The Martial Art of Natural Laws
Perhaps the most common thing you will hear when you first start sparring is, “Keep your guard up!” This is because as your guard goes down, your risk of injury increases dramatically. Injury is a risk anytime you spar. Even Kumite runs the risk of incurring an injury. If you spar, you may be injured. Read More …
Whether you are involved in Kumite, full contact sparring, practice exercises, or a conflict situation you will want to avoid being struck. In this article we will cover some of the methods and procedures you might employ to reduce your chances of being hit. Slipping Strikes Perhaps the most basic movement in boxing is the Read More …
In this article we will cover some common strategies, tricks, and maneuvers you might employ while sparring. By adopting a large number of such skills you will quickly become a more versatile sparring participant. Below are some skills you might wish to develop. You may also find it beneficial to review the sparring skills and Read More …
Safety First The first requirement of full contact sparring is that you must wear full sparring gear, as described in earlier curriculum discussions, at all times. There can be no exceptions. We understand that sparring gear can be hot, heavy, cumbersome, dank, and that it may restrict your vision. We also understand that those without Read More …
This article provides an overview of the management of a Tensoku Ryu full contact sparring match. It does not cover all aspects of the management process. It does not, for example, define the requirements for the physical area in which the matches will be held, nor does it discuss the need for appropriate medical personnel Read More …
This article provides an overview of the management of a Tensoku Ryu Kumite sparring match. It does not cover all aspects of the management process. It does not, for example, define the requirements for the physical area in which the matches will be held, nor does it discuss the need for appropriate medical personnel who Read More …
In Tensoku Ryu we teach that self-preservation is paramount. Self-defense and offensive actions are secondary. A similar model is useful when you are sparring. If you are not protecting yourself adequately or avoiding actions that place you at increased risk then you will likely not fare well. Presented below are a number of things you Read More …
Sparring strategies is another topic that lends itself to a full book discussion, but we will cover a few basic strategies you might initially employ to get you started. Learn from your opponents by adopting some of their winning strategies and by finding ways to exploit their inherent weaknesses. Each paragraph below explores a unique Read More …
It takes some significant time to amass enough skills to be good at sparring. Mastery of fundamental punching and striking skills, stepping patterns, stance transitions, angles, and guard positioning are essential, but they are not sufficient. It takes three essential things initially to become good at sparring. The first is working with someone who is Read More …
The armor above was used in a different context, but its purpose was the same – to protect the person wearing the equipment, to the extent possible, from injury. Failure to wear appropriate equipment would have been a terrible mistake during feudal Japanese battles, just as failure to wear appropriate sparring equipment is a terrible Read More …
Few people enjoy being hit. Nearly everyone has an innate fear of being struck. Students may dislike the idea of receiving a painful injury, worry that they may lose consciousness, or be concerned about long-term health risks. These are of course all legitimate concerns. But, believe it or not, being hit has benefits. The first Read More …
In this article, we will cover the basic forms of sparring that students can study in Tensoku Ryu. Not all of these sparring methods need to be practiced by every student and some of these sparring methods will not be covered until later belt rankings. Though it is rare, you may also find that Read More …