Ken Rogers, my first instructor, used to emphasis this. Everyone thinks they can counter fight, look for openings and wait. Bottom line, most attackers can overwhelm most defenders most of the time, if skill levels are equal.

It is a good lesson to learn, and one people need reminded of over and over again.

Agreed. There are shades of grey between being passive and all-out attack with either combinations or pure volume, but I’ll block and smack in return is one of worst battle plans ever, and not only in karate.

Thanks Rob! Been doing that for years already!

Nice one Rob.

Very sound traditional shobu-ippon approach. Match winner. (Yes, yes very Japaonphile, my remark.hehe) Should work well, simply because the opponent I would argue has no time to mentally “settle.” Good for average joe sparring ablity like my own.

I reckon if you are in multiple point sparring, you might pull it off once, maybe twice. Afte that, facing anything like a sensible opponent, you are maybe going to collect a front kick to the stomach or even the groin (if going to fast) every time you try. After which you will begin to get mubobi/reckless self-endangerment penalties provided for in the WKF rule book, depending on your level of vigour.

You will certainly have siezed an advantage, which you could work off.

Paul – the next article will address that issue. -Rob

Thanks Rob

I really am enjoying your topics of late. Dealing with those things that are so easily overlooked as useful ways to go.
-Paul

As a brown belt I’ve not sparred for very long, but I’ve had the same thoughts as expressed in this article. I’ve found it very difficult to fight “defensively” and a lot easier to just go out there and try to win.

I also much prefer to go up against someone who thinks they can just counter than someone who tries to ‘out-attack’ me and overwhelm me with attacks.

I like to strike them violently with my nose in the fist followed by profusely bleeding over them gets them every time.

I trained with Bob Barrow for a while. When Chuck Norris put his team together and took it on the road to win every major American tournament, Bob was the high scoring guy on the team.

Gee, that was a long time ago. Interesting how of everyone involved, only Norris remains.

Anyway, Bob noted that he did meet people who could attack faster than he could defend. Luckily, they tended to have tells. When he could read them, they would eat a side thrust kick.

But he worked on attacking patterns where you were not open to that sort of thing. I found the fear of getting hit or countered was much greater than the likelihood of it happening. Of course I never got above brown belt.

But I watched a number of people unleash chained attacks, and they often overran their opponents.

That said, when I came back from not competing in tournaments for over twenty years and competed and won the over-35 brown belt division sparring for the AAU Texas State Championship last year, I won by attacking — and, but the fact that the other guy feared counters — but I was aggressively chasing counters (looking for sweeps and throws), if that makes any sense.

I’m back to spending a couple of hours every night with my daughter with Tourette’s so she doesn’t flunk out of school, so I’m not training, other than some weight lifting, but I still think about it.

Firstly I would attack blindly and had no idea what hit me.
Secondly after practicing I knew what hit me but could do nothing about it.
Thirdly after more practice I could see it coming and do something about it.

I would always place the attack just in front of the target as requested which would be ignored hence the blood donation so you end up stopping the other person as you try to figuare out the requied amount of contact. It was considered bad manners to hit the instructors as most do not cope with the un expected which is probably why the preference for counter attacking. If someone is about the same timing as you are the is no reason why you should be able to counter attack them.

My old instructor believed that until at least brown belt, the most agressive opponent will win a sparring match. After that, the most agressive still wins, but there isn’t as much of a disparity in skills.

A green belt in my style is probably radically different than a green bel in another style, so you’re effectively just bullying your way to victory. At senior levels, people generally have competed before and know what to expect.

There are people who CAN fight on the defensive. But sparring is for points, and you get those points even if you barely make contact.