I agree in sparring you should make contact, and to the head too. In my dojo we don't, we do very light contact and none to head, very lame, and it's for points. To say that you don't spar cause it is too deadly, is wrong. When you spar it isn't a real right, you're not going to doing things like gouging the eyes, or striking the throat and junk like that. If you don't spar and only do kata and that kind of stuff then you have no self defence capabilities.

BTW I do goju, and kobudo.

TKD, Boxing , Muay Thai for me. I would love to study some Brazilian Jujitsu.

We don't spar either nor do we practice kata. We have an aggressor and a "defender". The aggressor attacks first then we attack the attacker.

The aggressor attacks with full force punches, we either avoid or block them and once attacked we go on the offensive. We make moderate contact to all body areas except the groin where we pull the punch. Our style includes lots of traps, grabs, gouges, leverages and such so we do not wear gloves or pads.

To tell ya the truth, I dont have a style. I find what works and use it, mixing whatever I can do into my own style.
(Couldnt have anything to do with the nearest dojo is 50+ minutes...)

But what I do is effective, so I use it. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

i do shorin ji ryu i have been doing this for a few years and am a purple belt. as for sparring, i dont believe that you can learn to fight through kata or light sparring which is pretty much just a game of "tag". i dont like to spar without some heavy contact and this may be why i am thinking of taking up boxing.

For the sake of staying on topic:
I do wing chun (4 years)
have done kickboxing (2 years)
have done judo (3 years)

But my real purpose for posting:
Didnt anyone notice the 12 yearold kid (tkdrosenthal) who is getting a 2nd degree BB and has been doing it for 8 years?
I thought you had to win against two oponents to get 2nd degree in karate?

kick boxing 3--boxing 3--ninpo 10--TKD 2--JKD 4--

It took me 7 years to find the right MA for me, but 11 styles later Im a blue belt in Combat Hapkido, have went through the mess of systema in the army, and started judo in december. The problem is I think I have to switch schools because I have more natural skill then my teacher.

i currently do Budoshinkai Karate (started about ...8 weeks ago). I have also previously trained at Matsumoto Karate Academy ( Shoko-kai (sp), i think the style is) for about 2 years, where i reached 8th Kyu (white and 2 tips)...i had a grading last saturday, and im currently 8th kyu (orange) in this style, but am getting a probationary green belt...7th kyu (im so proud of myself ^^)..so yeah ^^
anyone else do Budoshinkai?

regards,
Alex

[This message has been edited by Celebrian (edited 04-16-2005).]

Brazilian jiu-jitsu and muay-thai. I'm seriously considering shudo-kan karate but nothing definite