“Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.”
– John Milton, Paradise Lost
So you have begun your walk of Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, and the time has come for you to put your newfound abilities to the test. Your coach or sensei has decided it’s time for you to step into the arena of your martial art, be it the cage, the ring, or the mat, to spar for the first time ever.
My first time sparring at the age of 14 was like peeling an onion. The more layers I had peeled back, the more it hurt. The deeper I went, the more tears that flowed, not from the pain, but from illusions of self I had that were being stripped away.
I’m not going to lie to you. It will be difficult. You will feel more emotions than you could have possibly imagined in a combat sport. But this is the way of the warrior — to be able to peel those layers back of yourself and discover who you really are.
Sparring is one of the best ways to do this. There is no substitute to gloving or Gi’ing up and setting foot in controlled chaos. Sparring is the philosophical equivalent of taking a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror and finding your mettle at the core of your being.
Let’s jump into what to expect the first time you spar.
It Is Going to Hurt
When I say it’s going to hurt, it won’t all be physical. Whatever preconceived notions you may have for yourself in terms of toughness and badassery will be stripped away in an instant.
The second that first punch connects, your mind and body go haywire, descending into full on panic mode. Reality will sink in mighty fast; but the warrior, the warrior welcomes suffering, the warrior embraces the suck. We grow from it.
You’ll probably feel humiliated after. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Be thankful for courage you had to step up. The lessons and insights you gained will be priceless. Be mindful each time you do spar — the more you will learn about yourself and your true nature as the warrior.
Leave Your Ego at the Door
Living life on the path of the Way gives you a certain gusto. Don’t succumb to it.
Just because you walk the walk doesn’t mean you should walk around with your chest puffed out. This is foolish. The warrior is humble. The warrior is peaceful. Your teammates are on the same path as you.
Be humble, be kind and be generous. Walking into a sparring session carrying ego with you is a recipe for disaster. If you’re a newbie, your sparring partner probably has worlds of experience more than you. If you walk in and start trying to prove yourself, you’re in for a rude awakening.
Check the ego at the door. And always be kind… even when you’re getting beat up.
“One Kick 10,000 Times, Not 10,000 Kicks One Time”
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
– Bruce Lee
It may seem paradoxical not to learn as many new techniques as possible, but don’t do it.
Master the fundamentals first. Don’t try to do anything fancy or too technical on your first time sparring. Information overload is a real thing and it will exhaust you both physically and mentally.
You’ll overexert yourself physically from constant tension and all the hits you’ll throw, most of which probably won’t land, and from the intensity. This intensity stems from the mental aspect of sparring. You will psych yourself out if you overexert yourself. You may find yourself thinking “Why isn’t any of this working?!” Keep it simple. Practice what basics you know given your respective martial art.
Use simple combinations like the ‘one-two’, a double leg takedown, or leg sweep, etc. If you find yourself getting ahead of yourself, SLOW DOWN until you’re back to your baseline and stick to the fundamentals.
Learning to Breathe All Over Again
It may seem silly as all of you are breathing as you read this. Breathing is an automatic function for the human, yes, but many things happen to the body when under the extreme stress of combat.
During combat, we become tense. We unconsciously hold our breath, as we constantly bracing for impact. It is like driving with the brakes on. Fine motor skills are pushed to the wayside in lieu of untrained gross motor movements. To remedy these hardwired physiological responses to combat, learn to guide your breathing.
It is ancient wisdom that one cannot fight without air. This applies to you as well. Taking long draws of air in and out through your nose instead of the mouth will help keep your jaw stabilized from kinetic impacts from strikes and hard falls. If you can keep breathing, you can keep fighting longer than you ever imagined.
“Show Your Teeth”
Sparring is so much more than practice. It is simulated conditions of one of the most stressful things a person will ever come up against — combat. In a fight, you can do two things: “show your teeth” and go until you accomplish your mission, or quit, which is the equivalent of death.
Win or lose, it doesn’t matter to the warrior. What the warrior mindset instills are virtues of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. It is a long and difficult process to become a warrior, make no mistake about it. However, mind over matter is key. The body will quit long before your mind will. Show your teeth and embrace the chaos and you will never lose the mental battle.
Closing Thoughts
Congratulations on your path. You are amongst the few the brave ones who have summoned the courage to put it on the line. By sparring, you are on your way to accomplish what you’ve set out to do the first time you stepped into a fight gym or dojo. Sparring is one of the most enlightening experiences a person can experience. I give you my word you will not be the same person you were going in as you are coming out.
“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.”
– Thomas Paine
Contributed by Timothy Sholtz.
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