WEKAF / Sport - Can help develop oneÂ’s conditioning and focus but build a false sense of security for others.
I would have to say that my preferred way is the WEKAF style and I don't think that it offers any "false sense of security" any more than the other methods. Whenever your point is not to absolutely kill the other person you must have rules. These rules decrease the reality of a fight to a point where emphasis can be placed on the learning of specific skills. WEKAF sparring emphasizes flow and multiple hits and it trains those skills like no other method.
When it comes to conditioning, I don't really think you have to be in that great shape to do well at WEKAF sparring. What you have to be is efficient in your motions. Being in shape can make up for many things. Often when I see people spar, regardless of what method, they depend on being in shape in the beginning of their learning. As the practitioner progresses, they become more seasoned and more efficient in their technique. And thus much less energy is needed in order to fight.
Also I would like to see a reduction in the rules in WEKAF. For example, I like to see thrusts allowed agained, punyos to helmet, a sticks be heavier,punches witht the live hand...
I agree. I would like to see that as well in a limited manner. I have to say that it would force some fighters to work at a distance and not so close. But again, WEKAF style training is a training tool and those particular items are not emphasized in that exercise. Although within Doce Pares those skills (punyo, thrust, punch, etc) are dealt with in the Controlled Sparring exercise and are trained extensively.
WEKAF/sport is great for developing timing, distance, and power without fear of getting hurt. However, you are right, to many people rely on the protection of the armour to 'score'.
This is true of any style of sparring unfortunately. But that's what happens with sports. It's similar to the difference in game between Rugby and Football with equipment. I ran at guys in a much different fashion with my gear on than without.
Dog Brothers style
1 Rule Be Friends at the End=-)
I fought in the Dog Brothers and I have to say that I think it was a good training tool. But there were also some trouble points.
The good stuff was that you really are friends at the end of the day and the atmosphere of training and brotherhood is real. Every fight is treated like a contribution and when you're done, you really feel like you've learned something. I don't like the separation of the sexes in the sparring in any arena (talk about building a false sense of security!!) but in the DB it was palpable and that was a problem. I had the chance to fight people who had a lot of surprises in them and got to see how they dealt with surprises of my own.
But the claims of "light" gear for most people are untrue. Most of the people wear helmets that, from common impact points, have the same protective strength as a motorcycle helmet. Some people also embedded protective metal and hard plastic pieces in their gloves. One of the participants had one of those wrist pads for in front of the keyboard, the kind with the liquid padding in it, actually stuffed inside his helmet. Another guy had protective motocross or hockey plastic guards underneath his sweats. I think only the Old School DB actually spar without the added protective accoutrements, or maybe all of the actuall Dog Brothers with Dog Names, because they spar aside from that together as well. In many cases in many fights strikes that normally would have ended a fight, instead moved it to grappling. This incites a false sense of security in some ground fighters in my opinion.
Anyway, each arena has its pros and cons, but I think WEKAF gets more of the shaft than others and undeservedly so.
