For the past year or two I've been teaching as an assistant instructor at my studio. Many of our students participated in and won the school trophy at our recent regional tournament, many of which I helped teach, so I know I'm doing something right. In my divisions, bragging aside, I dominated.
However, I'm having some problems with sparring that I'd rather get corrected now instead of later. The problem stems ( with opponents my height ) from not squaring up to my target - if I do, my guard drops. If I correct one thing, something else goes wrong, and it is all in the fundamentals ( this does NOT occur in my forms ( Pinans/Katas/Shaolin Forms ), or defensive manuvers. I've used some things from those on the street and feel confident with them.
My two other major problems stem from the fact that the head guard I use obstructs my vision BIG time - this can easily be solved by getting a different helmet of the old style I used to use ( open face ).
The other, is the common problem of dealing with someone with long limbs. I find myself lunging in for an attack to dip inside his guard and strike before he can, but all he has to do is extend his arm, and I'll take hits to the face. My kicks and speed still overwhelm him, but getting around his monster guard is proving to be extremely difficult, but when I do, it is a sight to see.
This is exlusive to sparring. I am 100% confident that I can dominate someone his size on the street ( 6'4", vulnerable to my kicks, which I plow thru my target ) if I am allowed contact, but such conduct in the dojo is prohibited, and unwarranted.
Does anyone have any suggestions, comments, experiences or reminders to do certain things? I am under direct instruction from a 3rd Dan, so the technical advice is not really needed, but I could use some help on how to remember the fundamentals in close.
Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?