Kushiel

I love WoW, but haven't played Starcraft... I may have to give it a go.

While it may hurt more than somewhere else, and it may start to get trying after a long sparring session, I still don't feel it's the guy's responsibility to avoid hitting me there. At all. It's a legitimate scoring zone. If I don't like being hit there, I should block it! The last thing I want is for a guy to feel like he has to be all careful cause he's sparring with a girl. I'm not going to learn to be better that way.

In my school, there was no face contact below the black belt level. You could strike to the sides and back of head (and head gear was required), and you could direct strikes to the face and gain points if they showed that you COULD have struck but pulled it--actual contact means you drop for pushups, or worse, if you actually injure someone. We used, I believe, the dipped foam sparring gear for the most part, and I never saw any injuries. I'd avoid a school (personally) that allowed face contact from the beginning, and definitely talk to an instructor about any injuries I got at the hands of a black belt. As an intermediate student sparring with a beginner, I would definitely avoid hitting them repeatedly in the face--I want to help them learn what sparring is about, and figure out how to start controlling their techniques, not scare them off (via injuries, or otherwise)!

I definitely feel lopsided. My instructors have always recommended that we practice twice as much with our left side as our right (left being the offside for most ppl), but I've never heard of doing a kata "backwards" intentionally to practice that. I'm going to try it! I notice it more with kicks, personally. My hands feel almost equally comfortable with any number of strikes or blocks (possibly because I'm left-handed?), but my left leg really doesn't like side kicks.

Just wanted to add--you may want to double check with your instructor before using a bandanna--some schools attach special meaning to them, or don't allow them at all.

Way to go--sounds like you exerted some great (and well-needed) natural leadership, and protected your own as well as some others!

Exactly. Very disappointing. As a martial artist who has also been in the military (and a woman), I consider it important to make sure no abuse/harassment is going on, but otherwise do my best to make it clear that guys don't have to use "kid gloves" with me. In the military and in martial arts, comraderie is important to me, and the OP's situation is the kind of thing that destroys it.

Thanks sensei!! It was driving me mad!

I know this is a few days old now, but as a girl, I've been punched in the chest plenty, and I've never felt at all uncomfortable or anything. I don't wear a chest protector (to me, that makes it look like a big TARGET to aim for!), but it never occurred to me that guys might feel uncomfortable sparring with me. No girl in any of my classes has worn a chest protector either, and no one has ever complained when they were hit in the chest (except possibly privately among girls later, that it hurt, lol). In the schools I've been in, this would not have been viewed as your fault, and while I understand the instructor wanting to avoid a lawsuit, I think he could have accomplished that far more effectively by actually talking to you about how to spar with girls in his school.

I was looking at gear requirements for a nearby tournament (purely out of curiosity--I'm still in the process of looking for a school to begin training in again), and I saw the following: My oldish sparring gear was fairly cheap, about $30 for the hands and feet, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it is "dipped foam." But what is the naugahyde knuckle pads they are talking about??? Thanks!

I'm gonna give this a go. I just got and read a book called the Underground Guide to Warrior Fitness--has anyone read this? The author encourages body weight vs weight lifting exercises, and DEFINITELY encourages high reps of these things (pushups, squats) as opposed to adding weight and bulking up, particularly for boxers or martial artists--those who need speed, strength, and agility. He actually advocates being able to do 500 body weight squats, which seems like a LOT to me, having been out of shape for awhile now. Part of his argument is that high reps like that provide a mental challenge as well. I'm going to give the 100 Pushup program a go, and mix it up like some of y'all are doing with burpees and such.