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North Manchester FMAC

Working with a Partner in Martial Arts

Often in class we will work with a partner, be that pad work, self-defence, weapons work or sparring.  Above all, safety is the most important factor when we’re training, to avoid injuring ourselves or someone else - think Kyum Son (Humility) in our 8 Key Cencepts. So what do we need to do to in order to make sure we get the most out of working with a partner?


Here’s a brief rundown of what we need to know, the main dos and don'ts, and why partner work is so important.


DO work within your skills and limits

Partner work starts in the White to Blue Belt classes, holding pads during basic kicking and punching drills. We also learn the beginner self-defences and some introductory touch sparring. As we progress into the more advanced classes, we also learn how to hold a strike shield, carry out more advanced self-defence techniques and begin non-contact sparring. As a Black Belt, partner work develops further, including learning a wider range of self-defences (including weapons and grips), as well as more complex sparring techniques.


This is obviously a gradual progression, over many hours and years of training, and instructors would never ask a Beginner to carry out techniques beyond their knowledge or skills. As the saying goes ‘we walk before we run’. Whilst it’s important to trust your Instructor to guide you, students must also take personal responsibility and train within their own skills and abilities. This means knowing our own strength and limits, as we develop our self-control (using the key concepts of Him Cho Chung – Control of Power, and Wan Gup - Speed Control). Naturally, younger or more inexperienced students may lack a degree of self-awareness, and will need more guidance, but the principle, nonetheless, remains the same.


DO stay focused (Chun Shin Tong Il)

Staying alert and ‘switched on’ throughout partner work is vital. During kicking and punching drills, it’s important to follow instructions carefully, copy what the Instructor has demonstrated and only carry out what you have been asked to do (including not adding in extra moves before or after the count).


We shouldn’t feel afraid to raise a hand (see Respect... for the question) and check out what has been asked if we feel we haven’t heard or understood the instruction. It’s better to ask and be safe, rather than plough on and do the wrong moves.


Concentration also means ‘focusing our eyes’ on the pads to try to be accurate in terms of the placement of our strike. This helps to keep the pad holder as safe as possible. As a pad holder, we also have a responsibility to remain alert and focus on our partner. Holding pads doesn’t mean we switch off and start daydreaming about what’s for our tea!


How well we hold the pads has an impact on the quality of our partner’s training. If we don’t maintain the tension in our arms, or don’t hold the pads in the right place, for example, we are denying our partner the opportunity to carry out their training effectively. In Beginner classes, drills with partners are no longer than 15 minutes at a time (sometimes longer in more advanced classes) and as we become more experienced in class, our self-discipline and ability to concentrate will develop alongside our physical skills. This then means we can perform more complex techniques and drills as we progress. 


DO observe etiquette

Martial arts has etiquette as a foundation of our practice. In partner work, this means bowing to each other as a sign of respect and a promise to not hurt one another. It is also a promise to help our partner train (see above). Our bow to a senior member is longer and lower, in comparison to if we bow to a junior member. Traditionally, senior members usually stand with their back to the flags, and can expect the junior member to go to get and return the pads when required.


We also handle the pads with respect, passing them with a controlled bow to our partner, and not throw equipment on the floor. Your Instructor will try to match students with the ‘right partner’ (especially at a beginner level) and this will depend on the type of drill, the student’s rank, height, body type and strength. As we become more senior, we are sometimes asked to ‘pair up’ ourselves, and may perhaps have particular partners who become our ‘favourites’ to work with. However, it’s important to have a variation in partners so that we have as broad a range of experience as possible. After all, we should train with Honesty (Chung Jik), which means training as if it is a ‘real life’ situation. If we are unlucky enough to have to encounter a real life attack, the likelihood is the attacker will be bigger and stronger than us, so a degree of authenticity has to be brought into our training at some point (within reason).


Ultimately, the Instructor has the final say in making sure partners are appropriately matched, however, and this will depend on the nature of the drill and what the learning outcome is intended to be.  Of course any religious or cultural factors are also taken into account in any partner work, and this can be discussed confidentially with Instructors prior to students starting their training journey, so that they feel comfortable.


DO keep your ego in check

Working with a partner doesn’t mean we are in rivalry with them. It’s not about kicking harder or higher, or showing how much better we are.  We should be supportive and spur our partner on with encouragement, and there may be even be an element of healthy competition, as long as our ego doesn’t take over.


Humility (Kyum Son) means training the best that we can, but also recognising we can always learn something from our partner, even if we are senior to them. We should have our partner’s best interests at heart, and be willing to work together for mutual benefit. 


We also have a responsibility to be a good role model for other members, particularly if we are of a senior rank. This means helping less experienced students who may be struggling to put on pads or their sparring gear for the first time. It also means modelling the correct etiquette and respectfully reminding students of the correct protocols. We all have a duty to keep each other safe, so being a good role model means calling out any unsafe behaviours (for example overly aggressive sparring), and letting a senior member (or the Instructor know) if someone is being unsafe in what they are doing.


Keeping our ego in check helps us to train safely with a partner, and adjust how hard to grip or kick, for example, depending on our partner’s experience or skills.


Main takeaways

  • Get to know your own strengths and work within your knowledge and skills.

  • Recognise you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone, but trust in your Instructor and in yourself to help develop your skills whilst staying safe.

  • Concentrate and focus on your partner. You have to rely on each other to maximise your training when working together.

  • Respect each other and follow the correct protocols.

  • Be humble and a good role model. Leave your ego at the door.



Kyo Sa Nim Carol Plummer

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