Use these 4 tips to improve your matches!

It's not about being big.

The old phrase "the bigger they are, the harder they fall" can be true in martial arts. Sports like jiujitsu are often built around the premise that your opponent's weight and momentum can quickly be turned on them. That's why it's not always about being the bigger or stronger one, but the one who can utilize leverage and martial arts principles.

Understand that winning a sparring match isn't about being big or small, it's about having the stronger presence of mind. Your beliefs and skills will be more important than your body weight; the more advanced your skills, the more you'll be able to maximize your own.

Enhance your strikes.

Putting the force of your body weight behind your strikes will add more power to your moves, catching your sparring opponent off-guard and letting them know you're not to be trifled with. An amateur will punch with his hand - a professional will punch from his shoulder. You will seem to gain strength and power out of nowhere if you can properly leverage your body weight.

Take advantage of your opponent's weight.

Taking advantage of your knowledge of body weight means you should be able to use that knowledge on your opponent. For example, you can grab their hand, but it's more powerful to grab the area that controls more weight - the wrist. The more control you have over your opponent's weight, the less power they'll be able to muster to fight back. It's important to understand how to use your own weight so that you know how to keep an opponent off balance.

Staying grounded.

When defending, it's important that you don't lose your cool and forget to keep balanced and grounded. It's much harder to attack someone who has strong footing than someone who is distracted and off their guard. Try to stay balanced as much as possible - oftentimes the person with the best balance wins the sparring match.

Photo Credits: parhessiastes

Originally posted 2009-08-19 03:09:31.

Takedown in Judo

A takedown's premise is very simple: utilizing positioning and leverage, you try to get your opponent down to the ground, with you following, resulting in you having the better position. This is actually different in substance to simply throwing or knocking down your opponent - the premise of a "takedown" is that you're "taking them down" with you. For martial artists that perform better by wrestling on the ground, a takedown might be necessary to win a match.

Takedowns can happen in a number of ways, even if the result is the same. Usually, it comes as the result of two martial artists being locked up against each other, either one of them unable to break free. Generally, the person who can get lowest while maintaining the most control possible will be able to take the other person down because of leverage. But takedowns can also take place suddenly, such as when one fighter "tackles" the other quickly, using his body to knock his opponent down.

If you're interested in learning how to take down an opponent, you're going to have to decide which discipline of martial arts is best suited for you. You'll obviously want to avoid disciplines like boxing and Tae Kwon Do - both of which emphasize striking. Look up some of the best martial arts for learning takedowns, such as Judo, and you'll be able to learn more about how you can use an opponent's weight and energy against him in order to come out with the best possible position.

Much of what goes into a takedown relies on putting you in a better position than you started with. If you can master the "takedown," you can turn things around in your favor quickly. But if you're not used to a takedown, it can also work against you, as an opponent can use it against you.

Photo Credits: parhessiastes

Originally posted 2009-07-30 05:12:12.

Karate Footwork

Spend time practicing just your footwork. If you really want to build up your footwork skills, spend time practicing just your footwork. Former professional football cornerback Deion Sanders reportedly would spend time having his hands tied so that he could isolate his other body movement when covering wide receivers. Isolate your own skills in this way - spend some time just focusing on this one area of your karate skills and you will find that you are vastly improved when you bring it all back together.

Know when to plant and gain leverage. When people think about footwork, they often think about remaining shifty and light on their feet. But footwork is also about gaining leverage and using your body weight to deliver a solid strike to your opponent. Know when to plant your feet - and how to do it - when it's the time to strike. Karate often emphasizes striking, so be sure to ask your instructor if you're still unsure about how this is accomplished.

Practice footwork in 360 degrees. Karate is not two-dimensional. That's why you'll want to work on your footwork to the point where you can move forward, backward, and in all directions you can in order to maximize your mobility and adaptability. If you have strong footwork, you'll have an advantage against any opponent who hasn't studied this area of their lives and put in considerable practice. You'll also be quicker, with a more unpredictable presence in the mind of your opponent.

Learn about shuffling. Footwork is about utilizing minimal movement for maximum gains. This means that you don't want to step and jump everywhere you go - you should be ready to shuffle at the right times. Consult your karate teacher to learn more about proper shuffling techniques and, if you're not satisfied with the answers, continue researching this yourself and possibly look for an instructor who knows what you're asking about.

Photo Credits: mikebaird

Originally posted 2009-11-10 03:57:11.