Karate sparring distance and self protection

[guird]

For example, just as there are soft and hard styles of said MA's, there's also a strongest style as well. Whatever label is attached to said style of the MA, it's the perceptive mindset that makes said style of the MA what it is to "THAT" practitioner.

Just as there's a Yin and Yang, there are opposite forces within the MA that dictate said style of the MA per said the proponent of its methodology.

Imho!!

When I said hard, I meant hard contact during sparring v.s. light/semi contact, rather than linear v.s. circular and explosive vs graceful (like is often meant with hard/soft style). I largely agree with you, but perhaps unlike you I think one of the yin/yang oppositions is realism v.s. safety. Realism genuinely producing better fighters, safety having other benefits.

On average at least.

Like less down time due to injury? I have to put on a tie and smile at people who want to borrow money every day. Coming in marked up from hard sparring brings a lot of grief from supervisors. Lots of grief. Makes sparring hard for me riskier than just the injury factor. I can endanger my job. It's the only reason I miss my old job in retail management where they didn't care as long as I got to work and got things done.

Kyokunshin is well respected not for it's range of techniques, but the contact level at which they compete. The same reason boxing and MT have generally good reputations for producing hard hitters who aren't afraid of contact. That is a huge benefit that a lot of people could do well to receive. All sparring/training introduces flaws for safety. For Kyokunshin, and it's related styles, the "flaw" is targeting/weapons. For most other karate it's level of contact/weapons. You have to pick the flaw, recognize the hole it leaves in your training and how you need to cover it.

I agree.