Is this normal

[hazeleyes202]

I just started martial arts and was wondering, is it normal for instructors to start sparring lightly as soon as you get your yellow belt and then actually do full contact sparring as soon as you reach your black belt? or should it be sooner?

[lowereastside]

It depends on the school - when I started Karate way back in the day - I was put up to spar on my 1st day of training. Back then most of the schools followed this pattern of sparring on the 1st day. And it wasn't light sparring.

[MasterPain]

I just started martial arts and was wondering, is it normal for instructors to start sparring lightly as soon as you get your yellow belt and then actually do full contact sparring as soon as you reach your black belt? or should it be sooner?

I don't agree with it, but it's common.

I'd never give a black belt to someone who's not been pressure tested.

[FangPwnsAll7]

We spar when we want to and our instructor is ok with it.

[sensei8]

I just started martial arts and was wondering, is it normal for instructors to start sparring lightly as soon as you get your yellow belt and then actually do full contact sparring as soon as you reach your black belt? or should it be sooner?

Intensity will change from style to style and from sensei to sensei. But for the most, you're assumption is pretty close generally speaking.

[Nidan Melbourne]

yes it totally normal to have your instructor spar with you as soon as you get your yellow belt.

my sensei starts going into light kumite once you get your green belt.

[CredoTe]

Yes, we start sparring with beginners. They only spar instructors, and we fight at their skill level with light to moderate contact. At beginner level, we basically want to see if they can move their feet and hands, and if they can stand to be in a little heat.

[KyokanRik]

This is a big reason why I love Kyokushin so much. I read countless, what to me are "horror stories", of martial arts clubs and dojos barring their students from sparring until certain belt grades are reached or some other stipulation. When I started in Kyokushin, i recieved my 'pads' the very next class, and sparred. And I've been sparring ever since, twice with sensei, and I've only just recently reached 10th Kyu (orange). Sparring is an awesome learning and development tool, and I cannot imagine learning to properly defend myself without ever being able to test it until I reached a certain level, levels which could take upwards to a year or more to reach(depending on the standards/rules of that club).

[yamesu]

When i started Kyokushin we were put into light to moderate sparring from white belt.

It was a good way of weeding out those who had the spirit to get through kyokushin training (pick ones self back up after being knocked down so-to-speak) before investing a lot of time.

[Hawkmoon]

When i started Kyokushin we were put into light to moderate sparring from white belt.

It was a good way of weeding out those who had the spirit to get through kyokushin training (pick ones self back up after being knocked down so-to-speak) before investing a lot of time.

As a Kyokushin student fighting is a point we deliberately aim for ion our training. As I moved up the grades the amount of fights to earn each grade became more and at green (4 & 3kyu) the fights went from grading heavy to Knockdown!

The Ryu you follow, will drive how soon you start to fight, BUT, and do take the complement from sensei, your ability as well, if he sees you have a knack for combat, then the time to start developing it sooner rather than later is a good thing!