Kyle-san

______ and shoulder throw(?).

Pretty much. Either talking my way out or fighting/surviving.

If it's a situation where your life is honestly threatened, then you'd have nothing to worry about from a jury. Otherwise you're likely going to end up with a short (hopefully) term in prison, which would result in a lot more violent fights. Yes? No?

He sure did. Most of what Dustin1978 just related is completely different than the way the Jujutsu dojo I attend is run.

Kind of hard when you haven't started training, isn't it? What if your "messing them up" results in you being charged by the police for excessive force?

I agree that training makes all the difference, which is why it's hard to make general statements about one art or another. I've known Judo dojo where their training was fairly slack and, as a result, they weren't nearly as well prepared as the Jujutsu-ka from the dojo across town.

Merciful until I feel that I'm in severe danger. I'm obviously not going to go right into a break when I'm dealing with a drunk who thinks he's tough at the moment, but put someone's life in danger (mine or anyone else's) and I wouldn't hesitate to use the full technique.

Good thing the Jujutsu style I'm in covers all of these quite thoroughly.

Easy enough mistake.

Both.

Traditional Jujutsu is, and BJJ could be too if they made some small modifications. Anyone BJJ student that actually knows what they're doing shouldn't have a major problem with multiple attackers, at least no more than anyone else.

And that's exactly how groundfighting should be approached. I've got respect for BJJ, but I don't think going for a submission in a combat situation is very useful. Yes, you can just use the proper force for a break, but what happens if you get caught in a stand-up fight?

Yeah, Krav Maga is clearly the superior art for soldiers. I know I wouldn't want to be going to the ground in a potential urban warfare situation.

He might enjoy Hapkido. There's a nice balance of kicks and punches, as well as being practical with adding in throws, takedowns, locks, etc. Of course, if he's interested in competition he'd probably love Muay Thai.

What arts are in your area? That'd be a good first step before people start making recommendations. Also, is he more interested in learning an art or in competitions?

If there are, I doubt the students would last long.

I have done all of these forms of sparring at various times in my training. Personally, out of the ones that you've listed I prefer slow motion sparring the most and light contact sparring slightly less. I'm not a huge fan of limited rules because I always have to restrain myself from striking while I'm engaged in this kind of sparring.

Some styles use the explaination that it signifies the dirtying (darkening) of a white belt that comes with experience and training.

Excellent. That's exactly the kind of training that's needed if you're looking for self-defence. I completely agree with KSN Doug's point about applying traditional techniques to a modern situation. It's not that a technique is ineffective, but it needs to be retooled for a more modern setting.

Kali does. At least, in a sense they do. Most Jujutsu schools have no forms.

Just off the top of my head I can think of at least 6 from the TKD club that weren't skilled in either area (fighting or teaching) and 3 from the Karate club. There were yellow or orange belts that could work these 9 over. The point about quitting if they can't recieve their belt is an excellet one. I know that I left due to complications in that area which is a good indicator that I wasn't quite over the fact that getting that belt really doesn't matter so much. If you're skilled enough to be a black belt, does it really matter if you have the cloth?

Once again, does your full contact include no pads and strikes/grabs that are generally "not allowed"? Can you grab an opponent's kick or punch if they leave it hanging out? Are you allowed strikes to the groin/temples/vulnerable areas? Yes, I completely agree that it's the instructor and not just the style. I know that the self defence we practice is very realistic because we make up the situations. Anything from being mugged with a knife, to being attacked by more than one person, to stitting at the bar and having someone grab you from behind and start punching. All of these things are worked on because they happen, then we have to figure out what we would do to defend against them and show the rest of the class. Every class we do this.

There's no way to learn it properly on your own, there are too many moves that require a partner (throws, locks, etc) and the supervision of someone that knows the style. Aikijujutsu is a very traditional Jujutsu style. Check out the schools and see which one feels right.

I'm a firm believer in the need to be an adult before getting a black belt. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the legal age, but when a student is mature enough to handle the black belt. A good example of this is the fact that samurai were considered adults at the age of 15. I know that I was 13 and ready to test for my BB and I did consider myself fairly mature. Looking back on it, I'm sure I would have been an alright BB, but I would have been much better if I had been ready to test 3 or 4 years later. It's not that there's anything against teenagers and that we're "jealous" of our accomplishments, but there's no way someone who's 13 has the same maturity and experience as someone who's 20 or 21. It all depends on the person, though. I've seen people that are 25 or 30 and definately shouldn't have their black because they just aren't mature enough to handle it. It's not about a specific age at all.

Good question.