Customer Reviews

Freestyle Sparring

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I just bought this book, and I think it's a pretty good intro to get the feel of what goes on when sparring, and how to think, what to look for, etc. I recently started a karate class, and I was wondering how I should begin to think about sparring, because it was something completely new to me. This book talks about basic rules, basic strikes, and gives you a clue on what kind of counters work for certain openings. It's probably not very helpful for people who have been sparring a while, but it definitely made me more confident since I haven't done a whole lot of sparring and since I suck at it. But now I know what to look for and how to get better (beyond just practice, practice, practice) and so I think this book was valuable.

Master instruction from a master instructer.I was a student of Mr. jung until I began FCR kickboxing.I bought this book specifically to work on my kick counters and anything else I had forgot under the tutelage of Master Jung.I personally recomend this book for any level really.Nobody knows it all, guys.

Jerome Owens 3rd Dan TKD,Former North American welterweight champ,CurrentlyWorld ranked by ISKA,#2 IKF superwelterweight contender.

Especially when just beginning the study of a martial art, the wave of new terms, forms, teachers, movements, precepts and cultures can be as mentally overwhelming as the physical onslaught to intense cardiovascular workouts and aches in places you didn't know you could stretch before. Early in the journey, less is more...so allowing the student to simply immerse herself or himself in the tumble of all the "new" is enough.

But four or five months later, you begin to look for specific instruction in the areas you feel most ill-equipped or uncertain about. For myself, one of those areas was definitely sparring (even though I had wrestled competitively for almost a decade, I had never hit or kicked anyone before in my life, so striking another person seemed unimaginable [a note to aspiring wrestlers: freestyle/collegiate is pretty much the ultimate high-water mark in the sport: there are no pick-up wrestling matches once you're out of school and to even mention the spectacle of "professional" wrestling is simply profane]).

There are three essential places to find specialized instruction within the art. First and foremost, your teacher. Books and videos are next.

Freestyle Sparring is a good resource for anyone about a year into their studies. The first third of the book details the similarities and differences between tae kwon do and karate, focused on the blocks, kicks, punches, and footwork for each.

The first half of the middle section had the most resonance for me -- the mental aspects of martial arts -- and the second half was a good reminder: the need to stretch mindfully and regularly. The remainder of the book was devoted to sample training schedules, but as martial arts really aren't anything you can do solo, the training in the dojo is essentially whatever the class does. Good to see there's a balance of material so the reader can try things out on his or her own, and if these exercises prove to have value for them, so much the better.

The heart of this book is the heart of each respective practice: for TKD, it's the tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit; for karate, it's commitment to training, discipline to avoid ego, necessity to be self-aware, focus to concern oneself with training (as opposed to slipping into just theory) and responsibility to behave ethically in all areas of life. All ten of these are good rules for life. Almost a contradiction on the surface, at the core of the flurry of fighting, these steadfast, strong ideals will guide the martial artist upon the path of contemplative, caring and continuous improvement.