Bogu kUMITE

[RRouuselot]

How about leg kicks? Are knees viable targets? How about nage? Do the matches continue when they go to the ground?

Knee kicks are not encouraged but occasionally happen. We try not to do stuff like that because of possible injury....plus you wouldn't want it done to you either.
Takedowns, knockdowns are allowed.
If we use the black padded helemets and MMA gloves we let it go to the ground and goes until submission.

 

[TimoS]

How about leg kicks? Are knees viable targets? How about nage? Do the matches continue when they go to the ground?

Our rules prohibit those. The explanation I've been given for not allowing throws is that when using kendo-style helmets (which can also be used in competitions and I think they use those in Japan), the throws could damage (or even break) the other guys neck.

So our rules allow strikes and kicks only to the protected areas

 

[Makalakumu]

Whoops, double post.

 

[Makalakumu]

Our rules prohibit those. The explanation I've been given for not allowing throws is that when using kendo-style helmets (which can also be used in competitions and I think they use those in Japan), the throws could damage (or even break) the other guys neck.

So our rules allow strikes and kicks only to the protected areas

We do a similar type of sparring at my dojang and at my teacher's dojang. The rank limitation is red belt (or about 3 years training) before someone can begin.

We do not allow knee kicks or leg kicks because of the crippling injury potential. We allow all foot sweeps and some throws. Some throws are banned for safety reasons. Doing ukemi in full gear can present some difficulty, especially the head first falls.

When a fight goes to the ground, we let it go until submission.

We call this type of sparring full contact and the contact is heavy, but it is controlled (so its not really full). But I have been knocked down by heavy blows before.

Do your schools spar multiple people in this fashion? At Cho Dan we have to spar two people. At Ee Dan it becomes three. At Sam Dan it's four. This is where things really get dicey...

Here is an interesting question. I have a pretty long laundry list of injuries from this type of training (and from other more extreme types). Four of these injuries have prevented me from training for six months or more in my MA carreer. What do you think about the cost to benifit ratio of this type of training? Is the cost of injury greater then the benefit received?

I used to think that injuries were just something that happened and when they happened you healed and then jumped back in. Now I have a carreer and two children. The last two broken bone incidents I've had came from this type of sparring. I broke two ribs and my clavicle. On both of these occasions, I was out of work and my wife had to take care of both of my children. I began to see how these injuries were incredibly unfair to my family. What do you think?

upnorthkyosa

 

[TimoS]

Do your schools spar multiple people in this fashion? At Cho Dan we have to spar two people. At Ee Dan it becomes three. At Sam Dan it's four. This is where things really get dicey...

Not usually, but it would be interesting. Then again, I am only a 1. kyu so I haven't been around that long I have heard our sensei talk about how some people at his teacher's dojo in Japan spar: one person has to fight two people, but not at the same time: they take turns, so that while one is fighting, the other rests and then after some time (can't remember off-hand how long time) they switch places

 

[The Kai]

Upnorthkyosa raised a interesting point, how is the injury rate? and how does that affect your sparring?

The 1st school I went to did kickboxing every class, you would up fighting around various injuries and bruises. Eventually you got real conservative while sparring. Years later when working with the Muay Thai people I was surprised to see they did'nt spar hard for the most part. Unless they were getting paid to spar hard!
Do you guys have a practice mode vs competetion mode? Or is it throwing leather as hard as you can

 

[TimoS]

Do you guys have a practice mode vs competetion mode? Or is it throwing leather as hard as you can

We have a competition mode and a practice mode. I wouldn't want to go against one guy from our club in full competition mode every tuesday morning During last years Finnish championships he punched one guy so hard his helmet's metal grid (protecting his face) actually bent :ultracool Served the guy right, though, because he had just defeated me :wink2:

 

[RyuKyu_Kempo]

I'm not sure how old this thread is, but @ my dojo we use the following:
Combat Sports international chest protector
Everlast boxing headgear wear a metal face cage (we made these actually by attaching a face cage made for softball to the head gear)
title boxing kempo gloves
combat sports shin & instep gloves
cup and mouth peice

rules we use allow for leg kicks, knees, take downs and grappling.