There are so many Sparring Drills flying around the world it is hard to find good ones that work and are fun for everyone. So I thought I would make a comprehensive list of all the drills I know and enjoy. If you have any other sparring drills you would like me to include in this list please add the name and description of the drill in the comments below. Feel free to print them out and give them to your instructor as well.
Quick Terminology:
Jam: Defender “Jams” the motion of the attacker by moving in at the same time and attacking an open target.
Counter: Defender steps back and throws one or more strikes IMMEDIATELY after a wave of attack is over
| Sparring Drills List: | ||
| Offense vs. Defense | ||
| Offense - Is on the attack // Defense - Can only Jam or Counter | ||
| Kicks vs. Kicks | ||
| Both sides can only kick. This is important in developing range and proficiency in kicking. It is the fastest way to dominate and score points in point sparring. Korea Kuk Sool sparring rules basically only allow you to kick. So if you are planning to go to Korea to spar at a tournament, only do kicks for almost every drill. | ||
| Kicks vs. Hand Strikes | ||
| One side can only kick while the other side can only use hand strikes | ||
| Hand Strikes vs. Hand Strikes | ||
| This is a drill that will help quickness with your feet and your hand strikes. You will need to move in, out, and around in a smooth, speedy manner. | ||
| Social Point Sparring | ||
| Everyone spars everyone else in the room for 2 minutes each. While sparring your partner you try to go by point sparring rules. Stop and reset after you both agree a point has been scored. If you both don’t agree keep going. | ||
| Free Sparring | ||
| Spar everyone in the room for 2 minutes at a time. Make sure you stay in control and if one partner is overwhelming the other partner back up and reset. Everyone needs to learn. | ||
| Point Sparring | ||
| Classic Point Sparring with a center judge and two corner judges. 1 point awarded for hand strikes and kicks to the body. 2 points awarded for head kicks | ||
| Full Contact Sparring | ||
| Not everyone loves full contact sparring. However, some people this is all they want to do. Make sure you wear the proper gear. I recommend some sort of face mask or cage on your headgear and a chest protector. Believe me, people will hit you hard. | ||
| King/Queen of the Room | ||
| Everyone in your sparring class spreads out around the entire room. When the instructor says go everyone runs around spars everyone. Chaos Ensues. If a point is scored on you, then you sit down on the side. Last Person standing is King or Queen. * Points to the back do not count. You must score to the sides of the head, front of the head, or body. |
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| Spin Kicks vs. Spin Kicks | ||
| Both sides can only Spin kick. Seriously Fun. It’s sometimes risky to use a spin kick because if you miss you are very open. However, if you practice you can be awesome. Especially in Korea, Spin Kicks are awesome because knock-outs are allowed and spin kicks are very powerful. * This drill is probably for more advanced students. Or students who have previous sparring experience from a different style. | ||
| Circle Drill | ||
| Both partners can only move in a circular motion as much as possible. Too many times I see how easy people get in a rut of moving forward and backwards in a straight line. This drill helps you ease into moving in all directions smoothly. | ||
| Across the Line Drill | ||
| Put down two pieces of tape on the ground where each partner starts. Then you go one point at a time. Designate one side as the attacker and one side as the responder. The attacker must try and jump across the line fast enough to score on the responder. The responder must be fast enough to jam or jump back and counter. There is only one jump of movement then you reset each time. Switching back and forth who is the attacker and responder. | ||
| Combo Drill | ||
| Combinational striking is one of the most important point sparring concepts. In the Combo Drill each side is only allowed to use combos. You can only attack or counter with 3 strikes or more. Using combos increases your likelihood of scoring a point when you commit to an attack or defense. | ||
| Korea Style | ||
| Basically, you can only do kicks and take downs. Kick defense techniques are great for take downs. You do get a point for a clean take down, but it has to be clean. Korea Kuk Sool tournaments do allow hand strikes but you must have both feet on the ground and you can not be advancing at all. Meaning: They are discouraged. * They do allow knock-outs in Korea Kuk Sool tournaments. I am going to say do not allow knock-out sparring in your school. Everyone wants to practice and live a healthy life. | ||
* If you have a good drill I have not included please add the name and description of the drill in the comments section below
