Not trying to argue or disagree. I just want to share some additional info, so that you can have a better understanding of why I think the way I do. I understand that how I train may not be a reality for someone else. We all don't train the same way. But I can only answer from my perspective on this one.
I agree with your quote overall, except for your use of the word "only." There are a few big differences IMO.
The word "only" applies to me and my perception of fighting and the experience of the fights that I've been in. It's wasn't meant mean "only" for everyone. there are too many variables, so that applies to me.
While theoretically, sparring may be the same as fighting, the mental awareness of full contact, no rules, no second chance and the very real possibility of serious injury is a factor to be considered.
I only make 2 rules for sparring:
1. Give what you get.
2. Spar for set time. (this way everyone gets a chance to train). I do "round robin" so after 1 minute the person getting the focused training gets a fresh partner.
Anything beyond that is up to the person sparring. As long as they can defend themselves adequately then they can hit each other as hard as they want.
In a physical fight:
1. Match or exceed the attack that you are getting. (Give what you get).
2. Fight for a set set time. Physical fights are not endless. Some are short some are drawn out. The time that you set will be based on the situation you are in. If people are around then you may want to draw out the fight in hopes someone will come and help. If you are by yourself then you may want to end it quickly. Each situation is different.
I always recommend to other's to spar to learn. That way you can learn how to apply the techniques. "Learn by doing" vs sparring so hard that a student would never take the risk to get a technique wrong while trying to learn it.
very real possibility of serious injury is a factor to be considered.
The membership forms that we had informed students that training may result in serious injury or death and that there is a risk. I've broken my finger 2 or 3 times during sparring, Hyper extended my elbow that took 6 months to heal. I had a black eye, busted lips, almost knocked myself out. One student was cut with a knife when doing lion dance, There have been back injuries and damage to muscular tissue. I let students know that they will get hurt and that we have rules to help prevent serious injuries from occurring. Kids often get more protection than adults because adults tend to push harder, especially those who want to learn how to fight.
Another big difference is that there are moves you may use in light sparring, that you wouldn't use in a real fight. High risk, fancy kicks for example. Also, you can score points with moves that would not work in real fights such as hitting while off balance, leaning, over-committing, falling a little short on distance.
In my training I don't use moves like what you stated. The only "high risk moves" are the ones that I don't know how to use, but currently learning at the time. I'll take those risks in sparring because I'm learning. Once I learn it, then I can use it in a real fight. This much I know for sure because of how I train. Been there done it. Jow Ga Kung Fu is very practical, which is why I was surprised that someone backed up their car just to tell me they thought it was the coolest thing they had ever seen.
In all my years of martial arts training, even when I did karate competitions as a kid. It was never about points. We did continuous sparring back then and there was a person who did best and one who did not. This was based on the quality of strikes that landed successfully. Taps and tag strikes were meaningless. The point sparring that I see today is foreign to me.
I don't use a point scoring system. The only thing I care about when I train and train others is:
1. Where you able to pull off the technique and land a solid hit.
2. Do you have the capability to land that same technique faster and harder.
If the answer to 1&2 are Yes, then you will be able to apply it in a real fight. So the next step is to increase the intensity of sparring, which requires the techniques to be done in situation where the attacks are faster and harder.
Conversely, there are moves in a real fight that you can't use in sparring such as eye, groin, throat, joint strikes and some takedowns.
For these I practice on targets that aren't human. Sort of like shooting a gun. People train on shooting targets, not people. Then they go shoot people. Correction. When they train against live targets then they use non-lethal methods to shoot at each other.
Don't get me wrong - light sparring is great practice to develop technique, speed, tactics and a great sport. But in the real thing, nice guys finish last, so shifting into another mental/spiritual gear is a must. The concept of points must be replaced with the concept of inflicting injury.
For me I don't think shifting into another mental /spiritual gear is big deal. 1. I don't make fighting spiritual, emotional, mental, or emotional. When I train and spar, I do so without emotion, music, or though of how my training partner may feel. I try to make the art of training and hitting things as emotionless a possible.
Where you may get into a competition and think that you will win. I get into one and only think about hitting my opponent and avoid damage. I only see opening and opportunities to strike. I don't think win or lose, I make it very simple. If I strike my targets well enough then my opponent or my enemy will either not want more, or they will be put in a situation where they can no longer take more. Winning is not for me to decide. By putting myself in that mental state I can focus on the task at hand.
I've actually have used my martal arts in a real fight and it's the same thing I did when I sparred but instead of landing a hard kick, in a fight I try to land my hardest kick in a fight. As a kid, I had a fight with my best friend. He knew tkd, he was older than me by 4 years. Guess how he fought? He used his tkd because that's what he trained. I didn't even know he knew karate until he feint a left kick and then kicked me in the head with a right one.
When my brother was in his 20's he got into a fight at a club. Guess what he used, in the fight? Wrestling. Guess what he trained in highschool. Wrestling.. So in my mind.
When boxers get into street fights they use boxing.
When BJJ practitioners get into street fights they use BJJ
When Wrestlers get into street fights they use Wrestling.
When Kung fu Guys into street fights they "bail out" and do nothing that they actually train. For me that that's a big issue. How I train is the way I should fight. If my training isn't good enough for fighting then I shouldn't train that with the expectation that it's good for fighting.
If I get into a street fight the you'll see some of the same things that I've already shown on video. There won't be any bailing out of my techniques.
My comments are based on how I train. My biggest focus is to be a good representation of Jow Ga Kung Fu in that it's something that can actually be used. So my training is going to be different than someone who doesn't train to use kung fu for actual fighting.
Can someone pull out a gun or knife in a fight? Of course. But I can do the same if I have one on me. I'll use what I train. If I don't have a weapon then I will still use what I train.
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