Why does martial arts training include sparring? Sparring is really just another word for fighting, isn’t it?
Not really.
Everyone knows that mixed martial arts (MMA) is absolutely great for functional fitness training and essential for developing everyday skills like discipline, focus, confidence, self-protection, and a powerfully positive mindset.
But at Invictus Martial Arts, we know that you want to do more than just feel good about your training, you want to feel resilient, adaptable, powerful. But in order to do that, you need need to know the coaching and mentoring you receive isn’t just good in theory but proven to help you achieve your goals. The problem is you don’t exactly know how to get it— you know, how to really dial-up the intensity with control whenever you need it. Additionally, what role does sparring play in really help you achieve your goals? This, of course, makes you feel unsure about how to approach sparring and maybe even feel a bit vulnerable to life’s uncertainties.
Fortunately, we believe in giving practical, proven tips-and-tricks to help you develop mental toughness and emotional resiliency through safe and effective sparring techniques. And we understand that safety is important to you which is why we not only educate you on sparring best practices but also allow for progressive skill advancement drills to help you feel confident while you’re developing essential martial arts skills.
Let’s take a look at how we do it…
1. Learning Environment
At Invictus, we believe that sparring is a learning environment where we get to try out our techniques with a resistant partner for the sake of mutual betterment and personal growth. This means that we can confidently know that our sparring partner is there to help us and not harm us. This understanding and agreement allow us to try out our skills in a growth-minded culture knowing we’re getting better, together. Of course, this makes sparring fun while also encouraging experimentation and improvement feedback.
2. Cognitive Flexibility
One of the lesser-known benefits of sparring is this: being able to think “outside the box.” Combinations (short and long forms of individual movements), technical and performance drills, and equipment techniques are often memorized patterns that help develop muscle memory for almost instinct-like responsiveness which is great for self-protection and performance. As good as all that is (and it really is the best), sparring takes it even further and reinforces neuroplasticity. This crucial adaptability allows you to see things from a different perspective encouraging you to adjust to changing environmental stimuli. Many people believe that this can help with achieving the much sought-after “flow state” and experience shows that it always helps a person develop increased mental toughness and improved emotional resiliency. After all, who doesn’t want more of that?
3. Adrenalized Control
The ability to manage and mitigate adrenaline and cortisol stress is a critical skill to develop for self-protection and much needed in today’s frenzied life. Fortunately, sparring affords you the opportunity to experience both in a safe and controlled environment. Nothing can ever truly prepare you for the unexpected. However, it is possible to train for chaos and, in fact, sparring does just that. The adrenaline and cortisol dump that occurs in your body when triggered by a stress-related event creates a cascade of minor motor deficiencies making typically normal movements more challenging to execute with precision. Controlled breathing, hand-eye coordination, muscular endurance, cardiovascular durability, and total-body proprioception are just a few of the excellent benefits you can readily achieve when training in an adrenaline-controlled environment. Luckily, sparring helps give you upgraded self-discipline and equips you with the tools you need to successfully navigate through the stresses of everyday life. In other words, you manage life better.
Sparring is more than just sweating and smiling; it’s learning, it’s collaborative, and best of all, it’s confidence-building. So, we invite you to take your first step today and schedule a FREE Private Consultation with us. We would love to get to know more about you and partner with you to help you achieve your goals!
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