You know those things in life where something relates really well to another thing, even though the two shouldn't be related? I'm going to talk about that for a bit.
The one thing in my case is Tae Kwon Do. Sparring, specifically. Where you put on some protective gear and fight a similarly outfitted opponent. When I started, sparring was all about just making contact with the opponent. Swing a foot blindly at a large target and hope it hits. Try not to let the same thing happen to you.
When fighting stronger or more experienced students, I found that they could always reach me and do their damage, but I could hardly seem to make contact with them, much less a solid strike.
It was about that time when I first discovered the second relatable thing – a sport called Lockdown.
Now listen to me. Don't leave when I tell you that Lockdown is a video game game. Please.
Lockdown is a game where you join a team of up to five other players and battle with swords, guns, and bombs against an opposing team of equal number. The goal of the game is to capture certain areas of land by standing on them. Holding more areas (often called "points", as in "point of control") gets you more points more quickly.
Bear with me. Just a little more explanation.
Within this Lockdown game, there are three classes you can play – Guardian, Recon, and Striker. Recon isn't important for this discussion, so I won't describe it.
As a Guardian, you carry a large shield which you can use to defend yourself and other teammates. Having the shield up prevents you from attacking but will also slowly heal you and those around you.
As a Striker, you get a booster on your back that allows you to run very very quickly for a few seconds. When the Striker booster runs out of power, you have to wait a few seconds for it to recharge, at which time you are vulnerable. As a Striker, your sword damage and swing speed are strengthened.
How do the two relate? It's something I've only begun to discover recently, especially when sparring in Tae Kwon Do. I will usually fight in two styles, depending on how I'm feeling. In one, I give a high pressure fight, throwing fast kicks with a relentless force, never offering the opponent or myself a break. In the other, I wait patiently, keeping up my strength, controlling the center of the fighting area when possible, and throwing super fast single or double kicks when the opponent gets too close. If the opponent does get in close, I use powerful kicks to try to make them rethink their decision.
See the connection? Maybe not.
I've literally learned from my experience playing Lockdown as a Striker that even though you're going fast (kicking is like close combat with swords in Lockdown), you have to also be accurate. As a Striker in game, you can't just zoom into the enemy and start hacking at them, because they'll do the same to you. Instead, zip in, swing once really quick (because you have those sword bonuses), and then zip back out, and then immediately back in to repeat the process. The same applies to sparring. In Lockdown, when you've zipped to the point of running out of Striker boost (run out of energy in sparring), you step away from the fight and try to keep your distance until your strength regenerates.
As a Guardian in Lockdown, you wait. If someone (say a Striker) comes up and starts hacking at your not-invincible shield, you wait till you see an opening between their swings, put your shield down for a split second, swing yourself, and then put your shield back up. Keep moving, even though you're slower, control the center of the battle, and wear them down. When they run out of boost, pursue them relentlessly, and swing quick and fast, ready for them to retaliate at any point.
This relates directly to sparring in Tae Kwon Do. Read the last paragraph again, but think about it in terms of fighting with kicks instead of blades.
I could go more in depth about stuff like aiming kicks the same way you try to swing at a player's blind spot in Lockdown or fighting on the point in Lockdown to keep getting points for your team even when you're contesting just like you fight in the center of the sparring ring to keep the stationary advantage... but I feel I would bore you.
This may not be an insight for everyone – in fact, I'm sure it isn't – but this is an expression of a lesson I've learned from a game and been able to apply directly to life. I've realized just recently that the reflexes I use in one sport are the same that kick in when I participate in the other.
Lockdown and sparring. Who knew there would be a connection?
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