Speeds

Slow sparring.  Sounds boring, right?  Who wants to fight like they’re moving through molasses?

Fast sparring.  Sounds dangerous, right?  Who wants to lose teeth on the training floor?

Medium speed sparring.  Sounds like a weak compromise, right?  Who wants to be the monkey in the middle?

As best as I can gather, the kind of thinking that produces the above questions isn’t super helpful to learning.  Enjoy slow sparring for the strategic thinking that it forces.  Savor fast speed sparring for the adrenaline rush.  Sit in the pocket of medium speed and enjoy the benefits of both the slow and fast worlds.

Whatever speed you’re going… stick to it.  There’s nothing more hollow than a point scored in a medium speed match that was achieved using fast speed.  We helped remind ourselves of the correct speed by doing a touch of harmony sparring before each match.  We’d harmony spar for a bit to establish the pace that we we going to spar then go to the actual match.  Try it.  See if you can maintain the same speed and intensity level throughout and avoid the temptation to speed up and force a point.