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This is not generic, it is not adequate for all disciplines. Painting establishes a relation between the painter and static entities (subject, colors...). The

This is not generic, it is not adequate for all disciplines. Painting establishes a relation between the painter and static entities (subject, colors...). They interact in many ways, however the painter is the main 'motor' and 'will'. Basketball is different because a player interacts with his teammates and opponents, he isn't the sole will at play. However I can see how experience may lead a coach to reckon that some individual ways (types of actions or reactions) are statistically better than other ones, either because their intrinsic rate of success is higher or because they benefit from teamwork, leading him to drill them in order to have them select the best ones and apply them properly. It may create a "team of robots" (sort of!) which may be crushed by an opponent team playing in a deliberately unusual (albeit not absurd) way, established to counter the particular automatic actions and reactions of the "robot team". Individual sports are different because there is no teamwork. Combat sports are particularly interesting because you need to scrim (spar) not simply to verify the effects of drills but in order to learn what no drill can effectively teach you: a certain mental state, coping with stress, simultaneously integrating many dynamic blurry variables (related to time & space)... Drill, barely spar and only use it to check what you gained from drills, then hop on a ring against a person who spared properly... and good luck to you (you will need it)!

odshoifsdhfs 5y ago
I did this in boxing. My coach was very fond of drills. I remember my first week (5 trainings a week) he only taught and drilled me how to move. No punchs, nothing. Just the various movements, rotation, how to shift weight, etc. I did it for about 3 months like this, with maybe, maybe a 30-45 minute spar session per week (and at this time, I was doing 3 trainings a day during week, 2 on saturdays). Had my first fight around the 3-4 month mark and won it without much difficulty. I see this now that I am learning padel tennis. Been playing for a year or so, but I hardly do any games, mainly practise/drills with my coach (4 times a week). Maybe 2 games a month. I started in September not even knowing how to play, to surpass most people in my trainings, since the drills make me play in games as I practise, since it was drilled so much, while 95%+ of the people do one movement in practise, then get to a game and change it all, reduce speed, or just hit it wrong because they end up 'practising' more the matches with wrong technique/no correction, vs the folks that repeat the same movement 1000 times with correction. In a few months I may even get my beginners coaching certificate. As Bruce Lee said: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
- natmaka 5y ago
  ~3% of the time for sparring seems very low to me, even for a beginner. 15% to 35% is AFAIK more common among competitors (I practice Thai boxing). Your first fight matchmaking may have been somewhat imperfect(?), or you are gifted :-) I'm not an expert but observed that the best way to progress as a fighter, for most, is not by overwhelmingly drilling. Drills are necessary, and may be the main component, however to win bouts sparring becomes more and more determinant as technical flaws become more rare. AFAIK B. Lee said "A fighter who trains without sparring is like a swimmer who hasn't immersed in the water" and "Remember, actual sparring is the ultimate, and the training is only a means toward this".
blindmute 5y ago
The person who drills 90% of the time and spars 10% will pretty much always beat the reverse person. Sparring is for practicing skills under real conditions. If you don't have those skills, there's nothing to practice in the ring other than flailing about and getting hit.
- natmaka 5y ago
  > The person who drills 90% of the time and spars 10% will pretty much always beat the reverse person IMO this is true for beginners, then more and more the other way around. > Sparring is for practicing skills under real conditions. If you don't have those skills, there's nothing to practice I agree, and wrote "sparring becomes more and more determinant as technical flaws become more rare".
  - blindmute 5y ago
    Kind of true, but for pros, sparring is also a drill. Normally a sparring session focuses on a specific thing they'd like to work on, because they've mastered everything they can outside of the ring. They aren't doing a full "performance" during sparring.
    - natmaka 5y ago
      Indeed, "thematic sparring", usually focusing on some weakness or simulating an ordeal (being cornered, being unable to use an arm/leg...), and the "don't spar to win" rule are key. There is IMHO no known way "to get better at fighting without fighting".

odshoifsdhfs 5y ago

I did this in boxing. My coach was very fond of drills. I remember my first week (5 trainings a week) he only taught and drilled me how to move. No punchs, nothing. Just the various movements, rotation, how to shift weight, etc. I did it for about 3 months like this, with maybe, maybe a 30-45 minute spar session per week (and at this time, I was doing 3 trainings a day during week, 2 on saturdays). Had my first fight around the 3-4 month mark and won it without much difficulty. I see this now that I am learning padel tennis. Been playing for a year or so, but I hardly do any games, mainly practise/drills with my coach (4 times a week). Maybe 2 games a month. I started in September not even knowing how to play, to surpass most people in my trainings, since the drills make me play in games as I practise, since it was drilled so much, while 95%+ of the people do one movement in practise, then get to a game and change it all, reduce speed, or just hit it wrong because they end up 'practising' more the matches with wrong technique/no correction, vs the folks that repeat the same movement 1000 times with correction. In a few months I may even get my beginners coaching certificate. As Bruce Lee said: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.

natmaka 5y ago
~3% of the time for sparring seems very low to me, even for a beginner. 15% to 35% is AFAIK more common among competitors (I practice Thai boxing). Your first fight matchmaking may have been somewhat imperfect(?), or you are gifted :-) I'm not an expert but observed that the best way to progress as a fighter, for most, is not by overwhelmingly drilling. Drills are necessary, and may be the main component, however to win bouts sparring becomes more and more determinant as technical flaws become more rare. AFAIK B. Lee said "A fighter who trains without sparring is like a swimmer who hasn't immersed in the water" and "Remember, actual sparring is the ultimate, and the training is only a means toward this".

blindmute 5y ago

The person who drills 90% of the time and spars 10% will pretty much always beat the reverse person. Sparring is for practicing skills under real conditions. If you don't have those skills, there's nothing to practice in the ring other than flailing about and getting hit.

natmaka 5y ago
> The person who drills 90% of the time and spars 10% will pretty much always beat the reverse person IMO this is true for beginners, then more and more the other way around. > Sparring is for practicing skills under real conditions. If you don't have those skills, there's nothing to practice I agree, and wrote "sparring becomes more and more determinant as technical flaws become more rare".
- blindmute 5y ago
  Kind of true, but for pros, sparring is also a drill. Normally a sparring session focuses on a specific thing they'd like to work on, because they've mastered everything they can outside of the ring. They aren't doing a full "performance" during sparring.
  - natmaka 5y ago
    Indeed, "thematic sparring", usually focusing on some weakness or simulating an ordeal (being cornered, being unable to use an arm/leg...), and the "don't spar to win" rule are key. There is IMHO no known way "to get better at fighting without fighting".