The goal of sparring is not to beat up our opponent but to learn from the experience. In actual combat, the goal is to win, to defeat our opponent. However, in sparring the goal is to gain valuable knowledge of combat in a controlled environment, bearing in mind that the “Process is the Product,” not victory or defeat.
What does the sparring process teach us? Actually, the more germane question is, “What does sparring not teach us?”
There is an art to the “gun,” just as there is an art to the fist, the open hand, the kick, the knife, the sword, etc. There is also a science to the “gun,” to its usage and application. Thankfully, there are great and generous friends who have blessed Whitefire and the KIA with their tremendous gifts and loving support.
Among the most generous and devout families in the history of the Karate Institute of America are the Griffins. Pictured below are Mountain Man James (in the hat, KIA Black Belt #60) and Ben (in the tie). Not pictured are Mr. and Mrs. Griffin, Anna (KIA Black Belt #55), Joel and Josh. Except for Ben, who is a lawyer in Orange County, the rest of the family has moved to the stunning beauty of Idaho.
The first chapter of The Black Belt Book of Life: Secrets of a Martial Arts Master is entitled, “Martial Arts is Life.” Sparring, which is a fundamental aspect of martial arts, therefore reflects many facets of life, perhaps the most critical of which is “problem solving.”
We all have problems is life. That’s a gimmie. Who is there whose life is devoid of problems? Answer: no one. The issue is, “How do we solve our problems?” Truly, sparring fortifies us with meaningful tools and problem-solving capabilities.
Tristan “Raptor” Ligtvoet and Josh “Viper” Shamassian back in the day.
Perks are benefits. Sparring is light contact fighting designed to simulate actual combat for learning purposes but without the full intent of actual fighting, whose goal is to physically defeat your opponent. One of the many critical perks of sparring is independence—a state where the individual is autonomous, free and sovereign.
All true warriors share a culture of common characteristics. They are determined, strong, courageous, focused, resilient and unyielding in their pursuit of victory.
Paige, pictured here, is a true warrior on the track. On 4 May 2019, at the Kids Run the OC event held at the Orange County Fair Grounds, Paige ran a one mile race with hundreds of kids in her 9 year old age group and finished third with a time of 6 minutes, 42 seconds!
There are many aspects of fighting taught at the Karate Institute of America, a few of which are distance, angle, guard, posture and alignment. However, the most critical of all fighting skills is TIMING. This principle is corroborated by the great Japanese swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi, as seen in his following quote.
Students of the Kiado-Ryu will remember the Seven Timings taught in our fighting curriculum:
Once these critical timings are mastered, the student is well on his way to becoming a Master Fighter of great skill.