We have not yet got any of the soft or flex sticks yet. I have some personal ones from century that are a foam type thing. My instructor says soon he'll get some flex sticks so we can go at each other a little bit. I am not so crazy about the stick portion of our curriculum (phillipino influenced style). On the same note how do you deal with getting whacked by the bamboo stick? I mean they hurt. So far we have done non contact sparring. Ended up with two broken fingers so far and other bruises. I try no to keep my arm out there to get hit now. I guess I just need to toughen up a bit?