Every martial arts hall has its own language. It is about sparring, pads, submissions, gradings and about when to tap out. Anyone new understands half of it and often does not dare to ask. This section explains the background knowledge that is taken for granted in training.
Sparring and safety
The biggest misunderstanding concerns sparring. It does not mean a fight but controlled practice with a partner, at an agreed intensity and with protective equipment. In some classes it is a fixed part, in others it is deliberately left out. Both have their reasons, and you should know both before signing up. Equally important is the question of how safety is created in training: by pairing people according to experience, by clear instructions and by the right to stop at any time.
Just as common is the worry of having to fight straight away. That does not happen. Sparring comes at the end of a long series of steps: first technique alone, then with a cooperating partner, then with light resistance. Anyone who is not there yet keeps working on the pads or the heavy bag in the meantime. Nobody is sent into an exercise for which they lack the basics.
Injuries, gradings, terms
The other texts deal with typical strains and how to avoid them, the difference between pain and a warning signal and how to handle breaks properly. There is also an overview of how grading systems are built in the different martial arts, why a belt means completely different things depending on the style and why some sports manage without any rank badges. A glossary explains the terms that come up constantly in training, from clinch to guard to takedown.
Applying knowledge in training
Theory helps with classifying, not with ability. Anyone who wants to know how controlled sparring really works is best off watching it in a class. At the Shouraki martial arts school and fitness centre in Aachen, that mainly concerns Kickboxing in Aachen, BJJ, grappling and ground fighting and MMA in Aachen. How safety is regulated in weapons training is shown by the class Kali, Escrima, stick and knife fighting: stick fighting from 16, knife training from 18.
The classes to compare: Martial arts in Aachen.
