Friday, May 21, 2010

How can I be good at the basics in karate when I practice in front of the mirror but BAD in actual sparring?

I don%26#039;t mean just kata, per se. We practice %26quot;in the air%26quot; on our own at school, just looking at ourselves in the mirror. My punches are fast and tight. My kicks are good. My blocks and stances are OK too. But when I spar, I fall apart! When I see other ppl practicing in the mirror, they punch all over the place! But they are better than me in sparring.





How come I can%26#039;t fight as well as I practice? Where%26#039;s the disconnect?





I posted this question before but it wasn%26#039;t clear I guess.|||It%26#039;s like chess, think three moves ahead.





When %26quot;shadow boxing%26quot;, or as you refer to %26quot;in the air%26quot;, you need to train form and your muscles so they react on their own. This will allow you to follow your opponents movements, see where their point of balance is, as well as which sides they favor.





If your opponent punches with his front(left) arm the majority of the time, you step back, let him punch, block, and then follow with a quick kick to the side.





Control them, make them do what you want them to do.|||Having not actually seen you in either practice or in sparring, I can only offer that you may be suffering from a lack of self confidence or perhaps it%26#039;s a matter of going at someone who isn%26#039;t necessarily going to move and block in the same manner as you anticipate... Best of luck (and skill)!

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