Theme of the Week: Resistance

Learning technique, drilling and sparring are related but different activities. They are similar in that they are meant to help a student develop the art. They are different in the way that they help a student learn.

When learning the technique, there should be no resistance. This is an opportunity for the student to simply look at mechanics.

When drilling, resistance is added. Certain types of resistance will make it impossible to drill the technique that is being worked on. Being a good partner means figuring out the type and level of resistance being offered.

During sparring there will be resistance but the amount and type will vary wildly depending on who your partner is. It isn’t a fight. Both students are there to learn. How fast should you go? How varied should your techniques and resistance be? These are the tough questions and the ones we will be addressing this week. As a general rule, the right amount of resistance is the amount that allows all students to remain in a learning mode.