I was on E budo and found a old thread talking about old Koryu training. http://www.e-budo.com/forum/showthread.php?47543-Free-practice-in-koryu-is-it-possible While im still trying to digest that whole thing, the gist I get is this. They did spar, just not quite like we do in modern arts. Apparently free sparring was something only few were doing after like 20 years of practice.
http://www.thearma.org/essays/TopMyths.htm This post also talks about old European arts used on battlefields. Here is the relevant excerpt.
"False. Modern research in historical European martial arts has revealed considerable evidence in Europe from the 12th to 17th centuries for several different forms of mock combat used as earnest self-defense training, battlefield rehearsal, ritual display, and sporting contest. From knightly tournaments to prize-playing contests to bouting a few veneys or assaults at arms and impromptu scrimmaging, the evidence for "free play" or "playing loose" as practice-fighting is substantial. This activity involved substantial contact, and not merely pulled blows or surface touches. Examination of the methods by which this kind of "sparring" was pursued (e.g., its equipment, its intent and purpose, its permissible techniques and safety considerations, and its risk of injury, etc.) is a main area of exploration in historical fencing studies. See: To Spar or Not to Spar."
So the question remains, how can you learn to fight with out fighting? Swing with out swimming? Sparring while not a real situation is as close as it gets. I have not yet seen any thing said here that is convincing. All I keep hearing is that sparring is not even close to real life. Yet if that is true why did so many old battlefield arts actually spar in some fashion?
Again the main issue I have is this. How can you expect to apply what your learn, to a random and or unexpected attack if you never practice against unexpected and or random attacks? It was said that sparring is not really random, that your matched based on skill and size and what not. That is true to a extent but that does not mean I will know what opening attack my opponent will throw, or what tactic he will use. I cant read his mind, he may attack with a kick or several, or a shoot or a anything. Only thing I know is that he can strike and grapple, I have no idea what is coming first next or last.
Just because Im good on pads and good with the tech sparring*partner drills in boxing that I did* does not mean ill be able to deal with a unpredictable and random attack.
One line from the e budo thread is interesting. "Indeed, and I think he's got it right from everything I've ever seen in my budo career, I've never seen anyone with kata only experience step onto a kendo floor and win his first match, I certainly have no illusions that I could take a moderately trained kendo kid, even if I was allowed any target at all. I twitch and he hits me, simple as that, and it has happened in the deep distant past. But I've also seen that those with kata and sparring experience are much more sophisticated in their practice, a different feel to their kendo. "
I think im still leaning towards adding some other element to my own training, I just cant deny the inarguable benefits to self defense that sparring brings. I don't see how you can deny the realities of training against a unpredictable opponent, throwing random and unpredictable attacks.
I still stand by what I've said in my other post in this thread, as well as others through out the forum. It's one part of the puzzle but it's an important piece. No, it's not like real life, but does that mean it shouldn't be done? OTOH, I've seen some sparring sessions that are closer than what is normally seen as sparring. One of my old Kenpo instructors and I used to have some pretty hard, intense sparring sessions. It was more MMAish, but rough nonetheless. The sparring that I do in my Kyokushin dojo is pretty hard core. There are valuable things to be gained from it.
Of course, keep in mind, working SD and doing sparring, are, IMO, 2 separate things. Sure, I've used ideas from my SD techs, during sparring, but no, I never pulled off a full tech while sparring.
If it's something that you feel is important, if it's something you like to do, then do it.