Do you spar with pads or not?

I am practicing kung fu. When we spar, it's without pads. All we wear is a cup, and if we're going full contact, a mouthpiece. IMO, this is the best way to train. You don't learn how to take a hit unless you get hit. Does anyone agree with me? Yes or no, why? And, finally, what do you study, and why?

Do you spar with pads or not?
We never trained with pads, mouthpieces, cups, or whatnot in my Dojang and we DID fight hard. We were not out to kill each other but we were full contact. Of course, we were forbidden to use groin shots and face shots (side of the head was OK) in sparring. Both did, of course, occasionally occur.





These things were optional and some chose to use them (cups, mouthguards). Some did, most did not.





I did not.





I believe it is better to learn to not get hit in the nuts, kicked in the face, and develop the conditioning in your forearms and lower legs to take it. Also, if you do not take a punch or a kick, how are you going to learn to take a punch or a kick?





A large part of our training was exactly that: conditioning to take it.





One of the problems my Kwanmates and I had with tournaments was putting all of that stuff on. We had it at the Dojang and, if someone wanted to fight tournament, they had to practice with it, including that aweful chest pad with those silly dots and the headgear. Ugh.





When you are accustomed to sparring without it, trying to use these things is like sparring with, well, a bunch of pads covering you, hindering your movement. It felt like what I would imagine it would feel like fighting from within a Stay Puff Marshmallow Man suit. Once I tried all that claptrap on and tried to spar with it... I got out of it as fast as possible and that was the last time I tried it.
Reply:video of you sparring please, and tell me the name of the school please.
Reply:In my training we never used pads, gloves, or any other sort of gear like that. Everything was completely full contact. ANY sort of gear only serves to make those areas less protected as you wil ot think of them, "I don't neet to worry about my groin, I hvae a cup." And then you forget to protect it when you have to. I have seen it happen.





I fully agree you can't learn to take a hit unless you actually get hit.





As for what I studied I studied the Hakuno-kai system of Japanese Bushido. Been teaching sicne 79.
Reply:kung fu eh? Good choice . Check out AlanOrr.co.uk The guy is a kung fu phenom!!


He trains and teaches a couple off mma fighters at the moment . One of them being a guy called Neil Broadbent who practises his kung fu in the cage . Watching him fight is a savage experience mate. None of his fights have lasted more than 45 seconds , he is a pro fighter and guess what . He trains just like you do . Keep it up dude .
Reply:Most of us at our gym(Richmond MMA)aren't fighters but we train with the pads on. Even the two guys that have had a few fights train with pads. Not necessary to injure someone in training. With pads on, still able to train timing and defense. Grappling, we train nogi w/cup and mma gloves and mouthpiece.
Reply:The reason why you dont wear pads is because we are taught to exercise control. It takes more skill to kick within an inch of somebody than to simply hit them.
Reply:Ju Jitsu, generally light sparring is done without pad, but with a mouth piece. Heavy sparring is done with gloves and footpads. Agreed, without pads gives you some sense of what a real fight will feel like....
Reply:i prefer not to use anything,but i got fed up with sooks whingeing about there shins.
Reply:without pads is the best way to kick butt.....spar
Reply:I agree with you. Mouthguard and cup for the guys is all you need. I do BJJ and a very little bit of MMA, so I'm def. inclined to agree with you
Reply:I train in Bentonville, AR; in this dojo we use a lot of gear... foot, hand, helmet... some use more (karate... style shorin ryu)


at my old school in VA we used mouthpiece and helmet... added hand pads for tournaments... (karate... isshin ryu)


I in a way prefer no pads (with exception of helmet... I like my head)


not sure as to why... it just seems easier to move in.
Reply:Um, I do when I do the tournaments. At least, I'm going to.
Reply:we begin sparring when we are at a lower belt, therefore padding is essential because of the fact that people at lower ranks need to learn control before we can go padless. We spared once after class with only handpads. No padding teaches control, however I would be weary sparring someone who is just learning for fear that they could not control themselves. Anyway, I can feel when someone hits me through pads, just as much as sparring with out them.





I study jujistu.