Fix Your Sparring | Karate Drill For MMA

Sanbon Kumité (or three step sparring) is a sparring drill found in many forms of karate and similar styles, but its usefulness in practical fighting is dubious at best. However, thanks to some input from ‪@KarateUnity‬ and ‪@unsuidojoneuss‬, the drill has been revitalized and repurposes for modern day fighting and self defense.
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Goju-Ryu, Shotokan, Shito-Ryu, Karate, Kyokushin, Tae Kwon Do, Kenpo, Kajukenbo, MMA, Spar, Sparring, Training, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Dutch, Tutorial, Drill
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[@PapaBeastyy]

This was how I was introduced to sparring in isshinryu, we called it "yakusoku kumite" and was a little different, but definitely helpful. I was extremely jumpy as a teenager fresh in martial arts, and this type of drilling helped me immensely. Always love your content Rob, keep kicking brother. Your local resident weeb - Jackie G.

[@Myidealbody]

I truly love this drill.

[@championskarate129]

“Don’t play the stupid game, where because they’re bound by rules you’re going to ignore how fighting works” I LOVE THIS QUOTE!!

[@metrolinamartialarts]

Nice! I call this the 3 for 3 drill - and it's good at all levels.

[@CombatSelfDefense]

I use this one to build up to a free 3 for 3 then it’s just straight sparring

[@simoneriksson8329]

Seems like a great drill and you seem like a good teacher :)

[@CombatSelfDefense]

I appreciate it!

[@zinhobarros2592]

Solid!! Gonna try this in my kids class

[@paconunez6359]

Very smart.

[@michaelgustafson6098]

Excellent info I will use it! Thank you!

[@CombatSelfDefense]

Glad you liked it!

[@FredKuneDo]

@Combat Self Defense, I really like your idea of this exercise for pre-sparring, but the term "Sanbon Kumite" means the number of "three steps in your footwork" in japanese Karate and is something completely different from that what the Unsui Goju Dojo developed. If you take a look at the original "traditional" Sanbon Kumite, which most likely did not exist before Funakoshis Shotokan, the Defender both attacker and defender make THREE steps with the feet, but the defender makes FOUR techniques, because he has to "block" three attacks then do one counterpunch or counterkick. I do not say, that it is wrong or forbidden to call your drill or the drill of Unsui Dojo "Sanbon Kumite". But it may confuse people from japanese Karate or derived styles (Tang Soo Do, Taekwondo, whatever their korean terminology is) who use the classic definition of "three footsteps" (sanbon) or "five footsteps" (gohon). And by the way, after thinking about it, the traditional "Sanbon Kumite" and "Gohon Kumite" may not be totally traditional bullshit: The reason why "Karate Guys" like Lyoto Machida or Wonderboy Thompson are so insanely good at doing a "Karate Blitz" comes from the intense practice of doing upper body techniques while stepping safely into good stances in Karate Kihon, Kata and this "pre- Kumite". This is a big difference compared to most modern Kickboxing or Muay Thai footwork because they are more based on Boxing footwork, where keeping your orthodox or southpaw is the main idea and stepping is by this more unusual.

[@CombatSelfDefense]

I don’t think anyone can deny the efficacy of the karate blitz - it’s been proven to work year after year. That being said, I don’t think the blitz itself is best taught in one step, two step, or even five step footwork sparring. Yes, you are obviously practicing the footwork in the drill, but I don’t think that’s the best place to use it. That being said, I also never said the traditional sanbon kumite or its family are bullshit, only that it’s not necessarily applicable for fighting or self defense. A drill can develop valuable skills/attributes AND be immediately useful in combat, and it can equally be good at only one of those things.

[@FredKuneDo]

@@CombatSelfDefense, I know you did not say that traditional drills from Karate are totally bullshit. This was more about myself, because I spend the last 20 years mostly into Kyokushin and "Dutch" Kickboxing and underated styles like Shotokan very much. But on the use for Self-Defense: Hmm. Actually learning to step backwards fast and in a safe stance, away from the opponent, may be a very useful skill, if there is enough space to be evasive. Maybe sometimes even a better option than standing in a spot and getting heavy shots on your guard. I mean, think about it: If you are into an open space (for example a parking lot brawl at a Wall-Mart over the last bottle of Chili Sauce) and you can simply move away fast enough (and stepping is even faster than "galopping") an attacker may waste a lot more of energy with missed punches. (and since you have fight expierience yourself, you know how much missed punches drain your energy even more than hits)

[@dirkvader1522]

The reason why Wonder Boy and Lyoto Machida are so good with the karate blitz is they have fundamental understanding of the concept of ma-ai (distancing). They are also well-versed with the 3 modes of attack and counter attack namely senosen, gonosen, and sen. Consistent drilling of sanbon and gohon kumite also helps.

[@FredKuneDo]

@@dirkvader1522, yeah. It is basically what I mean. The weird thing about the "Karate Blitz" of Machida and Thompson is, how it actually expresses some usefulness of traditional Karate footwork (making steps) with ambidextrous punch training (not meaning the fighters are really ambidextrous).

[@dirkvader1522]

@@FredKuneDo totally agree with you. I used to train and compete Shotokan karate in my younger years. I love to do the karate blitz. It's good for bridging the distance while overwhelming your opponent. I thought it's only good for point sparring until Machida and Wonder Boy came to the MMA scene.

[@ekud5366]

Sir please make more videos on those gloves how they hold up after traning, sparring, striking, grappling .

[@CombatSelfDefense]

I’ve got a whole video on them right here where I go into just that kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGetenV7nbp_pKc

[@slimkillah76]

I believe you have found a very effective training method.

[@championskarate129]

We do this often in our dojo and we refer to it as “call sparring”

[@rpd7573]

Good application of sanbon kumite. We often get criticized for the stepping kumite. As you say we dont throw newbies into the deep end either. As the karateka grades they progress to more difficult stepping kumite until they reach full jiyu kumite around 1st kyu/shodan.

[@CombatSelfDefense]

Thank you! I really do love this drill

[@rpd7573]

@@CombatSelfDefense we do a similar drill when i train muay thai. the drill we do in MT was taken from dutch kickboxing but to see how you took a drill from one style and modified it to suit your training purposes is very clever. keep up the great work with your video content.

[@CombatSelfDefense]

@@rpd7573 interestingly, three step sparring came from karate which heavily influenced Dutch kickboxing That said, the “you go/I go” method of sparring is pretty ubiquitous to most styles

[@stevebaldwin6904]

Thank you! GREAT information.

[@SwordFighterPKN]

As you get older this type of sparing is much nicer. But it's hard to get guys that feel they can take a punch to do this type of sparing since they only want HARD sparing.

[@chucklesmolly88]

So irritated why is karate sparring light and doesn’t feel effective

[@CombatSelfDefense]

Not even sure what this comment means