Originally posted by KenpoTess
everyone spars everyone in our school.. doesn't matter what rank.. but from day one we institute the 'rules' the chest to belt is legal target.. nothing below.. only where headgear covers. .legal target.. no back contact..
Hmm, we don't have any rules
Well, not biting and eye poking obviously, but all targets are legal (we do try not to strike the side of the knee as it's too easy to permanently damage it, usually an air shot is made if this is open and acknowledged with a nod by the other person).
I suppose that way it gets you used to street style sooner.
In our school, if the groin is open then bang! A shot goes in. Teaches you to cover up better I can tell you (obviously this is controlled and we all wear the appropriate protection but still...)
As for back contact, again that's legal. If someone turns for a spinning kick there's nothing to stop you getting a kidney shot in, again not full power or anything but it's still there if our students want to use it.
We've not had many accidents though, in 5 or 6 years I can only think of two incidents that arose in sparring, one where a really tally guy who was a complete idiot hook kicked a smaller guy in the head and kinda knocked him out, and another time when another tall guy caught a guy above the eye with a spinning outside crescent kick and split it. Neither were that major though.
I just don't think it's good to restrict the freestlye section of the art to rules, if people get into that 'holds barred' mindset it might be difficult to get out of it again if they're forced into a real fight.
I know there are issues with insurance and such like now though that are out of some instructors' hands though. There's a whole list of exercises we're not even meant to do under our insurance policy!
Ian.