Do all Karate styles support hard-sparring?

**bigstu31s** · Posted On: 3/23/2012 4:18am

We always did full contact sparring when I did Wado Ryu many many years ago. The instructor was ex military and was very much liek John Kreese form the Karate Kid. In fact I remember watching the movie when it first came out and being convinced it was based on my school

**Cobbs001** · Posted On: 4/01/2012 10:50pm

It does depend on the individual dojo. I presonally find that you have a higher probability of finding a full contact traditional school based on these criteria.
1. No trophies- Most competitions in TMA are not full contact. If the school you are looking at boast none then they probably do full contact.
2. Training- The training primarily focuses on hitting as in bag work and refining technique and taking hits as in body conditioning.
3. Ego- there should be none in the dojo
4. kids- on kids classes those should be seperate from the adults and kids only spar against each other and no kid should have a black belt.

**Tameshiwhaty?** · Posted On: 6/02/2012 4:30am

find a club you like doesn't matter the style in fact if you want to be truthful don't think of style I do Shotokan with the ISKF but when I spar (in the dojo) I use a more kyokushin kamae hands up and high stance insttead of hands in jodan chudan and stance alittle lower. find a buddy who is like minded and have fun, I usually train with an old goju guy and we always go pretty hard.

**Anarchy rising** · Posted On: 6/14/2012 4:42am

No, I did a style that only point sparred

**WorldWarCheese** · Posted On: 6/16/2012 2:06am

I've done Goju and Kyokushin. Sadly, neither sparred hard. (I was stunned by the KK club, too. It was a young club at a local World's Gym)

**CyberHiker** · Posted On: 6/16/2012 3:22am

My (Shotokan) dojo does not encourage sparring for lower ranks, and uses inactive one-on-one for sets of kihon. I think this is because little children train in a class which is clearly marked for ADULTS (I might just leave once I have advanced enough). This is a big mistake I find which has led me to train with my father who (also as a Shotokan practicioner) has trained with Sensei Nakayama who encouraged a more aggressive form of karate. I suggest that you find another martial art (in addition to karate, or without, that's your choice) which includes this or continue on with a different karate school.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 6/16/2012 8:59am

If you are thinking about leaving go. The whole "high enough rank" is an excuse. I am speaking form experience. Down the road you'll realize, if you search out other MAs, that you could have already been a higher rank in a "better" art.