which is a good martial art for gaining quick feet that involves sparring?

Sport Tae Kwon Do (rather than traditional TKD)...especially if you want to spar. Check out the video link to see more:

http://www.899kick.com/videos.html

Also check out www.usa-taekwondo.us to find schools near you that focus on competitive sparring. Also, you want "Olympic" style sparring where there is full contact rather than "Point Sparring" which is light contact.

Question Is sparring necessary for a martial art to be good for self-defense? Using the keyword necessary, I would say NO. 1. Sparring is used to help refine techniques and principles taught by the art, just like kata. 2. Sparring rarely involves the choas, variety and unpredictability that can be found in real life encounters 3. Non-Martial Artists are capable of defending themselves without even studying an art, much less sparring 4. Also there is such a wide range of training simulations that are called sparring, what is sparring in one dojo is not allowed in another, it is hard to draw the line on what is considered "practical sparring" look at WTF vs ITF Taekwondo 5. Sparring can help you, but it can also let you slip into a comfort zone. As in you become to comfortable fighting and expecting to be fought in a preconcieved manner. A good example of this, now hold on Im not trying to ruffle feathers here, the first few UFCs. Many of these Martial Artists had trained and fought in a certain manner, they were caught off guard by being rushed and wrestled to the ground. They had gotten too comfortable. Expierance can also do the same thing though. A bully who is getting into 1on1 schoolyard scraps, may become comfartable with that scenario and expect things to just work that way. Then he is in for a suprise when his target has four friends coming out of the woodwork. I however do think sparring and kata are both great training tools.

Wing Chun aka beautiful springtime! It was created by a female monk and some of the legendary artists that has excelled in this include Yip Man and Bruce Lee. It promotes speed, chi(internal power) and no nonsense form of fighting. It doesnt have a belt system as such but more of the Chinses style coloured sash which differ on progress. You can also spar. I seriously think you should look at this and if still not convinced read about Yip Man and read/watch Bruce Lee - you'll get the picture. Good luck!

Source(s);

Years of Shornji Kempo study

AND 4years living in the orient

AND years of research & self-study

Sport Karate which includes points and light continues sparring.

TKD is also good thou mainly kicking

Ranking in these can depend on results in tournaments but it really depends on the club.

I was a full contact kickboxer when i went to the local sport karate club Matt Winsper was a teacher / student their I had never heard of them( but they had been all over the world including the USA and beaten them all) but i soon came to appreciate the speed and accuracy of the sport guys.

I have since moved into MMA and thou it as an art doesnt transfer into that world i have benefited from their speed and timing

hope this helps

Yes,

In Karate you have a belt ranking system, you have sparring, and you get the traditional kata.

When we test somone for a higher belt they must do their assigned kata for that belt, do and explain basic movements, stances, strikes, kicks, combinations, and they must fight two instructors. We grade them on everything.

When I fight a lower belt in the testing process, I'm not lookig for them to beat me, I'm checking their movements to see if they are where they need to be in the learning process. I will fight a white or yellow belt real slow and easy and I will fight a green or brown belt alot harder.

I'm there to teach and guide them, at no time am I trying to beat them. It's about them, not about my ego.

Go to a Karate Dojo near you and check out a class, ask if you could watch a test.

Tae Kwon Do fits your citeria the most. Look around for some TKD and ask the instructors how their belt system goes, usually instructors will not promote you unless they feel you are ready for the next step. And to test you ability, they may enter you in tournaments.

Tae Kwon Do fits this definition very well

Go watch a class on "sparring night"

Attend a local tournament for a few bucks and see what you think!

I think you will get a kick out of it ! (no pun intended)

Tae Kwon Do and Muay Thai are both great kicking arts. They specialize in leg skills which sounds like what you are after.

Taekwondo is the art of the foot and fist Try that, Im a black belt in TKD, I researched before I took it, Karate is a waste of time, so is kung fu

Not really, I just started last year...im only a yellow belt...but I asked my instructor the same thing, and he said just do what I have been. Hapketo is a good one to look into. that is the only thing that I would suggest.