Why Everyone Stopped Sparring

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Big thanks to all my subscribers!! 🙏

[@sababaratashvili8629]

From what I rememebr Daghestani guys still spar hard...and they are the best today. But maybe for them even hard sparring is fun so it might be about controlling your mindset. Some just love winning too much so for them such sparring might a must.

[@operaanimelover369]

And thank you for the consistently amazing content, Brother Jesse.

[@Alenhov]

Love this channel very much, been a subscriber for 6+ years

[@SilverC3ll]

Its important to master meditation so that you can control your mood. During sparring, I always force myself to occasionally smile as smiling releases endorphins. Inside, I always stay as calm as possible. It is difficult, but it can be done.

[@kennethgonzales3300]

No, thank you. 🙏🏻

[@Sbv-25]

That thing about “fear and stress are terrible motivators” is extremely valuable even in the education sector. A lot of teachers in my experience think getting angry at students will convince them to study, but it really makes them afraid, not curious

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Also parenting 😊

[@Sbv-25]

@@KARATEbyJesseFor sure!

[@aniksamiurrahman6365]

Ah! Ife employers even remotely knew this!

[@abirkhan8590]

With the cost of them being seen as an obstacle needed to be overturned so they don't have to deal with them again.

[@jtucker4462]

⁠Exactly! We are creatures of habit, so it is so important to learn to play in these scenarios in order to unlearn our bad or unhealthy habits and strengthen good ones. Especially when it comes to family… For me my relationship with my mother has been and sometimes still is the one of the scariest things to me for those reasons. Fear and stress lead to a lot of hurt, loss and sadness. Though no matter how much it becomes it’s something to learn from. Using whatever capacity you are capable of to work beyond it will in time make a change (in part or complete)

[@leonardodelpuertoburk2439]

I quit kickboxing after four months because I left evey spar session with a headache. Every coach and trainer out there should watch this video, and take care of their own trainees.

[@BaconSlayer69]

Do it lightly geez

[@Unknownpalo]

You should be fine your definitely not alone there’s even people who shouldn’t be doing contact sports but they still do it

[@maksymwattie4761]

I quit BJJ because of guys who push leg locks with full force when they feel they are loosing or sparing too long

[@korzenians]

dude u didnt even get the basics and allready quit xD xD xD

[@leonardodelpuertoburk2439]

@@korzenians I had done martial arts before, it's just not fun when you tell people to go easy because you're new and they still fight like their lives depend on it. I worked out a lot and was pretty strong-looking, so I guess they just saw me as a breathing punching bag, despite me telling them otherwise all the time. I tried another gym later and it was much much better, we sparred less and people seemed to care about others.

[@michaelbrandon1222]

I've been saying this for years, the best times I've sparred was doing light sparring, no power, so we could work on stuff without worrying about getting hurt.

[@whenwedecay]

I agree with your statement. I come from the old school of boxing and I was taught that light sparring made us soft, yet I felt I learned more from lighter sparring sessions not to mention it helped boost my morale. I couldn't find myself saying that to our coaches in fear of being emasculated in front of the team

[@michaelbrandon1222]

@@whenwedecay yeah that's the sad thing about boxing you can't really express your concerns about anything like your opponents or training or you run the risk of "looking soft". The truth is when you're in flight or fight you can't LEARN anything, you fall back on your established habits, you need light sparring to established new habits to correct the bad ones, crazy how most coaches don't know that.

[@tommyrootsey1981]

I agree ,light sparring,work on your technique.Practise drills/particular moves.I used to go kickboxing about 7 yrs ago,me & my friend ( old school buddy) started sparring.Bloody hell he went Charlie z mode.In the end I had to hit him hard to calm him down.I didn't want to do that,it upset me.I explained to him,"go light,that's how you learn"He didn't learn.

[@tommyrootsey1981]

​@whenwedecay Totally get you buddy.Also if you do hard sparring all the time,your fucked...CTE hello

[@Cilent__]

But if you only spar light then what happens when someone comes at you hard in a real fight? You aren't used to dealing with that level of aggression or stress.

[@aakashprasad114]

This video literally changed my life. I am not even a fighter but the principle of "playing" can be applied in every possible human endeavour.

[@glaesern]

Same here: you should remind that if your son is struggling with maths. (;

[@alexx12545]

@@glaesern i think the school system needs some changing for our kids to want to learn, but yeah we can do our best to help, def not having kids if i cant live in idk northern europe or another place with good schooling

[@whendarknessfalls6969]

So you had what was called ADHD now autistic spectrum. But in reality you lacked play as child

[@KM-rk3ok]

Could you elaborate how you applied it your life and how exactly it changed you?

[@whendarknessfalls6969]

@@KM-rk3ok lol can't. It's a bot just saying shit🤣

[@bluewavemartialarts869]

We say "keep it playful, keep it fun" , thats been our way for 10 or so years. Before that we sparred hard, to win. That lead to many great students quitting. So glad you put this message out there.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Right on 👏

[@rbtheballer]

The goal of sparring is to work on deficiencies. There’s different levels of sparring as well. I can understand how someone that’s training but isn’t competing would quite if sparring is too intense but for a person that competing intense sparring is vital.

[@ManMan.TheReckoning]

I'm keeping this in mind. When i sparred with my buddy, i wasn't tracking the L's and i was progressing way faster than i am now.

[@InnocentiusLacrimosa]

​@@rbtheballermaybe you did not watch the video yet. Top level ufc fighters and thai boxers can also avoid "intense sparring" and still improve and keep winning.

[@rbtheballer]

@@InnocentiusLacrimosa Some not all…this video is focused on possibilities not probabilities. You also spar with gear to protect you.

[@TrueBagPipeRock]

there is no substitute for sparring, it must be done, but this video is totally correct. Some people take sparring to seriously and as soon as they have an edge, they try to harm when it's not the point, so it really is a mental thing.

[@JohnJohnson-pq4qz]

Sure, but what is "sparring"? A contest of which the outcome is the most important thing...or a training method encouraging experimentation and exploration?

[@aerchys4779]

@@JohnJohnson-pq4qz The second. 100%. The first is called a fight.

[@longkesh1971]

I think if you gave pro boxers a survey that if they had to give up one thing in training, either mittwork or sparring, I bet 99% would quit sparring.

[@varanid9]

@@longkesh1971 That's easy for THEM to do; they've already put in countless hours of sparring and are regularly having real fights, but for us wannabes, it's a different story.

[@Art-is-craft]

Sparring will never match a real competitive bout no matter how many times it is done or how hard you go at it. Sparring helps movement and timing and does not help with completion.

[@EsperSofrito]

“The day you stop learning is the day you stop living.” I love that!

[@cards_player]

Fable fan 😢

[@jammon_point8418]

True! I feel we should learn something new everyday, even if it's only a new word

[@force83x]

@@cards_player do you chase chickens?

[@cards_player]

That's my profession ​@@force83x

[@code066funkinbird3]

​@@jammon_point8418 pretty much for a daily idea

[@PV-cd6nh]

In Thailand, we go hard on the bag and pads, but we take it easy during sparring so we can focus on technique.

[@vladtheimpaler2930]

Thats the weyyy

[@Osteospastis]

Wise people

[@korpzmarcelfranca6825]

Oweeeee

[@dolbitnormalno8294]

bro, you didn't give us tips, it is straight up a life lesson

[@aura_daddy]

he did if you actually watched & listened to the end.

[@SpNGRUGSH]

If you actually read the comment to the end...​@@aura_daddy

[@CharlieAnderson-o7e]

They are one in the same.

[@alexanderalberts691]

Yea gawd damn

[@petert1595]

This video speaks to more people than its intended audience. I like it. You get more than what you asked for.

[@sinkpoint]

"Winning is playing, and playing is winning", words to live by. Bravo.

[@andygarcia4497]

It boils down to, Surviving is winning. A clean conscious becomes a privilege in Times of survival

[@agent_scratch4783]

Gamblers:

[@curtharakaly4620]

Sounds more like loser mentality to me.

[@Phentes]

Lol I saw this just as he was saying it 😂

[@ivayloivanov7774]

unless you implement these in the casino

[@theMelGibsonator]

This should be mandatory to watch in every dojo and gym. Our man Jesse saving brain cells all over the world here.

[@MuhammadIsmail-bi8ld]

Hot damn this should be mandatory for all educational institution 👍

[@yomommashaus]

but also Strickland barely gets hit in the arena because of all the sparring he does... and the dude beat the dude on the far right of the thumbnail for this vid so...

[@themacdaddydify]

​@yomommashaus I think it's exaggerated how little damage Sean takes in practice. And you should get the opinion of his training partners lol. Since he is known for going too hard in sparring

[@falkeborg9432]

Luckily this video got linked in my local kickboxing gym :)

[@windblownleaf6450]

"Life is a game. And it's about playing." That's actually a really powerful quote. Speaking for myself, I too often take things seriously in the wrong way. A good reminder to enjoy the challenge and just play the game.

[@alexeypolivanov8328]

I don’t say this lightly; this one of the best videos and messages I have ever seen. Going on a forwarding spree right now. Thanks for making.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Wow, thank you

[@BigGirthyJohnson]

@@KARATEbyJesse Yeah for real man. This is a goldmine of wisdom man seriously. Thank you so much for making this video.

[@mrnicomedes]

Scrolled down to the comments to say just this!

[@hagenboxing]

Like George Foreman said: Life is like boxing. You’ve only got so many punches to throw, and you can only take so many.

[@code066funkinbird3]

And get back up

[@spliffzombonie]

and George Foreman is someone who can probably take most punches, gives him a lot of credibility.

[@MatthiasMatthiasCarrigan]

I mean, that's what boxing is like, life is like a lot of things lol

[@DefenderOfAzeroth]

"Nobody's dominating. Both are developing." I'm carrying this on top of my mind in everything I do

[@fisnikmaloku3425]

Dude, you gave us life lessons ... I literally have a tedious task as an engineer, and I needed to shift to this kind of mentallity, to explore, find new ways and learn instead of just focusing at finishing the task. Came at the right time, thanks!

[@MartialArtsJourney]

Awesome video Jesse! I'm so glad you are promoting play fighting and introducing it in such a great way. Way too many gyms are still sparring too hard.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Thanks so much Rokas!! Hope you’re feeling better 🙏

[@brianpolston9713]

I agree. Some peeps on different channels had mention that they've recieved concussions etc from just sparring. That's crazy. I use to teach martial arts when I was younger and would always manage any type of crazy sparring. Cause rough sparring is basically fighting.

[@alex09aries]

Play but not the Akido way or you could be in trouble.

[@anhtuhoang3329]

And in many Aikido dojo, people play too light that is really a waste of time

[@MrAlepedroza]

​@@anhtuhoang3329 🤓 Do you even know whom you're even addressing?

[@davidlamb7979]

This video is a gem! When I think back to my Ryukyu Kempo training a long time ago, I was very fortunate to have been in a school with a group of great guys, each of us respectful of the others and looking to make each other better. We sparred a lot, but it was always a blast because there was no ego. Occasionally the black belt students would bloody each other when both were having fun and enjoying upping the tempo, but we always stuck to the code of respecting each other and leaving ego at the door. Coming up the ranks, I loved sparring with the more advanced students because that's when I learned the most, and I could be relaxed because I knew they were there to help me, not hurt me. There was never any stress, and the learning pace was incredible. When I became the teacher, keeping the sparring relaxed and fun was the only way I knew. I was very proud of the fact that my students trusted me completely, and could be relaxed and in learning mode knowing they were safe. Everybody there was like family. Many years later I tried out a Gracie school to explore a different area of martial arts, and it was full of ego, competitiveness, and stress, and after a few months of seeing that it wasn't an environment conducive to learning and wouldn't get any better, I stopped going. I don't think it's really about 'not sparring'. I think it's about how we define sparring. Because of my experience, sparring was something you did with good friends, so of course it was always lots of fun and full of learning. A long time later, at other schools, I did experience competitive, ego-driven sparring, and it was always unpleasant, feeling like something went wrong and an opportunity was missed. It's sad that that's the more common 'sparring'. Anyway, thanks for this awesome video.

[@XanniTheBlue]

this explains why we excel at games we enjoy, we're enjoying solving the puzzle of the process rather than so occupied w/ winning each time. The same approach really can be applied to learning anything

[@scottmerric2180]

You got it! Enjoying the game has been shown in studies to be more productive for learning; where as a reward, and the threat of losing it does not produce better results

[@ppvplug3940]

@@scottmerric2180 and then you have people who will only turn up and try their best under circumstances that they might lose. Everybody is different.

[@ianray1744]

@@ppvplug3940 You just added onto the point though? Turning up only when the stakes are high is exactly what this method suggests, go hard in real fights and have fun in practice

[@falkeborg9432]

To be fair sometimes we enjoy games we excel in, but that also results in a positive pattern!

[@basedhellenism5382]

3 days ago i had a serious brain incident after sparring, i had terrible headaches and felt like vomiting all the the time as well as having a slight memory loss up till today. And all for what? The ego that comes in sparring from your opponents who constantly are trying to prove something meanwhile lacking actual talent (eg applying feints, footwork, defense, etc.). In my gym there is this negative tendency where everyone is trying to chop off the head of each other- frequent serious injuries occur, very few people i know have good sparring etiquette. Thankfully, I'm fine but i will be staying off sparring for 2 months. Thank you for spreading this awareness, people need to put their ego aside and prioritize their health...

[@epiphany1915]

I hope you find a better gym mate

[@dimitris_lev.8947]

How many times a week did you spar ? I go hard (not that hard )max 2 times a week

[@dudedabsworth8023]

I grew up doing soft contact karate and full contact kickboxing. I for sure learned more from the soft contact when it comes to striking and understanding movement. Full contact taught me heart and pain and will power.

[@edpone8600]

Me too. I just saw another documentary on KZbin about CTE in MMA. It is horribly terrifying. They just stand there and take damage. Ferguson has maybe 5 brain cells. He said he does not spar.

[@hikx6491]

This reminds me of when I tried MMA, and the coach was sparring me. He was throwing aggressive punches and relatively heavy kicks. Then pushed me into a wall and gave me the hardest livershot in my life. I was 15 when this happened and had a relatively skinny build while he was much bigger. I still had experience due to having trained karate for one and a half years and still am. This video proved a point which I will always stand by. Sparring should not be a fight to the death, it should be used in a playful way, so both can improve

[@dewdew80]

...that coach sounds like he's just a dick and knew what he was doing. Sometimes an individual just doesn't give a shit if you grow and learn.

[@Samperor]

Thats why in thailand, mauy thai spars lightly and playfully.

[@ahmeterendundar3807]

As someone who is frequently involved with advanced academic exams in which generally many things are at stake, I must say, this video sums up my observations and conclusions about the problems of high succeeding people, especially in Academy. They usually start because they love something or want to try it out, but then every minute of what they are doing turns into a fear and stress filled struggle only to win, not to learn, even though this contradicts the very essence of the academy or science. It’s intriguing how the situation is similar in such different fields. Thank you for this video, it is well prepared and even intellectually stimulating.

[@ThePandaAgenda]

it’s so crazy that you can throw away like 7 years of med school just because of one subject where you might have had a shitty prof

[@kiltrofilms]

bro... that is so true... research papers get duller and duller the bigger the name gets, they stop trying new things and researching the unknown out of fear of making a mistake

[@MrJHinism]

I agree, I used to pursue theoretical physics because it was fun. But at some point down the road, I've became too stressed, and couldn't take it anymore. I don't regret my decision of leaving academia though, it taught me great lessons and at least now I know how the universe works... somewhat! xD

[@1Bohemica]

@@EnglandDom Well, if it makes you laugh...

[@MrJHinism]

@@EnglandDomHaha, yes very fun! General relativity was my favourite subject, and I did research in quantum gravity.

[@mishameihsl4862]

I rarely comment on videos, but this one is tremendously helpful, thank you! I have just discovered your channel, and this is high-quality stuff! This advice about playfulness can even be extended to the sparring with life itself: if we are more playful (in a serious way) in our jobs, relationships, hobbies, etc. and as long as our partners in those areas have the same mindset, we avoid putting too much strain on life. Anyway, to anyone who reads this, I wish you the best on your journey!

[@blblblb100]

Great video! Explains why I've been struggling with my calculus course whenever I feel stressed but as soon as I manage to relax enough to let in a little creativity and fun, my learning takes a leap. Thank you!

[@KARATEbyJesse]

You got this! 💪

[@KeithBoehler]

Calculus is the first time you actually get to play math. Up until that point you were learning rules of algebra and arithmetic. Keep that in mind when you are reading your theorems.

[@valexcaly]

I'm an MMA coach and this is the best sparring video I've ever seen, cheers.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Much appreciated 🙏

[@jake_with_the_BIG_snake]

great content! agree 100% when you start smiling when sparring that's when you know you are in the zone and feel comfortable and relaxed with your partner. much easier to learn that way

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Absolutely!

[@Blumenfreund84]

What an awesome video and an awesome approach to learning, not only to learning in sparring, but to learning in life in general! Thank you for the insights, I have learned a lot!

[@QuadzillaHikes]

Really well done and very engaging. I only got into Martial Arts at 37 when I started training Muay Thai in Thailand because of how much FUN it was. Nobody was serious, there weren't big egos involved, everyone was just happy and playful and that made it a blast to learn! So refreshing vs the gyms I'd tried out when I was younger in the US where it was so stressful every session because there was no play involved, everyone was SO serious about it all.

[@Anonymityfan]

THIS is why I have started struggling so much with school, sports etc as I have gotten older. It became a burden to achieve something not something playful or explanatory.

[@anthonychanning3954]

Me too

[@RDbodybuildingreardelt]

Yes hit the nail on the head with that one, never too late to learn to play again though.

[@soconapleura]

I teach english as a second language and I've been very adamant that my students mix games and play in their learning process, from actual videogames to RPG tables. I clicked on this video out of curiosity, but this is one of the best ways I've seen someone interlink so many aspects of the human learning experience and its efficiency in an easily digestible way. I'll be showing my students this video, thanks jesse

[@arsomnes]

From a teaching/learning point of view this makes a lot of sense. Sparring is a way to test what you've learned to see how well you know it, but you don't learn by taking tests.

[@tonyvega7246]

I can't even begin to describe how helpful this video is. I've been a martial artist for 31 years and struggling so much with this constant conundrum of pressure testing VS injury... This was the missing link, it all makes so much sense now. Can't wait to implement this. THANK you!!

[@alfonsogonzalestoribio1754]

I have been training for over three decades as well. But like I say I 'd rather get injured than get sick. So its important to keep things vigorous but with limits of course. I only spar people who know how to fight and who have control now. Not training to compete but to stay fit and ready.

[@Ponytown00]

This is wonderful! I grew up in a culture of hood boxing gyms where sparring was literally fighting, and when you are trying to learn it is traumatic and caused me to step away from martial arts for a long time. While I never lost the love as a fan, In my mid thirties I am rediscovering the love of training because of this principle. It hadn't been articulated so scientifically and succinctly, so thank you for this!

[@connorperrett9559]

Same. I got tired of going home after classes with a headache.

[@PS-lv1mr]

@@alexandrehuat773I’m considering joining an authentic muay thai gym but am hesitant due to fear of brain damage. When you say they “spar light” does that mean they generally take it easy on headkicks and punches to the head? I don’t plan on competing I just want to be decent at striking. In my career I can’t afford to become brain damaged lol its software engineering

[@PeterParkerwon]

@@PS-lv1mrI havent done sparring yet in muy thai but from what i’ve heard the students are instructed to go light on the head what’s unrestricted are body shots I believe. Also they use 16oz gloves so there’s less damage done. People at my gym seem friendly and respectable so when the time comes I think I could manage it cant say the same for every gym cuz idk the culture there. Just my perspective. Also if you mainly care about striking nobody is making you spar. You could just do padwork and learn clinch.

[@PS-lv1mr]

@@PeterParkerwon how long have you been doing muay thai for? Is it possible to just not spar? lol. I would like to spar but I worry about the unpredictability of certain people hitting me in the head too hard. I guess though if you’re in a respectable gym like that it’s much safer if the rules of going light on head strikes are followed.

[@PeterParkerwon]

next week would be 4 months in total for me and at least 50 hours of classes not including whatever bag work I do afterwards. Yeah sparring is for advanced students only and it’s optional that might be understated. It’s not a requirement by any means. Standard class is you punching and kicking pads that someone else is holding and vice versa with warming up and conditioning prior. Some other classes that aren’t sparring with risk of injury are clinch and speed drills. I’ve gotten smacked in the face once from a really tall guy with a kick while holding pads,but that was a fluke cuz I wasn’t holding them securely enough at that time the guy kicks with more power,but I recovered fairly quickly. So if you haven’t started muy thai yet don’t worry too much about having to spar or get hurt no responsible coach would put you in that situation to begin with. Besides the more you train muy thai and condition yourself to react and defend the more secure you would feel if you decided you wanted to spar anyways. Just look up reviews for the muy thai gym you’re considering make sure there are mainly positive you’ll be fine. I can tell you probably just want a masculine edge to go alongside your techy background muy thai is fine for that.

[@DrMaquisapa]

Our Sifu played this for us last night before our combat training. I had the best training session ever right afterwards. What a great mental adjustment that will for sure improve my fighting skills.

[@jeanmichel5723]

"our sifu" lmao

[@aaronrodriguez1410]

​@@jeanmichel5723?

[@andrewgiegerich8211]

​@@jeanmichel5723dead 😂

[@wolfman122970]

I don't get the joke, pretty sure that's what a kung fu student would call his sensei.@@jeanmichel5723

[@Moneyblueprint1]

@@jeanmichel5723u okay buddy

[@CeltKnight]

This puts into words in 10 minutes what it has taken me 38 years of martial arts to realize. Back in the day (and until recently) I was taught that you had to spar hard, realistically if you wanted to be good in a real life-or-death fight (most of my martial arts were pure self-defense). This of course meant that we lost a ton of students and training partners through the years as they got tired of injuries or "just weren't dedicated enough" to face the pain. It also meant we got hurt a lot (one of the reasons I cant run today, why my right elbow will hyperextend with the slightest provocation, why my shoulders are gritty and tight ... and the list goes on ... concussions, deviated septum, etc., etc. I was grateful because I had a few real-world fights that I had to win or I wouldn't be going home. However, as I'm in my mid-50s and now most of my most dedicated students are 50-mid 60s this is no longer an option. I have the honor of being friends with a man I consider an absolute guru of jujutsu/judo/karate who had learned from his now late instructor how to get in more practice without crippling yourself. He taught me and my people these "stupid human tricks" and we've incorporated them heavily into our newer system. If I'd learned these lessons 20 years ago, maybe I wouldn't limp today and would have a prettier face ... well ... okay, that's a stretch. I'd just maybe not have the limp. LOL.

[@DMurphyGonzalez]

I think that the “stupid human tricks” that keep you safe are the most important thing any trainer/instructor can have in the dojo or gym.

[@401Northwestern]

This philosophy was exactly what I learned in Tai Chi Chaun over 30 years ago. Play the form, play at pushing hands. Such relaxed the mind and allowed for innovation, progress, and experimentation.

[@TheMixedPlateFrequency]

Indeed, it's fascinating how similar it is to Tai Chi. It's remarkable that in the past, many gyms and fighters emphasized intense sparring sessions. However, the prevailing wisdom now suggests that lighter sparring focusing on fundamentals, reaction times, movement, and accuracy yields better results. Many have observed that experiencing a knockout makes subsequent knockouts more likely. This phenomenon is evident among elite fighters as they begin to decline. It's plausible that this same pattern occurred in the past when sparring was more intense. Some fighters may have faced multiple knockouts early in their careers, hindering their potential. Consequently, when they entered significant matches, they performed well initially but were susceptible to being knocked out by seemingly minor blows, or their cognitive abilities appeared diminished. This premature decline prevented them from reaching their peak and ascending the ranks in their respective sport.

[@cbenediccengi]

So you're saying repeated Traumatic Brain Injuries are cumulative, and generally, not good for a person. Mind. Blown.

[@suziezc32s48]

I agree with Jesse until the Taichi example comes out....... Actually, u know what, Jesse makes sense. But Taichi is just a bad example...

[@theimmortal4718]

​@@hecate7278 Yep. People who don't spar lose. You just don't go 100%. Any "martial artist" that has a philosophy instead of sparring is just masturbating

[@TheMixedPlateFrequency]

@@hecate7278 What do you mean. Jon Jones, Adesanya, Silva, Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao, Khabib. All these champions from both MMA and Boxing all do light sparring.

[@ekofotoz8260]

This is what exactly happened to me. I was sparring in a MMA class. and the student hit me so hard that I quit. I'm lucky I had head gear on or else I would have been knocked out. They were trying to prove something. I was just wanting to have fun. Sparring has always been my favorite part of training. , but not hurting anyone or getting hurt. Thank you!

[@PS-lv1mr]

Consider joining an authentic muay thai gym run by actual Thais. I have a similar worry but they apparently spar light and aren’t ego driven.

[@montwestblack3678]

Weak

[@theodujardin6663]

Not everybody is made of the same wood.. martial arts are not a game..

[@mikefitzpatrick43]

Sparring is crucial and it prepares you to be able to take punches but your not supposed to go 100 percent. It's about someone's emotional attitude and some have a horrible attitude and should not be fighting in that case. A good fighter has his emotions under control at all times

[@TakeOffV05]

@@theodujardin6663you and that other dude aren’t martial artists and have no career or experience in the sport, this isn’t football or soccer where you loose a part of the team and have someone fill it in, this is mma, you loose a part of your body especially your chin and it’s over, forever, poof, careeer gon buddy. The most important thing in mma is protecting yourself and knowing when to put your body on the line, in the gym is never ever the place for that, if your career is ended it should always be in a fight. Dude isn’t “weak” or “made from different wood” he understands that your body is expendable and that if you’re serious about the sport there is no reason to treat yourself like that.

[@GianluPrime]

The world needs more sensei like you. You're wise. I wish you a good day!

[@language-qq8xv]

this is so wise. This even applies to language learning because if you have too much stress, then your comprehension decreases, and if that state becomes habit, you will actually be afraid to see even a book, and therefore you will think that you are not capable of learning another language, thus leading you to give up.

[@BalaJunior]

This topic was in my mind this last week, im planning to invest in a professional mma career but what makes me feel sad is that 99% of the teachers seems to be stuck in the "old school" ways of training and dont care about the athletes health. Thank you jesse for bring this topic up, i hope it reaches a lot of coaches out there and make them think about evolve their training metodology. Theres a lot of ways to spar safelly and lighter, hard sparring is very damaging to the brain and it has to be done in very specific moments of the training, especially if youre an high performance athlete and intent to be in the game for a long time.

[@bobafatt2155]

Lots of mma teachers have no business teaching. Just my opinion

[@g.dalfleblanc63]

Most sparring must be light as injury will hit everyone otherwise. But heavy sparring absolutely has it place for confidence and development of muscles and creative techniques you didn't know you needed. Light fun sparring is of course great and just as essential for all the reason Jesse mentions.

[@YourGenericBrownGuy]

hah this is literally how i grew up, my cousins and me would always just fight like this in a playful manner all the time and it actually got us pretty good at fighting

[@californiacombativesclub202]

Think about it this way no one needs to really teach you how to slap box and no one really needs to teach you how to pick up a sword. You just automatically do it but once you put the glove on or have powdered weapons, then everything turns clunky.

[@markgonzalez4199]

My brothers and I were the same. We beat the mess out of each other for fun. We didn't try to hurt each other but we pressured each other and we improved.

[@adenshaw5273]

@@californiacombativesclub202 everything you listed requires technique beside the slap lmao

[@303fumo]

It brought me to tears; this was so profound. Or that could be just a head injury. Either way, I'm done with hard sparring, and this video confirms this fact. If I can't take all my gear off and play fight with you without fear of injury, then I'm finding another training partner. Bless you sir.

[@KJDanforth]

Same

[@himeshsinghshishodiya]

Came for sparring, got a life lesson. Thank you, Jesse!

[@chriscote9054]

This is awesome. For the last 30 years I've been suggesting this in my classes. You learn more efficiently when you are having fun and not worried about getting injured. This video explains it so well!

[@chriscote9054]

@airthrowDBT Exactly. Sometimes my younger students are scared of sparring, but if I can get them to think of it as "playing tag", they see it completely differently.

[@motobenbh4722]

Excellent video. This goes way beyond sparring and the martial arts. We've all met people who never play. Their lives are defined by winning or losing, ''with me or against me''. Their development stops early: in their forties they have long since peaked and will never improve at anything. Don't be that person. They are the ones that die really soon after they retire. Don't let school and exams traumatise your attitude to learning. When you remove the stress: learning and developing - mentally, physically and emotionally - can really be fun. This is sparring outside the ring. Getting better at stuff is great; but enjoying the actual process is the real victory. That is PLAY.

[@JG27Korny]

I see that as different kind of learning. you hit bags and there you train how to power the hits, and rhythm etc. When you train with partners you have to train distances, speed, pattern recognition, techniques in real life. So that makes a lot of sense. What makes your video unique is that you combine several different perspectives, scientific evidence and real world experience in a very cool way. The think I got from your video is that training s has to change. In most karate schools kumite is at the very end, and when you are tired the chances of injury are the biggest.

[@chesterttoney5521]

😊😊

[@christabel2003]

A true martial artist and philosopher, my friend. I'm glad I found this gem of a channel ❤

[@vinceetheve]

In Savate, we have the équivalent of sparing called "Assaut". We even have compétitions of these which allow us to see much more esthetic movement without being afraid of being badly hurt. It's funny that people are rediscovering this. That makes enjoy more my Savate training!

[@kpitman1990]

Jesse, this is hands down one of the most important videos I believe any modern day martial artist could watch right now. I’m going to spread this to all of my friends and thank you so much for producing yet another high quality video. I love the new format! Great work man, I really mean that. You are an inspiration to me, and I couldn’t agree more about the comments you make in this video.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Awesome! Thank you! Glad to hear it resonates 👍

[@tharkimdwf]

Thank you for your words, Jesse. I had to share this vid with my dojo buddies but not many of us understand english. So I have to translate every phrase to spanish and they feel like a masterclass! I'm happy to watch you guys spread the knowledge on every basic, advanced and fundamental concepts of martial arts. Greetings from Chile, Kenpo Karate Dojo "Tigres Rojos"

[@BiddnessDude]

Con amor desde Cali🙏❤️ keep on killing💪🏽🥊

[@Performa6]

Are you located in Santiago? LIke to visit your place and train with you guys when im visiting the city at the end of the year :)

[@alexanderhaakan8829]

I subscribe to this.

[@ernestocarrillo7]

Tigre’s rojos tus pupilos pronto seran carnada de su proximo opponente.

[@TheAurickle]

Saludos desde Tennessee en E.E.U.U. Respeto 🙏

[@user-vg8ox3he1i]

In 5 minutes I realized why our education system sucks and so many people HATE things like math. Not just dislike or are not interested in but ACTIVELY HATE math. It seems perfectly obvious that we treat learning like sparring. High stakes. High pressure. High ego. There is no play. So our stress levels especially as kids is very high, learning goes down and we end up in a vicious cycle.

[@BigGirthyJohnson]

This is one of the best videos ive ever seen. Theres an invaluable message underneath it. Apply this to teaching and being a playful person in general and you have the keys to being an amazing person.

[@cancer_moonchild]

Definitely. People who forget to play, witness the death of their youth for to play is to be young

[@caravaneerkhed]

Yea I’ve always done playful sparring, coming from jiu jitsu and Muay Thai, the only time I’ve ever seen someone go hard is those who were preparing for a fight, and especially when you are newer I think simulating the fight experience is important, you want to make sure you can actually take a hard punch and won’t go into panic mode right away, but as you gain more experience and know what that’s like and how to stay focused the hard rounds are much less necessary, and even then when readying for your first fight, I’d say only 2-4 sessions of hard sparring are necessary to mentally prepare you.

[@justinfung4351]

The key thing is that you don't really learn much from sparring 100%. You need to be able to have the space to digest things as they happen to learn and improve.

[@caravaneerkhed]

@@justinfung4351 absolutely, I agree completely, I’ve trained on and off for over a decade now, I mean formally anyway, martial artists are always training… but it’s expensive lol… but I’ve never fought, and thus I’ve never sparred hard, I’m just saying as a newbie whose about to take their first fight, you need to be punched hard a few times, what you’ll learn isn’t technique, but things about yourself, for instance, can you take a punch, and what is your response when you are actually in danger, and you have to keep going for another 3 rounds. It’s information you do need and is valuable as a newbie.

[@randomstoragespace]

Muay Thai fighters never spar hard. Always play sparring. Save the injuries and stress for the actual fights. Thats the way to do it

[@caravaneerkhed]

@@randomstoragespace they also take fights every week

[@randomstoragespace]

LOL no. they dont. Every month yea.@@caravaneerkhed

[@lov3lygus953]

One of the best martial arts videos on KZbin. Explained so well it seems simple but such an important topic that so few people properly understand

[@onthedubba]

Profound video! It makes me think of a saying I heard a long time ago: "If you look at something more like a project rather than a chore, you'll go further with it" (or something to that effect).

[@nndaystar]

I was recently rejected from a school. I worked hard, was respectful, and was then shown the door. I was disappointed at first, but in hindsight the Sensei wasn't all that fun. Thanks for the vid Jesse!

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Weird! Good luck on your continued journey 👍

[@peterclarke7006]

Huh?! Rejected?!? That says more about that idiot "sensei's" priorities. If he's desperate to only c train champions, then he's not interested in training the people who actually would benefit from the training. Sounds like a jerk. You're better off out of there. Seriously, who does he think he is? Kobra Kai?! 😂

[@FredMaverik]

just like that? You didn't do anything do?

[@nndaystar]

​@@FredMaverikNot even! Minor points of contention regarding technique with some of his students but never disrespectful. Tho he bitched at me for cheerleading while holding the bags once. "It's a personal journey, just be quiet."

[@rcarfang2]

How were you rejected? I thought instructors wanted students since the students pay them money.

[@Outlier777]

The same thing is happening in HEMA as well. A lot of guys who mocked the "no-sparring" camp back in the early days are now suffering the effects of severe CTE. It turns out hitting plastic helmets with steel swords isn't totally safe after all. Who'd a' thunk it!

[@Antonio_Leyva]

I've been thinking like this for years! and now someone comes along and expresses it with great clarity and overwhelming logic. The "life or death" sparrig is something you have to go through sometimes, to learn to control panic, but it is a disastrous way to learn. One of my quotes about peer learning training is “only fools count points.” Instead I prefer to keep track of how many things I have learned (or "stolen") from my partner during the game. Great, great video, congratulations.

[@LionKamala]

mind blowing common sense, thank you so much for this!

[@mephisto8101]

Wow. This the best youtube video I have seen in a long while. It summarizes the idea of playful learning and fighting so well.

[@cjg786]

Jesse your content just gets better and better. And always so relevant to life, not just martial arts. That’s really cool because that allows people from other fields to that mindset network and to guide others in this way even if they are not martial artists themselves. Therapists, athletic trainers, body workers, and life coaches, etc all have your hard work to refer to. Keep it up man. Love your enthusiasm and spirit

[@hierontatohtori8696]

Excellent video, thank You. When younger had enough this toughing up hard training, not even sparring, concentrated in surving. Fortunaly nowdays, at older age, I have found a extremely good place, teacher and bunch of people to practice and lightly spar with a good humor.

[@RayThaFox]

I’m going to use this info in my dance practice and while performing. Thank you ❤ Sometimes I take performing so seriously I forget to enjoy it and then give myself anxiety.

[@Vincentorix]

This honestly sounds actually what I did in Taekwondo. We called it light sparring. I treated it as fun and tried out different techniques and moves. Never realized the seriousness or the quality of the training I was doing.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Excellent!

[@duncan4260]

Yep light sparring. When you want to play about and tag a freind with light hits who you want to train with again. Hard/competition sparring - when you are trying to take the other guys head off and win a competition - not the best in training as concussions and heavy bruising isn't the best for coming back to the next sessions well enough to learn more

[@Art-is-craft]

Sparring really should only be done once a week and other movement training should be used. Sparring will never match a real competitive bout. There is zero correlation between sparring and winning.

[@KyranFindlater]

@@Art-is-craft really? zero correlation? Like not even a little bit? I doubt that..

[@Art-is-craft]

@@KyranFindlater Zero because sparring cannot match real contest intensity no matter how hard fighters through them self about.

[@CMonster0125]

Thank you for making this video. More people need to see this and adapt their current training techniques. I've been injured in 'light' sparring sessions, including a cracked rib, when my sparring partner (not opponent) just decided to show off and go all out (without letting me know beforehand). More 'play' and less 'fight' goes a long way, and your video illustrates this perfectly.

[@NathanEdmondson]

Spot on. I hope this approach spreads far and wide.

[@Oats2900]

Thank you, i have started recently applying this rule to my studies (veterinary medicine) and man, i told you, gamifying the lectures/material to learn is givin you whole new perspective.

[@carltaylor2975]

I think it's revolutionary. And I've been telling my friends and even other youtubers this for probably 7 or 8 years now. I started noticing this myself, I noticed it for different reasons though. I noticed that when not just myself, but other people were sparring under intense pressure, they tended to revert back to basic things, very VERY basic things. When we are under intense pressure when sparring, it's literally difficult for your brain to think. You're under so much pressure you're you don't have time to think, you just don't. You don't have time analyze what's actually happening, to make a plan, or decide to try something new. And you're probably not developing new skills the way you would if you weren't kicking the sh** out of one another. I've you've been fighting for any competent amount of time you know that relaxation is KEY, but that's not just fighting, that's any sport, you need to calm your mind and body down. That's awfully hard to do when you're pumped full of adrenaline telling you to kill, be killed, or run the hell away. Fellas, if you want to be a successful fighter you need hard sparring, there's no doubt about that. But, this isn't the Lion's Den in 1995 with Ken Shamrock where you leave everything in the cage every time you step in there. You wanna do this for 20-30 years and be able to continue to do it? Then save your brain some future trouble, and save your hard sparring for when you NEED hard sparring.

[@phynds1]

This, 1000 times this! My instructor of over 4 decades, Bob Blaisdell, was not only a Uechi Ryu Master, but also created games to teach everything from balance to present state of mind. Sparring was always 10% or less of our training because of everything you say here, but also because people tend to forget what they learned in full sparring.

[@alainmiller6942]

This is one of the better videos you have put out. Many martial arts schools focus so much on being the best, strongest "warrior" the amount of lost students due to this in my former school was and is... astronomical. This is partially due to unnecessary injuries in sparring and bad training techniques. Also, positive reinforcement doesn't seem to be part of the psyche.

[@theimmortal4718]

Not in BJJ. It's hands on, but only in experienced white belts are trying to muscle up

[@ramonvelasquez8431]

I think this is a great discovery you did because as obvious as it may seem, when the ego and other stuff gets in the way it is true that causes stress. Meanwhile, when playing chess or climbing a tree nobody is trying to kill you but you become much better at it the more you practice. If someone cut off your head when you lose at chess I don't think many people would practice it.

[@warclaymore13]

This just hit in the right spot. This video found me in a low moment and put the spotlight right in the issue. Thanks.

[@ishetrying]

This is just what two of my teachers told me in their own way. Thank you for the eloquent reminder.

[@محمدالكناني-ق6ب]

All your videos are beautiful and fun. Your channel is considered number one in publishing beautiful videos, especially about the world of martial arts and fighting masters. Your channel is very inspiring.

[@regisvonwolf2832]

Jesse, thank you for this refreshing perspective. After 20 years of hard training, I am finding myself trying to figure out how to teach my kids toughness, resilience and grit. It was clear to me that the old ways were not the way, yet many parents disagreed. Your video is on point, well documented and consistent with what research on behaviors show both when it comes to parenting and team management. Thank you

[@Renzuru21]

This is really a nice video! It's like the chapter in Ruruoni Kenshin that mentioned swordsmanship (kenjutsu) is slowly becoming a "way" rather than an "art" Thank you!!

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ZeusEBoy]

Agreed but I’d say the art is in the “way”

[@thunderkatz4219]

That’s a good show gen z btw

[@peterclarke7006]

​@@ZeusEBoyas a famous shaolin monk and winner of a notorious underground Martial Arts tournament once said: "it is like a finger pointing to the stars. Do not look at the finger, or you will miss all the heavenly glory."

[@TheEndKing]

@@peterclarke7006 I actually don't know if Liu Kang ever said that.

[@jussitaipale3671]

Very good topic, and brilliantly presented. Thanks for sharing. I hope people would understand, that plain thing, that sparring is not competing, but learning.

[@KARATEbyJesse]

Well said!

[@eponaalbion]

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there," Rumi

[@sirbustasirbusta8099]

100% agreed 💯💯 All sparring should have a pre reminder...it's for learning and play...no need for ego Had recent sparring session and said no head shots and it was fun as we could learn the movement and actually build confidence and see the openings🤩

[@tempestangelslayer2295]

This is such a great video! I’m sending this to all my sparring buddies! Even though we love each other, ego’s sometimes get in the way.

[@jamiearnold1711]

Great video Jesse-San. Even Kyokushin can be fun during kumite. The general rule is only go as hard as you want your partner to go. I think people assume kyokushin is just violence, but nobody in the dojo wants to kill you.

[@stanislavkimov2779]

I actually am very fond of my Kyokushin memories. We had sparrings every day, and we want as hard as we cared, only rule no punches in the face. But we all learned to be really attentive to each other and well coorinated. I actually learned to control my movements not to hurt myself and another person.

[@DiscoFang]

BS. I've met plenty of meathead kyokushin practitioners who just want to smash their way through in sparring. Depends on the school and how old school they are. I do say though that my experience goes back to the late 70's and through the 80's. Of course, that's not exclusive to kyokushin but my long-held nickname for it is the "meathead style".

[@DiscoFang]

Actually reminds me of the drills we used to do called "deadman'. One of you has your rear foot against the wall and can't move it. The other can move around. Rules are moderate to hard power punches to the torso and arms. The variation is the guy on the wall can only block. This is all bare knuckle no pads. Normal training.

[@TheElbowMerchant]

I don't think I've ever made that connection, but in hindsight, it's easy to see I've always learned more from fun, playful, light sparring, rather than 100% speed and power sparring. Both are imperative for different reasons, but some of my favorite techniques are techniques I successfully executed in light sparring first. Very cool video, Sensei.

[@hawkmoon0302]

wow what an incredible life lesson in such a short video! It's not often that a 10 minutes talk resonate so true and change my perspective on things.

[@jamieo2147]

This. I've sparred with so many people who think it's ok to go all in at training or don't know how to control their kicks. I gave up bringing my pads and was just focusing on kata. Im training somewhere else now where we call sparring tag with feet. It's so much more fun and relaxed.

[@parleygentry5008]

I found this out during my senior year of high school. I got a concussion in the middle of the football season. Up to this point, I always tried to play and compete with anger because everyone would say that we should take out our frustrations and anger on the field where we could hit people. After my concussion, I changed and decided I wanted to play safe and have a lot of fun. After deciding to do that, I played better than I ever had before and life in general was a lot less stressful. Even in Hard times that lesson has served me well.

[@JoJoTheOtter]

I mean your channel is pretty much all about that. Playing and learning from all kind of people across the martial arts spectrum. That’s what I love about it.

[@mazisigmond7508]

I hate hard sparring I never felt like I learned anything from it other than how to take care of injuries. I feel like those who agree with you on this do not have enough experience and have not trained enough.

[@CommandoMaster]

Ain't no play anymore when it comes to fighting! Some ppl just can't control their egos, and go hard in the gym.

[@MartinRaetzJr]

I‘ve seen so many great videos from you Jesse but I think this is the most important video you ever made. Thank you so much and greatings from Berlin (Germany).

[@GBennett88]

Best video of yours I've seen. It directly influenced how I taught our BJJ class this morning. Can't say I've seen it all, but having trained almost two decades now of a plethora of different styles, I've seen enough to know what works and what doesn't. This video does a great job of articulating the effective outlook to training/life.

[@knkinambuga]

So, sparring is not dead.

[@EatandAchieve]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@JamesKite-r9o]

Should have been a two minute video.

[@robertconrad8005]

Soft sparring isn't dead,nor should it be,but they're talking about hard modern day sparring.

[@hafidzmohmar5620]

@@robertconrad8005 How hard sparring is dead if the video said hard sparring needed for athlete that have fight schedule?

[@nassozeebo]

@@hafidzmohmar5620it did not. Watch again

[@BernardoMartins_]

Scientific based approach, optimal effectiveness and risk-reward management. It’s downright INTELLIGENCE, which indeed makes you win in life. Excellent video!

[@chendaddy]

The infinite game is such a cool concept. I grew up playing basketball, and definitely the best flow always comes when it's just us friends playing against each other without keeping score. When it's loose and fun, everyone feels free to be creative. Come competition and tournament time, it's a totally different attitude, but sometimes you just don't need to be that serious. You don't always need to keep score. Thank you for providing awareness on the concept behind this.

[@ThomasHarkleroad]

Thank You Jesse! This might be the second time I have ever commented on a video. I plan to show this to my kids as soon as possible. We are all three studying Taekwondo at our local Dojang and my daughter had the wind knocked out of her tonight by an over zealous older boy who forgot the fun in what we are doing. She kept going and I’ve never been more proud. She’s 10 and my son is 6. I appreciate what you are doing with your channel. My daughter thinks you’re Awesome and I agree!

[@Prisutni]

DAMN, one of the best videos about martial arts, training and competing. Keep them coming Jesse!

[@SoWestMeetsEast]

This is absolutely fantastic. I'm glad that it's being encouraged to go into a flow state of learning. Too many people have an ego inside of the ring or on the mat. People wondered why the head instructor and myself have been climbing in skill while they stay stagnant. We play!

[@willywalter6366]

There is no thing like a finite game - we are all in the infinite game and people who think they have to win realize it in the emptiness of their souls once they won! (Some of them then often regret the burden they put on their loved ones, themselves and their destroyed opponents) Fantastic video ❤

[@1029db]

“The day you stop learning is the day you stop living.” That hit home hard, and is very true.