Question for you kyokushin guys:

[SenseiMike]

I'm a shotokan practioner (actually it's more of a sub-style of shotokan that stresses fighting much more than the JKA would ever allow), and I have a black belt in tkd. I advocate full contact Karate, I'm in favor of using all of the grappling techniques contained in the kata during kumite, and thus in my dojo sparring matches usually end up in ground & pounds. I really dislike point sparring and I honestly think that it has degenerated our art. Anyway, my question:

I know the rules of knockdown karate mandate bare knuckle competition, I like to wear a full set of pads for kumite, I also like to use a full set of hand techniques to the head. I do this because we all have Jobs to go too, and showing up beaten up and bloody all the time isn't a good Idea. Does this make my Karate any less of a "Budo" style than Kyokushin from an Oyama type perspective?

[y2_sub]

Read this topic and judge it yourself

http://www.kyokushinmail.com/koya/letters/letter5.htm

[SenseiMike]

LOL

that was one of the letters on that site what prompted me to ask the question

It's just that I take a certain amount of pride in feeling that I'm one of the very few "Budo" teachers left, I just see the need for pads (atleast in the djo if not at tournaments), head punches, and grappling.

[Meguro]

I did a lot of other styles before coming across Kyokushin. Got a black belt in TKD and competed in open karate tournaments (point sparring). I joined Kyokushin after watching a knockdown tournament and realizing that whatever I had done in the past would not prepare me to deal with Kyokushin karateka in competition. People often counter this position by saying competition and "street fighting" are different, which is true. My response is, "I don't street fight, but if I did I wouldn't be any worse off than a point fighter."

If you're happy with what you are doing, keep it up. Don't change because what anyone else might think. However, if you're curious about Kyokushin, find a dojo near by and try it out.

Regarding pads for competition, kids and adults 40-and-over wear headgear, gloves, shin&knee pads, cup and mouth guard.

[SenseiMike]

really I'm fine with bare knuckle competitions, I just can't see full contact bare knuckle sparring in the dojo, I'd hate to bust some ones face with a kick only for them to go and try to sell a used car all busted up.

[Bloke]

SenseiMike

I can understand your concerns about Kyokushin Dojo sparring but believe me in almost 20 years of training I got caught in the face hard enough to cut my eye only once. We can go hard to the body and legs but for safety sake head kicks are pulled - dont get me wrong - you may get dropped and you'll definetely know you were hit but other that that there should be no outward signs of injury.

Osu!

[Why_Worry]

lol, the thing about jobs made me laugh. It reminds me of how my senseis who are married ot each other told me about when they were training in college they would practice with each other and they would do blocks over and over again with each other and they would get bruises and when they said it hurt you shoud go lighter it would just hurt more (its just the way we learn to strike in the style i practice) and they would get even mroe bruises so my one sensei kept on being asked if her boyfriend was beating her and she was sent to the guidance office a couple of times cause they thought he was.

[Why_Worry]

Also, in every style of karate there exists people who only practice for competitions and as a result wind up specilizing in certain areas but not others. As the saying goes, the general practitioner will almost always beat the specialist. So if you train only for competitions then you wont become as good as possible but if you train for real life and just to improve yourself then you will become much better and you can alter your fighting style for competitions if and when you go to them. I my self never do competitions but thats just where i go and i believe competitions arent really neccesary but theres nothing worng with them if you want to participate. Also kyokushin is a cool art and i have much respect for it ubt i'm fine just not doing full contact and just doing drills and katas. But i kinda forgot the quesiton you asked by now..... so just bye.

[SenseiMike]

I'm really going to have to check out a kyokushin class some day. I wish there was one close to me.

It's funny I was so concerned about the full contact sparring, and just an hour ago one of students ko'd the other with a punch. We were all in full pads too. It wasn't a bad KO, but it dropped him to the ground and left him dizzy for a bit.

[Shaolin Bushido]

I did a lot of other styles before coming across Kyokushin. Got a black belt in TKD and competed in open karate tournaments (point sparring). I joined Kyokushin after watching a knockdown tournament and realizing that whatever I had done in the past would not prepare me to deal with Kyokushin karateka in competition. People often counter this position by saying competition and "street fighting" are different, which is true. My response is, "I don't street fight, but if I did I wouldn't be any worse off than a point fighter."

If you're happy with what you are doing, keep it up. Don't change because what anyone else might think. However, if you're curious about Kyokushin, find a dojo near by and try it out.

Regarding pads for competition, kids and adults 40-and-over wear headgear, gloves, shin&knee pads, cup and mouth guard.

I didn't know that. And that IS welcome news!