Training for Free-Sparring
The best way to train for free-sparring is to spar as much as possible with as many different types of opponents as possible. The more you spar, with an instructor, coach, or experienced fighter watching and giving tips, the better you sparring will become.
To build stamina, jump rope. When jumping rope, or sparring, do not jump up and down like kids at a playground, just slightly flex the knees and get enough of a jump to allow rope to pass under feet. Do no stand in one spot and jump, move around and try all types of foot movement variations to better your footwork. The pace of a sparring match is not steady, it is a mixture of quick attacks and periods of relatively slow steady movements where you rest for the next attack. Therefore, us interval jumping, mixing slow and steady jumping with spurts where you jump as fast as possible.
Swimming extends the muscles and helps flexibility. Swim laps with a slow lap followed by a fast lap followed by a slow lap. a fast laps. Run wind sprints, mix up the distance of the sprint and the distance of the return jog. Interval exercises help rhythmic breathing, which is required to help you manage your breathing when sparring.
Performing kicks slow motion and fast motion kicks while standing in chest deep water helps you perfect your technique and helps build muscle due to the water resistance.
Shadow boxing and sparring in front of mirror are also excellent practice exercises. Use kicking a bag so that you get an idea what it feels like to make combination kicks against something that resists the technique and stops follow through. First time fighters find it frustrating to perform combination techniques because sometimes the first technique lands without giving them an opportunity to follow through and perform the next technique.
Never practice only kicks or only punches; any kick or punch is always used in combination with other kicks or punches. Do not get in the habit of using kicks of punches separately. Always think in hand and foot combinations.