People seem to have a love/hate relationship with sparring. There are definitely days when you feel like sparring and days you really don’t feel like sparring. I have found that on the days I really don’t want to, after I do, I am glad I did. Kind of like exercise in general when you are feeling unmotivated, but motivate yourself to do it anyway, you always feel better afterward. But with sparring there seems to be something stronger that can swing your vote in either direction. It is not just fantastic exercise. You have to be present while you spar. You have to think AND spar. And you can’t not pay attention. You can’t really fake it either. It demands your full mind/body effort. And that is why it is so spectacular. That is also why some days it is difficult to get motivated. I know what it takes and some days I feel I don’t have it in me.
When I first received my gear and learned to spar I felt completely out of control, crazy. Every time I sparred I was so out of breath I thought my lungs would explode. I was so not thinking. Ever. It was all full force craziness. I feel sorry for those early sparring partners of mine and am grateful for them too. The more I learned the better it got. I managed to think somewhere in there and occasionally my thoughts produced a kick that scored. There was hope.
Now I really look forward to the mind/body practice of sparring. Practicing the things we learn in class to see if we can make them work. And as I relax and play a little, I can do more thinking and kicking at once. It is fun and challenging at the same time. I want to especially acknowledge all of my black belt sparring partners for your control and patience, but also for knowing when to challenge me. I have improved by sparring people who have been at it a lot longer than me. Of course it is more difficult and a little scary to spar someone ranked higher than you, but it is an awesome way to learn new moves and get yourself to step up a notch in your skills. I have been most appreciative of my sparring practice and partners during the tournaments and tests I have participated in. The partners that have made me work hard, think, and play out of the box have most prepared me for those experiences. It sounds funny to say that I am glad when a partner occasionally kicks at my head, but I am. It trains me to block kicks to my head. Believe me, that becomes very apparently helpful in a tournament when it is not your classmate across from you.
So if to spar or not to spar is the question…yes would be my answer, even if I don’t feel like it. I know I will be better for the practice.
