Sparring Gloves/Waster

[Guest]

I agree Tim and my group certainly has no "rules" for sparring (i don't like the term sparring, I prefer "fechten") except we wear protective gear for safety concerns. We have no rules, as JC says "Cut and don't get cut" it's that simple.

[Guest]

Mhmmm, you really whanna make me think...
Do I train for fighting? nope
Do I train for sparring? Mhmm, not for the "score"
I started because I like swords, but what is that I seek going on?
I think it's positive sensations, some activities give them, others don't, I mean: do you like when you are concentrated and manage to keep your mind free from strategy and conscious attempts to win and just act, or better, actions get out from you in accordance to your training, without your conscious ego getting in the way? I seek this, in sword practice as in rifle shooting, pistol shooting gave me this sensation when I was 16, than it did no more and I stopped competeing with pistols, I lost an important match and realized I competed only with the intention to get medals.
But this sensation, in sword practice, comes only when I'm sparring, I enjoy parrying as much as I enjoy hitting, again: I do not train for the score. In this sense sparring is the realization of the training.
I really do not feel like I'm preparing for war, but I do not feel like I'm preparing for a soccer match either.
Sparing with swords gives me this sensation, Aikido gave me this sensation in the past, Karate never did and I quitted soon, competing with pistols gave me this sensation,it doesn't now, rifle competition does at times, but those times are worth an year of training for the sensation of the ego being relegated in a closet is very strong.
I never practiced the activities that gave me the said sensation with the idea I was preparing to fight, yet all of them have to do with weapons.
I'm practicing a sport? I do not know.

[Erich Wagner]

I think the question boils down to attitude during training. When I train, either when alone or with our group, it's with the understanding that I'm practicing with the intention of someday killing someone with this weapon. If I am hit while sparring or even during touch or pressing drills, I take it very seriously because, in my mind, I just got killed. I understand that the chances of being in a situation that would require me to kill someone with a sword are remote but the mind set is still there. It's helpful (for me) to imagine myself as a person in the 1500s training with the sword. Why are they training? To be better than anyone they might find themselves up against and kill them.

[Jake_Norwood]

Last time he was up here JC asked "Do you train as if you were going to fight to the death in 2 months? You should. I do."

I started evaluating my training a bit differently after that. Of course I'm not actually going to duel to the death in 2 months, but if I train that way I can see the difference.

Jake

[TimSheetz]

Jake,

Excellent quote.

I also have said, "Right now, someone is training to kill you. What are you doing?"

Of course, what I said is true nowadays for most people who lead decent lives.
Tim

[Guest]

I understand that mind set is important, I prefer a Zen oriented mind set in which performance is got via concentration and in which seeking performance is actually secondary to seeking concentration.

I do not like to visualize blood, think I was killed when I get hit etc... for a simple reason: fighting against blades is umpleasant, is one of those umpleasant things one tries to avoid at all costs, yet it happens. When it happens, because you could not avoid it, you lose the interest in imagining how it could be: it's umpleasant (period). It's quick and umpleasant and while you might be grateful to your reflexes, you wuold be proud of your christian mercy if you put the thing to an end without causing serous consequences to someone who might not be so in control of himself as you are.
Please do not ask me to be more specific.
If you think your mindset helps you, so much the better, I'm happy with mine, I do not find helpful to visualize such an umpleasant thing.
Regards
Carlo
PS: I actually have a rule in sparring: enough strenght to feel the blow, not enough to hurt, the one who hurts is guilty, always.

[Guest]

Jake and Tim,

Nice quotes, I like "Train as you Fight, Fight as you Train" <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />