Students learn to deal with the unrelenting attacks of an opponent by creating an effective defense and offense according to opponent's fighting style. By placing themselves in a position where there is the risk of injury, students learn to face adversity using both their mental and physical training.

Face fears. While a point sparring is a game, there is still a possibility for injury. For some this causes anxiety. Free-sparring helps calm your anxieties and develops your confidence.

Beware of the actors. The type of opponent falls to the floor in apparent agony at the slightest contact, to draw the sympathy of officials and in an attempt to cause you to ease up. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. If it is used too much, everyone evolved will catch on and the person will suffer for it. Sometimes, just as the boy who cried wolf, when a real injury occurs, no one will believe it.

Quickly adapt to opponent's actions. Because free-sparring is not prearranged, the opponent may use any type of permitted attack. Students must learn to quickly counter an endless variety of attacks and adapt to their opponents' style and timing. Through free-sparring, students learn to respond quickly and calmly to unknown situations that may occur in real life self-defense situations.

Protect themselves when injured. If a student free-spars, he or she will get hit. If a student is involved in a self-defense situation, he or she will get hit. The result of the hit may be something as minor as a bruise, bump, or black eye, or it may be something more serious. To continue to defend and attack, students must learn to fight through the pain. Although one must continue to defend him or herself in a self-defense situation no matter how serious the injury, this does not mean one must continue sparring with a serious injury. Injuries, and the pain associated with them, cause the human body to instinctively shut down. Students not prepared for the mental and physical shock of an injury, will be unprepared to defend themselves when injured. Free-sparring teaches students not to be distracted by physical contact and minor pain.

Withstand blows and respond calmly. When students first start free-sparring and the get hit, the first reaction is usually anger and the urge to retaliate. Students gradually learn to overcome this flash of anger, absorb the blow with dignity, and counterattack calmly and correctly without emotion.

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