Sparring with gear and without

[Soheir]

I'm looking for some opinions from the pople who train in a style where gears aren't worn in competition, but often are used while practicing.

How often should one sparr without any gear?

Some go without all the time. Even though I think it's cool on a way, it's not so good in a long run. But it isn't eather good to go with them all the time, so i'm looking for some fine golden mean.

[MasterPain]

Separated carpals and metacarpals, scarred zygomatic arches, crushed twigs and berries.... There is a reason for sparring gear. I only spar no gear with experienced practitioners and light contact. I plan on training for a long time and repeated stress injuries are not something I want to deal with.

[Jay]

I can't say much about your first point but there are a few studies on this sort of thing. The jist of what I have read is the following

Headgear is mainly to prevent cuts, it does little in the way of preventing concussion and head trauma. Your brain in your skull is surrounded by fluid, its like smacking into a sled that is filled with water, with or without a bit of padding at the front the water is going to slosh around an awful lot. Most people also find headgear reduces peripheral vision which means you get hit more.

You have to make up your own mind in the end.

[Montana]

I've been sparring light to medium contact without any sort of gear, including groin cup, since January of 1975. Sure, I've been tagged, but you know what? It teaaches you to BLOCK AND PROTECT YOURSELF!!!

The logic we use is that you're not going to have gear on in a street fight, so you'd better learn to protect yourself in the dojo.

I've always have given my students the option to wear protective gear of any sort, and a few do. Some of the guys wear cups, most don't. One gal wore a chest protector, but only the one. The only time we are required to wear gear is during full contact, and then we wear Okinawan bogu gear and gloves with groin cups.

To each their own IMO.

[Soheir]

We don't hit to head in sparring or in competition. And we use only gloves and shin protectors.

In light contact it's good without of course, but you gotta go hard some times. How often, it differs. We very rarely do without protectors.

Everybody can and do choose for themselves. If I would know what to choose I wouldn't be here, would I?

[honoluludesktop]

Championship boxers win on the way up, and take huge damage when they lose, which except for rare exceptions, affects their ability to win. Beginners can trade hits to the benefit of experience. But to take a severe beating is detrimental to the development of winning. One can learn to lose as well as win.

IMO, if competing is important to you, you should train as much as possible the way you compete. Wearing gear is like rules, it affects the way you learn.

[sensei8]

Separated carpals and metacarpals, scarred zygomatic arches, crushed twigs and berries.... There is a reason for sparring gear. I only spar no gear with experienced practitioners and light contact. I plan on training for a long time and repeated stress injuries are not something I want to deal with.

Solid point!!

[sensei8]

I do both, pads/no pads. Pads with those who are less experienced than myself. No pads with those who are near my experience if they want, but the power is dialed down. It's not unusual to see Greg, Kancho, and I spar with each other without any pads while we're, at times, full speed/power. For the most part, we usually end up in a stalemate. Greg and I grew up together under our Dai-Soke and the two of use love contact. To watch us you'd think someone's going to get hurt, but that rarely occurs. We're both same rank, yet, I've 6 months over Greg. Greg is the only person I'll spar with full speed/power; it's a trust issue.

We love to test our mettle with each other. I'm a proponent of pads and no pads sparring. Both types have there purposes, therefore, safety must be paramount.

[bushido_man96]

I don't like the gear we wear in our TKD class; the chest protector changes the way I move and block when I spar without it.

As far as training with or without gear goes, its important to do both, and lift or levie restraints according to how much you wear. RedMan suit? Pound away. Cloth hand and foot gear, maybe back the contact levels down a bit. I think its important to do both.

I don't think I know what the magic mix is, though.

[rmurray]

I can't say much about your first point but there are a few studies on this sort of thing. The jist of what I have read is the following

Headgear is mainly to prevent cuts, it does little in the way of preventing concussion and head trauma. Your brain in your skull is surrounded by fluid, its like smacking into a sled that is filled with water, with or without a bit of padding at the front the water is going to slosh around an awful lot. Most people also find headgear reduces peripheral vision which means you get hit more.

You have to make up your own mind in the end.

This is completely untrue. Headgear very much protects the brain from trauma. That is a fact and should not be marginalized. Adults may elect to spar without headgear, but should know that wearing it significantly reduces the risk of brain injury. Do you think football players wear helmets because they are worried about cuts? Do you think motorcycle helmet laws exist only to prevent cuts? Headgear is a wonderful, effective sparring tool. Children should not be allowed to spar without it.