Sparring Attitude

A.T.F. Tang Soo Do techniques are taught and practiced as a martial art, however when sparring is practiced it is necessary to modify these techniques in order to avoid injury. Full power kicks and punches must be controlled to the point that only light contact is felt when hit or kicked. Safety, and the attitude "No One Gets Hurt" is first and foremost when students "bow in" to practice their fighting techniques. Each student is mindful of the fact that the only real protection they have in the ring is "Their sparring partner's control"! They know that their safety depends on how effective he or she is, at throwing a full power kick or punch and landing it on target with a minimum amount of actual contact being felt by the recipient. They are reminded of the importance of control when their partner fails to demonstrate this! Even with the loss of control, injuries are kept minimal by the use of sparring gear such as pads, gloves, mouthpieces and headgear. This equipment allows students to practice their knowledge and skills more freely and lessen the possibility of injury. BUT...even with gear a student may still be injured if his/her partner doesn't demonstrate proper control. THE ONLY REAL PROTECTION A STUDENT HAS, WHEN SPARRING, IS HIS/HER PARTNER'S CONTROL!

Competitive Edge

Born of a freedom from fear of injury....is Competition! Students of the Martial Arts have long been able to compete with their Forms or Katas with no fear of injury but sparring practice has always led to some degree of injury. Today, the research and development of modern sparring gear has prompted more sparring competition at a younger age. It is not uncommon at tournaments to see five-year-olds, barely visible under the layers of padding and headgear, banging away at each other in center ring. At this young age children only know what they have been taught so it is very important that they have the proper ATTITUDE about competition.
Today there are several schools of thought about competition and it's effect on children, come radical and others more moderate. I will probably draw disagreement from both! One line of thinking is, "Winning Is Everything" and "First Place is the Only Place"! This is a very dangerous and unacceptable attitude about competition! It is especially unacceptable when taught to children, for the byproduct is bad sportsmanship and an ugly and uncooperative attitude as the child matures. The end result is an antisocial adult who tries to bully his way through every encounter with opposition. An attitude such as this can and does lead to many kinds of trouble and a very hostile and unhappy person.
In direct contrast to this is the second school of thought which professes that "Winning Is Not Important". ...that competition is not necessary to life and the only thing which matters is that "We Feel Good About Ourselves"! This is ridiculous, for if we do not learn to compete at an early age then we become a victim to the person who thins that winning is everything! We build in them a false sense of confidence for they have not really experienced competition! We have merely become cannon fodder to further develop their bad attitude! This "Feel Good Philosophy" leads to a "Sheep / Wolf" scenario: One in which the aggressive predator feeds on the unthreatening flock. Imagine for a moment, if you can,..."never wanting to win"...anything! What an astounding concept! If we have no competitive spirit, then we are doomed to failure at every attempt, no matter what the task! This attitude can be life-changing, if adopted at a early age, and should be rejected by all!
A third attitude about competition is that which teaches "Winning Is Important But It Is Not Everything"W what IS important, is "that we always put forth maximum effort!" This is our belief at Allied Tang Soo Do Federation, and this is what we teach our students. Competition builds character and losing, painful as it sometimes is, can provide us with a valuable life's lesson. It can make us aware of our own shortcomings and prompt us to work harder to overcome these weaknesses within ourselves. A proper attitude about competition can build in us a confidence to always give our best effort and to regard each new competition as a different learning experience. When we work harder we inspire those around us to do the same. When we put forth our best effort we also help others achieve more, for it sends a message loud and clear that "If you want to beat me...you had better be prepared to give one hundred and ten percent"! If we learn from everything we do, and if we try harder than we did before, and if we demonstrate a proper attitude, victory will eventually be ours. Attitude overcomes shortcomings! This is why competition is important!