good sparring etiquette is to provide and accept constructive feedback. Discussing what techniques worked, what didn’t, areas of vulnerability, and areas of improvement can be enormously beneficial. Sparring should be a two-way interaction, an exchange of knowledge where both parties learn and evolve. Safety First Despite its competitive nature, martial arts aim to foster a safe environment. In the spirit of self-defence, inflicting harm purposely or recklessly defies the motives of learning martial arts. It’s imperative to remember that you are working with a partner, not an opponent. Using appropriate protective equipment, abiding by weight and skill differences, and monitoring fatigue levels are significant safety aspects that should never be compromised regardless of the intensity of the session. Humility: The Mark of a True Martial Artist Humility in victory and grace in defeat are some of the defining traits of a true martial artist. Martial arts aren’t simply about physical prowess, but also about character development. While winning a sparring session might give you a temporary ego boost, humility and continuous learning should be your ultimate goals. To sum up, good sparring etiquette reflects the values intrinsic to martial arts. It ensures a productive and safe learning environment while promoting respect, discipline, and humility. Like Jeff Chan and his followers at MMAShredded aim to do, let us keep enriching the roots of martial arts through proper etiquette. In the age of modern self-defence, it’s not just about how hard you can hit, but how gracefully you can manoeuvre through the lessons, both inside and outside the sparring ring.MMA Block
MMAShredded is a YouTube channel run by professional MMA fighter, Jeff Chan. Through this channel, Jeff shares his extensive knowledge about MMA, demonstrating training techniques and tactical tips. His in-depth tutorials and fight breakdowns appeal to both the novice and experienced fighters, making his channel a go-to resource for MMA enthusiasts.
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I hate when I land light shots in sparring but the guy thinks he can tank the shots and bum rush me with heavier shots. Dude, if those were real punches you would not be doing that.
The sparring learning curve is fast, you pull a kick or strike and your opponent decides to still follow through with the counter. You eat it. Then the next exchange you fully send it and teach them the hard way.
I remembered back in highschool during taekwondo this one blue belt was so arrogant and challenge our yellow belt friend. The blue guy kept kicking hard and when my mate got pissed off after taking 6 hard kicks he started kicking hard and the dude kept complaining. 😂😂
Most people do it because they never thought about it. I havent met one person who did not agree and stop doing it once they are told
Devils advocate: it’s way easier to catch with shin guards and pulled kicks BUT when will you train them live if not in sparring?
In the same way that kick was pulled any sweeps and dumps can also be pulled and that’s matching intensity while not putting some techniques off limits as you kick someone in the head and expect to get away cleanly.
Many accumulated injuries are from actual sparring and not fights.
It's just knowledge man, stop being judgemental on people who may not be aware. Elitist bullshit
so moral of the story: don’t pull punches or kicks while sparring. got it
This video made me realize why I stopped watching MMA after loving the arts my entire life: idiots are now learning to fight well.
This is a spar. You are supposed to be doing it for the learning experience. That one dude who did get hit in the head and did a leg sweep TWICE has not learned what he was supposed to: BLOCK the kick first, only THEN you sweep.😅
That last one show how weak the human body really is. Fighting ain't like the movies where someone gets slammed in the back of the head with a WC tank cover and comes back angrier lol
i mean if jeff put some power into it，who can still stay standing?
Bro your student happened many when throwing the highkick, the truth is that I saw a short and fight with your same literal style
Those big guys make me & lonnie look like gentlemen and scholars
I'm not too confident with high kicks in a fight to be honest I feel like keeping a mid and low is the best way to utilize kicks I feel like kicking is better to help break their route and their stands in order to make them lose balance and stuff not just as a direct combat attack
i personally don’t do this, but honestly don’t care if someone does it to me, part of the game
So you’re hitting them in the head and dim their lights but they’re the assholes for tripping you down? I see the bad etiquette bro
So the next kick you give them some head trauma. Since they're clearly too brain damaged already to understand
that they got hit.
No follow up with the other leg to kick so no sweep?
Bro why bad etique ? Why you kick him heads ?
Wow I was actually telling people about etiquette with this very examplz
Back when I first started boxing when I would spar people would tell me to not throw power punches or that I was hitting too hard. It took a while for that to click because the people I was sparring against were better boxers than me and my cardio and all that wasn't there so on my end it felt like they were whooping my ass and I was just trying to survive out there. I felt like I had to do something to slow them down and they were hard to catch to I had to make those licks count in my mind because like I said it felt like I was getting worked otherwise. If it's just somebody being aggressive that's one thing but some of these guys may just be inexperienced and in a zone feeling like they have to take thier opportunities as they come, not realizing that you were holding back because you're actually just that much better than them.
I’m confused is sweeps bad etiquette or is it something else because in my gym if someone catches ur kick no matter there experience u will probably get sweeped especially in Thai sparring and mma, is it not realistic and good practice, don’t get me wrong they aren’t cocky about it and try to brake each others knees or out but they will still sweep every now and then
After the first sweep, they should get a warning. Next time, they get full send to the side of the head. 🧠
Next time land the head kick to remind them
Pfft if I get a kick in the head don't get swept fool cause its coming