Scenes from our Kids Sparring Class

We have two Kids Sparring classes that take place from 4 to 5pm and 5 to 6pm on both Tuesdays and Thursdays, and also 6pm to 7pm on Tuesdays as well. Generally, the more vertically-challenged kids will go in the earlier hour, while the older kids participate in the following session. Kids can only spar once per day.

You might ask yourself, why sparring? What good is it? Well, as a mom of 4 I can certainly answer - you never want the first time your children have to defend themselves to be in an unsupervised schoolyard! Sparring is *excellent* for teaching children how to be light on their feet, how to NOT be afraid, how to put together moves and the like. My own vertically-challenged boy (who is quite short for his age) has grown from cowering in the corner to defending himself with great enthusiasm; I cannot say enough good things about this particular class.

So! With that as an introduction, let's take a peek at what happens in class. First off, the children have to "gear up"; ie, put on their protective gear that includes a chest protector, shin guards, feet guards, gloves, a helmet and a mouthpiece. Some students will have their parents lend a hand...

While older students gear themselves up.

You can see how popular this class is by the number of students below; the same amount of kids are out in the lobby being geared up by their parents.

Classes are always overseen by either Sensei Mat, the master of ending fights with a stunning kick, or Sensei Tom, the master of blinding speed. Like when they teach the beginners karate class, both senseis focus heavily upon safety and coordination, and set up scenarios in which students can begin to build their skills. Below, Sensei Mat has paired up the class; one partner is throwing punches while the other is blocking.

While a lot of sparring requires moving around, sometimes kids get pushed into a corner or side and need to fight their way out. Below, Sensei Tom has constructed a scenario that requires each child to keep one foot next to the shields (that represents the wall). This helps kids learn to hold their ground.

Let's take that and put it into practice! In the ring, two young boys are sparring (you can see the sensei's arms in the next picture). Below, the boy in the red just landed a punch on the boy in the camo....

But instead of backing up, the boy in the camo launched himself back at the boy in the red. This particular match ended up in a draw.

Speaking about matches, there are two different types of sparring we do. One is point-sparring (ie, you get points if you hit in the correct spot), and the other is freestyle. Below, Sensei Tom is about to drop his hand to signify the start of the match.

When a point is scored, the sensei will stop the match and raise the correct arm to indicate the winner.

Sparring requires a lot of coordination and balance. Below, you can see two black belts squaring off; notice the girl in the white gi has raised her knee (this was right before she threw a front kick).

Moving about - it's a good thing. Below, this particular match had two girls circling each other before engaging.

Sometimes if time allows, the senseis will permit the students to go up against them, often two against one. Below, Sensei Mat is about to neutralize one of the two black belts with a round-house kick. "Effective" didn't begin to describe it. :-)

Every day has a different lesson that can be internalized. Below, Sensei Tom (who can teach a tornado a few things about speed), is demonstrating how one can move about one's opponent and catch them off guard.

Pairings in sparring generally are based upon skill level. Below, the boy and girl are both black belts and about to begin the match. Notice the distance between them....

Being too far apart, the girl closed the distance with a round house kick. The boy moved back quickly, ensuring the point was not scored. This match, too, ended in a draw.

Instruction, instruction, instruction....one thing I love about the sparring class is that every mistake is caught and explained. Below, the kid in the black scored a hit that could have been prevented if....

The kid with the red gloves had gotten the block sooner. Sensei Tom stopped the match, got the students back into ready position, and explained both the mistake in detail and what the kid could have done to score the point.

And finally, here's where the sparring classes really shine - real-life applications are shown and kids are given the opportunity to experience challenges in a safe, controlled environment. Below, Sensei Tom has re-created a typical school-yard fight (okay, true, most kids don't wear gear to school, but hey, you get the idea) - two students are about to fight in the middle, while their buddies gather up close to cheer/jeer them on. Talk about a super lesson; kids get to feel what such close encounters feel like...but don't have to worry about getting hurt.

Kids sparring is tops in my book! Remember, all of the sparring classes are included in our tuition!; the gear can be purchased at our store. You can learn more about what we offer at our Schedule page.

Please continue to enjoy your visit!

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