To all with "point sparring" background.... If you really HAD to use wha you have learned, COULD you?

Question

And are you sure it would work? and why?

I come from a point sparring back ground, have had to, did, and it worked

Would just like to hear some thoughts

absolutly... answering to you instructor is much worse than the cops

I would agree, looking back some of the moves I relied on to "get the al mighty point" were really silly (i.e. hook kick the opponents blocking arm out of the way to land a roundhouse kick) but a simple block and a punch is very effective... I belive most instructors are letting their student down by not differientiating the difference between a "point" and quickly ending a confrontation...

Answer 1

I have a strong point sparring background and I've always noted that sparring is nothing like real-life fighting. In point sparring, there are so many rules and restrictions and the whole nature of sparring is more of a game/sport than actually trying to hurt one another like in a real fight.

It seems to be commonplace these days for martial arts schools to train their students more for tournament point-sparring and kata performance than actual real-world self-defense. It is treated like a sport rather than a practical skill.

With all of this in mind, I am very curious as to how I would actually hold up in a real fight. I have never really been in one since childhood (and childhood fights don't really count). You could say I'm lucky that I've never been faced with a situation where I've had to fight, as an adult. But still, I'd like to know how it would work out.

Answer 2

I don't think most point fighters would do well in a real fight. I have seen some good point fighters try a little more full contact style of kumite and they quickly gave away the fight by stopping after getting the first point. The problem was that their point was not a finishing shot. The opponent just kept coming in and beat the crap out of them (in a gentle way). Even professional MMA guys cant always get a knockout on the first technique that gets in... so why the heck would these guys think that they could do it? Not to mention, the gloves dont help a fighter make a good fist.
But, the footwork, speed, timing, distance, coordination, etc would all help that person do better than a person who doesnt train in that stuff (ie: a kata guy). So, point sparring isnt a total waste...

Answer 3

I have done sport karate fighting or point sparring and full contact, both at a high level. I have also had several situations where I had to rely on my martial arts skills and both of those aspects as well as my experience with high school wrestling and Ju-jitsu have been very beneficial.

I do know good point fighters that would have trouble fighting or dealing with street situations whose mental attitude is not as good outside of the controlled situation that competition presents with all it's rules, judges, and referees. Some of them also could not fight full contact if they had to since the distance, strategy, and their ability to land effective blows is somewhat suspect. Also their ability to defend themselves on the ground if the fight goes for anything longer than a few seconds is a big factor along with their ability to fight if that first or second blow that they land is not effective while still standing up.

There are some pretty tough people out there and a whimpey backfist or a flashy hook kick will not do much damage or much in the way of hurting them or ending the situation quickly enough. In those situations they would find themselves in a real fight where point fighting techniques are not near as effective after that intial first few seconds and they better be able to make adjustments. I have seen one point fighter of note taken out in a street situation by a tough guy with fighting experience because he did not posses skills to back up his point fighting abilities and could not end it quick enough and/or not really seriously hurt the other guy.

Answer 4

i have no experience in point sparring,but this is what i have for training. www.defendo.com i am only at the begining level, which is termed "hard target cerified" and yes i have used it on two occasions. i only used it in a defensive manner, first time was in a resteraunt where i interupted a domestic scene that was getting ugly, and in my own backyard with a drugged out individual. both were not seriously harmed as i simply evaded their aggressive moves. BLOCK,COUNTER,FINISH. in each incident the perp was held in a subission hold until authorities arrived. i would like to issue a warning here,,,that if you are trained in any kind of self defense you must take care not to overdo it or you yourself can face criminal charges of unlawful use of force. this also means that after you are done facing the police and the judge,,you now have to face your trainer,,THAT alone scares me more than the cops do!!

Answer 5

I'd think that most who do "karate" sport point fighting think that there skill in this sport would auto. make them fighters. I am in a karate dojo several times a week and hear them talking and most think that there kata and tag will work on the street, even though I am of a differant mind on that matter. Ofcourse if your fighting your common thug who knows less than nothing I'm sure it wouldn't hurt any. Asking a person if there style of martial arts is effective isn't really a good judge because of course they think it would be, even if it really isn't.
My brother comes from a point background vs. my mma and cage background. He wouldn't stand a chance in a real fight with me. but in the same aspect I'd have no chance with them in a game of tag.

Answer 6

If you work with a heavy bag, or makiwara board also, you should be prepared to contact. If not, you're likely to overhit and sprain something.