Sparring

[Valpolicella]

I know it can change from school to school but on a whole, do jkd instructors include sparring as part of regualr class or is it a seperate class that would have an additional fee?
I would also ask the same question of your weapons training.
Also do you need to get to a certain level of training to proceed in your Jkd training?
Thank you.

[jkdberlin]

In our school sparring is an integral part of every training session and we do have an extra session on saturdays to mix it all up.

Greetings

[Tim Tackett]

We do spar, but there's no extra fee as we don't charge for lessons. Jeremy does charge a small fee to train at his house 3 times a week, When he feels you're ready you can move to the Wed class where there is no charge.
Tim

[frankiefuller]

We do spar, but there's no extra fee as we don't charge for lessons. Jeremy does charge a small fee to train at his house 3 times a week, When he feels you're ready you can move to the Wed class where there is no charge.
Tim

Some guys say they don't need sparring too much because sensitivity drills are just as good. They say sparring only teaches somebody how to control stuff in a real fight, and that real fighting needs to be practiced with full force and not just for ring fighting. I wonder if some dojo masters who practice the katas are any good at sparring, saying they can throw lethal moves without having to worry too much about that. Have you ever had karate masters come to your door and say, "JKD sucks, it's not a martial art. I'll beat you to the ground with my karate moves."

I think sparring is quite effective. Is it better to do certain types of sparring than others? I heard some say that when doing moves on the partner, it's better to have some resistance instead of the uke just fall or go with it, even when doing joint locks or ground fighting moves or drills. How useful is it to learn from using the uke model, basically being the dummy and letting the other guy do the moves on you?

Gosh darnit! When I do moves in the dojo, they seem to work. However, when I do them on BJJ guy sometimes they don't submit like they're supposed to! I notice the JKD guys aren't used to being the uke either and they actually counter with something. JKD guys, please tell me if Karate Land will help in some way to get me to utilize certain JKD techniques or to be able to test the moves. How come the JKD guys don't sit still or use the dojo method of training, or be the uke while the other partner submits you like a ragdoll? It feels good to be in Karate Land sometimes, but who here feels good about Karate Land, anyone? However, I don't want to be comfortable. I want to get out of the comfort zone to be lethal, efficient, calculating, and able to fight in reality, which is why I frequently leave Karate Land and go into other modes to get stuff into perspective to help me enhance my training.

Why don't you guys, or even Bruce Lee, practice in bathrobes (i.e. the karate uniform), walk around barefoot, wear belts, or bow to the partner or kneel and slam your forehead into the ground to bow to the master? It's so easy to buy into the comfort zone of Karate Land. If you get there, you may never want to leave. When you're there, life is so simple and easy, everyone moves like they should, and all the attack moves work on the unresisting opponent. Everything is easy because all you have to do is follow the Sensei and copy what he tells you to do. Please don't get stuck here, though, and think that Karate Land is how everyone fights. The temptation is there to stay, but it's better to just remember that not everybody attacks this way. Hey AZJKD01, don't get sucked into Karate Land forever if someone wants you to go there. Use your brain and get out of that mode if it starts to get comfortable.

Why do you guys wear street clothes and shoes when practicing and use real weapons to attack with instead of farm tools, samurai swords, and shurikens, for instance? Do you think it's better to train this way to get the feel of reality better instead of Karate Land? I bet you don't go to Karate Land too often. Hey Tim, just in case at some point I am encouraged by the karate guys to learn some kind of archaic weapon, is it better to use or defend against a gun, knife, or a stick better than a long staff, a sai, a samurai sword, or a scythe, numchucks, or the broken staff, etc., like traditional weapons? I really want to make sure I spend time doing more functional training than training that is going to get me into a performing arts school.

[brentlance]

Sparring is regular and shouldn't cost anything more. I don't charge anything extra either. I know some places charge for different styles, which that is their choice and probably have to pay individual instructors, while others have a package plan where you can go to whichever classes you want to.

I love to spar so much that I quite often travel many miles just for sparring. I have never been asked to pay anything for that.

Sometimes, I have made a small donation to a boxing club for letting me train there.

[jkdberlin]

Just to clear this thing up:
we offer training every day, 7 days a week, 2 to 3 classes per day. People pay one fee and are free to come to any class they like or can make. Nothing costs extra, if we are open students are welcome to join the classes.

Greetings

[Tim Tackett]

Frank,
It's good seeing you here on this forum. When are you going to get over to the US? Are you done with school yet? How the JKD going?
Your Friend,
Tim

[jkdberlin]

Dear Tim

I've been a silent reader for awhile...

Thanks for asking, I will finish University in about a year and will then start with my Ph.D. in history...maybe (read: hopefully) in the US.

Everything is fine over here, busy training...I don`t know when I can make it, trying to cross the Ocean this year for a trip :)

Greetings

[zippy]

Sparring is everything otherwise you are "swimming on dry land". Many people have loads of techniques they can show on someone who just lets it happen, but the effectiveness of that technique will be shown and indeed improved upon through resistive training (Sparring).
I had the chance to train with Neil Adams, a Judo player from the UK, his main thing is the arm bar, which to some may seem somewhat limiting, but that guy has the movement and timing to get that arm everytime. This was learnt in an implicit manner through sparring.
Howdy doody Frank, long time since I last spoke to you. Hope things are fine, did you get that face lift done so you are nearly as handsome as me.
Chris Brown, Manchester, UK.

[jkdberlin]

Hi Chris!

Nice to see you are still around! Did you finally loose the swim ring around your waist? :) Now your body looks lean as mine :)
How is training?

Greetings

[zippy]

I'm still here or just abouts. Training is going fine and I am competing in some grappling events and not doing too bad. I managed to lose those side handles and now look like a mean machine (Well actually just a thin bloke really).
I still get your newsletter so I have been keeping up to date. It's good to hear from you. I see you are busy at Uni like me, there must be something in the air about going back into education. Keep up the thankless good work that you do over there. I still want to get over to see you some time. Steve, my training partner, was stationed over in Berlin when he was in the army and says I will love the place, it's just being a student with a wife and child limits my options money wise.

Hi Tim,
hope things are going well for you and I wish I could get over there to see you in Las Vegas, but money is tight. Are you due over to the UK this year. I do see Dave Carnell from time to time. He is training with my friend in Gracie Barra and so our paths cross quite a lot.

[Tim Tackett]

Chris,
I will be in Wales in February. I will also try to get to Dave's for a mid week workshop. Good to see you on our site.
Tim