One-Step Sparring

By Erik Albrechtson, 6th dan

FROM CLASSES TAUGHT AT MOO SUL KWAN SUMMER EXPO XXXV

One-step sparring is another part of our training that puts our basics into motion.  The foundations that are established first in basics and then in poomse can be built upon while practicing one-step sparring. In addition to developing speed on your techniques, there are a few additional benefits since you are training with a partner.  Timing (can you hit your stance and block just as the attacker throws theirs?), judgment of distance (can you throw your blocks, kicks and strikes with a precise distance to your partner?) and precision (can you throw your moves to the correct target position?) are three of the benefits that one-steps help a student develop. 

Be sure to practice your one-steps in walking drills too.  They will help you memorize the moves, perfect the technique and stances, and help you develop speed for each one-step.  Don’t forget there are one step walking drill defenses (start with your left leg back on the first side) and one-step walking drill attacks (start with your right leg back on the first side).

The CTI Student Manual lists 12 One-Step Sparring rules. Four of these rules mirror other rules of Moo Sul Kwan training:

Kihap - there are actually two one-step sparring rules that correlate with kihaps. One is for both the attacker and defender to go into their respective ready stance with a loud and clear kihap. The second is for the defender to kihap on their last counter attack.  

Eye contact - it’s sort of a no-brainer that there is a one-step rule about eye contact. In order to practice awareness in a self-defense situation, and to have the best possible balance, eye contact is a must!

Start slowly - this rule is similar to the poomse rule. When a student is first learning a one-step, they should perform it slowly and make each block, kick, punch and stance accurate and awesome. After a few hundred repetitions they can speed it up.

Correct stance and posture - since our power comes from being grounded to the earth, it is most important that each stance is correct and that our balance and posture is the best it can be.

Complimentary Opposites

By Brian Steward, 4th dan

Famous physicist Niels Bohr’s moto was contraria sunt complementa.  In English this translates to opposites are compliments, meaning that two things that are wildly different will work well when put together.  Niels Bohr never practiced martial arts and was actually describing the nature of light and matter in the universe when he adopted this quote, but the underlying concept is useful when considering many aspects of life including Taekwondo.  Taekwondo has many different opposing pairs of techniques or concepts.  For instance a block is opposite from a strike and a targeting a low area is opposite from targeting an opponent's head.  The concept  of complementary opposites can be particularly constructive when thinking about one steps and sparring in martial arts.

While sparring, it is vital to use techniques that work well together during combinations.  There are many ways to put a combination together but combinations made while thinking about complementary opposites will be especially effective.  A double kick which targets the same area on both kicks may be effective, but a double kick which first targets a low area and then targets the head can mislead the opponent and be much more likely to impact.  Another complementary pair in sparring are kicks and punches. Novice sparrers will often utilize combinations that contain only hand techniques or only kicks.  This leads to combinations that run out of steam more quickly, are more easily defended against and which are not as effective as possible.  Simply adding a kick to the end of a hand combination can surprise and overwhelm the opponent.  By adding a kick to a hand combination the combination gains not only an extra limb to use as a weapon, but also gains new angles from which to attack.  After throwing a single or double kick in sparring it is critical to follow up with hand techniques; those who don’t end up falling prey to their opponents counter attacks.  The concept of complementary opposites is even more developed in one steps, which connect basics and sparring.

In the Colorado Taekwondo Institute Student Manual there is a list of one step sparring rules. Many of these rules contain the idea of complementary opposites.  There is a one step rule which says that there must be a block before a counter strike.  Another rule states that target areas are changed in one step techniques.  There is even a rule about practicing both sides of a technique.  All of these rules, which highlight the concept of complementary opposites, are built into the structure of every one step.  Even outside the written rules one steps display the idea of complementary opposites.  Every one step technique that has a kick as part of the defense follows up that kick with a hand technique.  The only kicks which are not followed up in one step sparring are performed by the attacker, giving the defender the opportunity to use their defense to demonstrate the deficiencies of attacks which are not complementary.