Why Sparring is chess & Patterns is like a 100m Sprint 👀

🤔 Sparring is like chess, chess masters are experts from playing the game.

✅ Decision making and adaptability skills are key to winning the game.

👀Patterns is more like the 100m Sprint.

The aim is to get from A – B with very little technical errors to help give the maximum performance

Decision making & adaptability are not as important skills.

That is not to claim one discipline requires more or less than another but is to highlight they are completely different and so is the training methods each needs.

Patterns and Sparring are like Chalk & Cheese ‼️

1️⃣ Patterns are a set sequence where there are little to none variables which alter training to performance.

Patterns are improved with repetitions of the correct movements & sequences ingraining movement patterns.

2️⃣ Sparring however is too dynamic with too many variables for this method to cover all skills necessary to be an elite sparring competitor.

The fact there is an infinite number of ways it can go, means mathematically it’s impossible to prepare for all eventualities.

🙋Patterns is a solo event, where nobody is there to interrupt your plan.

Sparring is the complete opposite! The only time it all works out as planned is against a heavy bag. Sparring is simply too dynamic.

The biggest mistake with sparring training is failing to train and develop any other skills apart from “technique”.