Kumite-Still required?

[Bleeding Lion]

Unfortunately my school does NO free sparring. Not even lightly every now and then. I really regret that as I would really like to test my skills against other people, especially higher belts.

I can understand why kata would be considered essential to trainning. But what is the point of having excellent technique if you've never had sparring experience and cant do it right when you fight?

Not to sound cheesy but Bruce Lee said something like "a fighter who has never fought is like a swimmer who has never been in water" and that is how i feel about the whole thing.

Well, I guess I need to go out there and fight with whoever i can! (j/k)

[pittbullJudoka]

In the dojo were I rain we have two nights that focus strictly on kata and technque and one or 2 nights that are conditioning and sparring and grappling that way those who do not want to fight do not have too.