Sparring

Karate America teaches 'point sparring' which develops a student's control, speed, agility, and awareness.

Once a student earns a Purple Belt he or she will be required to spar in order to move up to a higher belt color. If they want to, a student may begin sparring upon becoming a Gold Belt. Stop in the office to discuss this with Mr. Paulson.

Sparring applies all the skills a student has been practicing into a practical context. They'll understand why they are taught to keep their hands up or to stand tall and keep their eyes up when practicing. Students will develop the skill of judging timing and distance. They will also have a lot of FUN!

Safety

The safety of our students always comes first at Karate America. Students are required to wear approved sparring gear. This allows everyone to train safely without the fear of injury.

Out powering a sparring partner with punches or kicks that are excessively hard is not acceptable. Imagine being injured every time you spar. No one wants that! Students failing to exercise control are dangerous to other students and may be removed from sparring class until they gain control of their techniques. In fact, tournament rules for point sparring state that excessively hard techniques will result in the offender receiving a "warning"; points will be given to opponent; and eventually disqualification.

Approved Sparring Gear

Stop in the office to be sized up for the required sparring gear. Currently, a full set of sparring gear includes equipment to protect the head, face and mouth; chest and upper body; hands; shins and feet. For consistency and in order to ensure our students are wearing what we consider the best protection available today - students must purchase from our approved vendors and styles.

Because of the way gear is sized students do not outgrow it quickly. More often they will wear it out before outgrowing it.

Mouthguards

A complete set of sparring gear requires a mouthguard. Wearing a mouth guard helps prevent a student from suffering a concussion in the event of an accidental blow to the chin. Consussions occur when the lower jaw is forced up into the upper jaw.

Mouthguards also provide a barrier between a broken tooth and the cheek or lip.

Students with braces, or other dental appliances should still wear some type of mouthguard. Talk to your dentist or orthodontist.