Why do we teaching sparring?

The main reasons to teach sparring  is to help students improve their

• focus
• reflexes
• cardiovascular health

Let's take a look at each of these.

FOCUS

No one needs convincing that our ability to focus has been declining. It is true not only for children and teens but for adults as well.

The good news is that focus is a skill that doesn’t just stay in the same domain that it is trained in. The ability to not allow irrelevant outside stimuli or inner thoughts to disrupt the issue at hand translates to life off the mat, including

• learning new ideas or skills
• working, whether it is creative work that requires the mind to make unusual connections or detail heavy tasks,
• relationships: listening to others instead of wondering what new content is popping up on their preferred platform

REFLEXES

Reflex is an action that takes place in response to a stimulus without passing the conscious mind.

This is important because there is no time for the conscious mind to process what is happening if we were ever in a situation that requires us to block or evade.

The only way these reactions happen quickly is by repetitions. Sparring practice is a low-risk situation where these repetitions can take place.

HEART HEALTH

There are many reasons, many of which come under the umbrella of "I don't feel like it now."

• it takes effort, when ease is so much more tempting
• it makes us feel bad: about not being as fit as we can be, about not being able to do certain drills, about our weight
• it's so boring.

More good news: sparring is the absolute best cardio workout.

Heart health is another issue that affects everyone. Much focus had be given to the dangers of heart attacks in males, but it is equally important in females; heart disease is the number 1 leading cause of death in women.

Good news again, is that we can start paying attention to keeping our hearts and blood vessels working well. Top on the list is exercises.

I can feel your eye roll.

It's nothing new. So don't we do what we should?

• it gets your heart pumping  but you're paying attention to so many other things, you don't realize how hard you're working
• it is never the same. Every sparring match is like nothing you've experienced before. It is anything but boring
• it takes skills of timing and speed and accuracy, so while your heart is being challenged, you are acquiring other skills as well.

Is cardio hardio for you? Give sparring a try. Come in for a free session to see if Axon Martial Arts Academy is a good fit for you!

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