Nanashii

Things like this are at your sensei's discretion until you're skilled and experienced enough that you don't need to ask the question. Some people need the protection - not just to keep themselves safe, but to keep their training partners safe as well from their techniques for whatever reason - whether it be uncontrolled or just too hard for practice and their level. Others have very good control and temperament, and so it's less necessary. This is a sensei decision, IMO. When you're ready to go without pads, you'll be aware of it.

The only thing I use gloves for is Jyu Kumite, and they're very light. Striking without injury isn't based on what type of padding you put between your hands/feet and the bag, mitt, makiwara, etc. It's about how clean your technique is. If you've built clean and proper technique with your increasing strength through your striking training, you should be just fine without gloves.

I can get real specific Drop 10 lbs to lean down a bit. Really hone Heian Sandan, Heian Godan, and Rohai. I love those kata, but I want to really hit them cleanly.

We'll generally pick a focus for each class post warmup - so it'll look something like this Opening ceremony Warmups - We'll do a main focus - for example, we'll do mainly core one class, with a lighter focus on the rest, and switch next class. It'll start with some light jogging and a light stretch, then move into the rest. (planks, crunches, held pushups, squats, lunges, suicides/sprints, running, mountain climbers), then move into a second stretch. Kihon (standing and moving) - We have dedicated Kihon classes as well, so we always start with this to work up to the next segment of training... Unless someone messes up . Then we really hammer it. Kumite (Ippon, Sanbon, and Jyu). We have dedicated Kumite classes as well. We'll do competition time to keep it organized. Kata. Closing ceremony Like I said, it varies based on what we need to work on and how Sensei wants to focus our time. That's just a basic overview, but we'll have classes that are highly focused on bunkai as well, and counters, stance work (static holding), parries and footwork, chain attacks/combinations, breakfalling, body toughening, moving basics, etc. It's a lot to fit in, and each class is only an hour and a half or so, but we work on a focus point each class so we don't have to cut quality based on time.

In my experience, the better martial artist lives. Art and style are preference, and if someone knows how to use the skills they've been taught better than their opponent, they will be the one that 'wins.' Every style has it's benefits and drawbacks, and every martial artist likewise. It's knowing how to use your skills that makes you effective, not necessarily which skills they are or how they compare in a training perspective to another art's skills. I never understood the 'this style is more effective than that style' mentality. If you take the style you believe to be most effective and give it to someone who never learns how to use its teachings, what good is it? The same can be said for a style you might think isn't as good. The martial artist and their sensei determine the effectiveness of the teachings, not the name of the banner above it. That aside, and I know this is late in the thread here - forgive me - suggesting that a certain style has more intense warm ups or bodily conditioning is too blanket a statement. My dojo spends a lot of time on conditioning and body toughening, balanced with kata, ippon/sanbon kumite, jyu kumite, and stance work through static training, though we're not Kyokoushin. Something like that hinges heavily on the sensei and the sempai that instruct and how they were taught/what they want to improve or accomplish. There are so many ways to train that can all produce amazing results, I just think it's silly to suggest that one way is better or worse as a blanket statement. That's how I've discovered it, anyway.