Sparring = reality

[jesse7]

LOL DIE!!!

[Szczepankiewicz]

Sorry, if I could come up with something new and humorous I would.

But I can't.

So I won't.

Spanky.

[akja]

Interesting thread, a lot of good points and it seems the #1 fear is fear itself. Everybody knows their weaknesses, a lot of people won't admit them, but the smart ones will take action. Thats pretty much why I got involved with bjj. I knew I could be taken down. So I fixed a problem. Getting to the original question. Sparring is helpful depending on how you go about it. If our talking point, your fooling yourself. Pulling your strikes is no good for real defense. Stopping in between points adds to the false security. If your talking sparring more like kickboxing, then of course its helpful. You develop timing, footwork, strikes that actually work. You can hit focus mitts all day long and still not be able to win a fight. Repetitious drills do come into play, but its the combination of all of your training that is going to dictate whether you can fight or not. My #1 reason for getting into bjj was I felt my standup had a hole. Thats reality. But street grappling is not good either. That concrete is pretty damn hard. If you can't handle kickboxng type of sparring then its just something that needs to be fixed, something to work up to. One thing is for sure. Most people on this planet can't handle a UFC type of fight. So the next best thing is fight smart. be realistic about what you can and can't do. The rest is uphill.

[da_mill]

think this is taking it back a bit - but what someone said about fighting a trained person or an untrained mugger (for example)

you could look at it like this - if you are sparring or just fighting with someone that will strike - eg two kickboxers or whatever, that know their strengths (kicking and punching) then the fight will be stand up, with range, and with strikes.

If it involves a wrestler and a boxer, the wrestler will attempt to fight in close and takedown -

people fight (or should do) to their strengths, but wen you fight some1 untrained, you have little or no idea about what theyre going to do. Obviously this could be applied in most cases, but as people have said fear will play a major role.

Also, experience is a factor - many of the people here maintain not to be fighting kinds - if a street mugger attacks you or tries to mug you, have many hundreds of fights have they probably been in!? This will make it difficult, and more simple than just "beating up" an "untrained person". Thinking and reacting as quickly as possible plays a major part...

[robertlee]

The out come of the fight will be deturmined when it is over. Until then all that you can or have done will test and find your current skill level. A street fight happens your either able to take care of it or not training can make the differance. rest is how well you can use your tools in that fight. Fear is good when it can be controled. bad when it controls your action. As a box of cracker jacks has a surprise in every box the streets do so also. Can not asume anything until it happens.