# Prefered method of sparing?



## The Game (May 4, 2006)

What is your prefered method of sparing in your school?  Do you co at it padded sticks, quilted armour, and such, bare rattan and tees, etc?  Which do you prefer, and if it's the rattan and a tee Dog Brothers stuff, how do you explain the resulting bruises to friends, family and coworkers?


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## MJS (May 4, 2006)

The Game said:
			
		

> What is your prefered method of sparing in your school? Do you co at it padded sticks, quilted armour, and such, bare rattan and tees, etc? Which do you prefer, and if it's the rattan and a tee Dog Brothers stuff, how do you explain the resulting bruises to friends, family and coworkers?


 
Padded sticks and head/eye protection.  I do train with some people who have done some sparring with a lighter weight rattan stick.  As for the bumps/bruises...the majority of them know I train, so I just chalk it up to a good, hard workout!:ultracool   

Mike


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## The Game (May 4, 2006)

I was checking out the Bakbakan clips (see video section) earlier which is why I asked.  Looks like the first 2 clips were rattan, everything else seemed to be padded and or armoured. Intense stuff.


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## Andrew Green (May 4, 2006)

I go with padded sticks, less armor, don't have to restrict targets, kids can do it too 

As for the sticks, I just make them myself.  Latest batch used what was "intended" as carpet underlay wrapped around them.  Worked out quite nicely.

I have also done it with just pipe insulation , but it tends to wear out really quick.


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## Blindside (May 4, 2006)

Andrew Green said:
			
		

> I have also done it with just pipe insulation , but it tends to wear out really quick.


 
What do you use as a core?  We have two weights, 3/8 inch CPVC for the light sticks and 3/4 inch nylon 6/6 rod for the heavies.  At some point on both sticks the pipe insulation becomes strictly a special effect to make the other guy not worry about sparring (no really, its padded!)  but then thats when it becomes fun.  Protective gear is just a fencing mask, and if are using the heavy sticks we wear lacrosse gloves.

Lamont


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## Bob Hubbard (May 4, 2006)

I stick with padded stick, SmakStiks preferred right now.  Basically, stick and helmet.  I tried the fully armored stuff, and while it was fun, there wasn't any incentive to block as you can take full force shots with minimal risk of even noticing them.  

I built my own out of PVC and pipe insulation, but they didn't hold up.


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## Marvin (May 4, 2006)

Don't really do FMA, per say, anymore, but we use rattan sticks or padded sticks, hockey gloves and WEKAF headgear.


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## tshadowchaser (May 4, 2006)

sometimes with padded sticks  sometimes with head and hand protection and bare rattan. It sepends on who is on the floor and how crazy we are that night
as for the bumps and bruises most people that know me or my students know that we are in the martial arts and have goren used to us being dinged up once in a while (including my DR.)


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## Rich Parsons (May 5, 2006)

The Game said:
			
		

> What is your prefered method of sparing in your school? Do you co at it padded sticks, quilted armour, and such, bare rattan and tees, etc? Which do you prefer, and if it's the rattan and a tee Dog Brothers stuff, how do you explain the resulting bruises to friends, family and coworkers?


 

My Preferred and what is done for others are different.


For people just learning, I like real sticks with no contact and using control to move. Once the techniques are learned then I like the use of padded sticks to allow for people to make contact. Mouth piece and cup are the only protection I prefer for this, but light gloves can be worn by those trying it out. Yet, I prefer they get used to getting hit and then learn how to avoid it.

For myself, I prefer rattan. No protection. Why? It is real for me. It is how it will go down. Yet, I learned the techniques in a controlled manner before going at it. 

So how do I explain the bruises and such. I used to not care when I was a bouncer or a cook going to college. After I graduated college I would wear long sleeve shirts to work to avoid those issues, and if a face shot was evident then I would just smile and say the (* Ex *) wife beat me again. I know it is not PC, but with that answer people just walked away. For those who knew about training, I would explain in detail the lesson I had learned. Even if it came from the street.


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## The Game (May 7, 2006)

I can understand the "realness", but don't know, seems to have more danger to it.


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## Lisa (May 7, 2006)

The Game said:
			
		

> I can understand the "realness", but don't know, seems to have more danger to it.



I have to agree with you there.  I have fooled around with padded sticks and received some nasty hits that have left me bruised.  I can only imagine what rattan would do.


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## Rich Parsons (May 7, 2006)

The Game said:
			
		

> I can understand the "realness", but don't know, seems to have more danger to it.



I never said I never got hit or had bruises.  

Of course I do not do this every moment of training. 

There are good aspects to all forms of sparring, just recognize what limitation the rules or equipment have put on the experience.


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## The Game (May 15, 2006)

So, when you do spar with rattan, what if any protection do you use? I've seen just helmets to full suits of what appear to be armour.


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## ryangruhn (May 21, 2006)

Smak-Stiks & Fencing masks =)  The level of intensity is up to the two sparring.

Gruhn


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