Contact during training practice

[tampakenpo]

Myself, coming from a traditional Okinawan karate background, we were always taught to focus and control our strikes during training striving to stop less than an inch from the intended target. We practiced this way during classroom exercises, step sparring, and freestyle. Sometimes we would freestyle with limited contact (no pads), but vulnerable targets we would always stop short of actual striking. We had conditioning and body hardening exercises that we would do as well, but again, it was done in a very controlled manner.

Elsewhere on the net, I have observed kenpoists who seem to brag about striking one another, "tatooing sallys", etc, during training practice. I feel that I must ask: why? What is the purpose of striking our training partners? I understand that perhaps we would like to move and control our partner as if it were a real confrontation, but if that were the norm why would we ever need to dummy for techniques when our partner could just strike us and put us where we should be? Why strike a compliant training partner, just to stroke our own egos (sort of like shooting fish in a barrel)? What has happened to the old conditioning exercises that were so prevalent in Okinawan karate (isn't Kenpo descended from Kosho-Shorei-Ryu)?

I am curious to know what really happens out there in kenpo schools regarding this. I have told my students many times, if you injure your training partner, you will no longer have a partner to train with...

-Salute-

Jeff

[administrator]

Many kenpo schools practice sparring with a varied level of contact. Contact intensity is dependent upon the particular intent that you are pursuing in the martial arts. A full contact fighter, obviously, must train with full contact, whereas, a person exercising with Tai Chi would not necessarily require any contact.

The AKLA has developed a complete treatment of the studies of all levels of sparing, with training drills. Check out our Master of the Ring Manual http://www.arnis.org/products/series3.htm

I do agree with you, many Kenpoists utilize unnecessary contact while practising their verions of one-step-sparring to simulate 'realism.' However, few take the next step to allow completely random attacks.

Kevin Lamkin
Site-Administrator

[tampakenpo]

That makes sense. I guess there will always be some who take it to the extreme. I really didn't think it sounded like the norm, but I understand that the levels of contact should probably rise with the experience and skill of the student. Beginners should be focusing on proper form while advanced students would be working on speed, power, accuracy, and (hopefully) control.

I have seen some videos of Larry Tatum and he seems to be hitting his dummy, but it is extremely hard to tell which strikes are actually landing between the motion of the dummy, the slap-checks, and uniform popping.

Thanks for the reply,

Jeff