In discussions of how to structure a curriculum, it’s common to see statements like “allowing students to spar early means they’ll build bad habits”. I don’t think this is true – but even if it is, it’s worth pondering this question:
If sparring at the end of a class builds habits that are ‘stickier’ than the technical drills which filled the body of the class, what does that tell you about how effective the two types of activity are at teaching motor skills?