"It's not the size of the woman in the fight. It's the size of the fight in the woman."
How important is it for women to take their space in a training group? Your body language and actions will dictate interactions more than your speech.
If you stand with your head up, eyes clear, and physically ready to work and push your partners - you will get a better workout as well.
If you look at the floor, apologize every time you hit somebody or maybe (gasp!) give them a bruise, then the workout loses it's intensity and focus.
One way I like to keep my training partners focused is by mixing up my timing - so they never know when I'm going to attack.
Sometimes in sparring I'll give myself only 4 or 5 counters. Other times I'll try to see how many times I can hit them in 15 seconds.
What mental attitudes/tricks/games to you use to keep yourself focused on the floor?
Dana
Taking up space
Moderator: Available
Taking up space
It really depends on whom I am sparring with. If it's someone I have sparred with before and feel comfortable with their control and abilities, then I try different combos, try to speed things up, slow them down, try combintations of lateral moves, etc.
If I am paired with an in-experienced person, I am very cautious and tend to be more on the defensive to start off with. Most of my serious aches have come from people who have never sparred before and don't have a handle on the kicks, blocks, or punches -- yet still throw them as if each kick/punch is the knock out punch of some heavyweight fight.
Also I thought I would mention, when I'm out there sparring, I cease to be a 'female'. Anything femmine (spell?) or masculine ceases to be for me in my mind. I think this attitude helps the guys out when we're sparring. In an after-class chat, several guys had expressed their un-willingness to hit me the first time we ever sparred (especially in the chest area)... that was until we actually started sparring. They stopped seeing me as female -- to avoid hitting in certain places-- and started seeing me as an opponent or a partner. After their initial hesitation, they never thought twice about throwing punches my way.
If I am paired with an in-experienced person, I am very cautious and tend to be more on the defensive to start off with. Most of my serious aches have come from people who have never sparred before and don't have a handle on the kicks, blocks, or punches -- yet still throw them as if each kick/punch is the knock out punch of some heavyweight fight.
Also I thought I would mention, when I'm out there sparring, I cease to be a 'female'. Anything femmine (spell?) or masculine ceases to be for me in my mind. I think this attitude helps the guys out when we're sparring. In an after-class chat, several guys had expressed their un-willingness to hit me the first time we ever sparred (especially in the chest area)... that was until we actually started sparring. They stopped seeing me as female -- to avoid hitting in certain places-- and started seeing me as an opponent or a partner. After their initial hesitation, they never thought twice about throwing punches my way.
