Is sparring with protective gear realistic?

I think it's relevant for beginners who aren't quite as skilled at controlling their techniques yet, but after one point it's time to take off such things. Using padding so someone can wail on you without you getting injured is relevant (for you, and consciously for them), but for sparring outside of sport, then no.

To train realistically, you need realistic risks. Of course, not for beginners, and still there needs to be some level of control. You don't bring in a loaded gun to teach gun defense... common sense.

I really don't agree with the "Bubble effect" that some have gone to. I understand insurance mandates a lot of this, but no it is not realistic. I have never been in a class that uses all that. In fact most have only used hand pads and that is it. Now the class I am in now requires head gear for the under 16 crowd due to insurance, but not for the adults. Never have I even considered putting on a chest protector or shin guards, etc.

For that matter unless you are just training for a sport, no sparring is completely realistic. There are safety concerns that HAVE to be in place that would not be there during a real confrontation.

As I have said sparring is just one tool among many and what most consider sparring today was NEVER done when the arts were developing. Jyu Kumite or free sparring is a relatively new concept and developed along with the sport side of martial arts. Originally if there was a "sparring" match as often as not it was to the death, not for a plastic trophy.

Edit: @ Possum, I disagree. Not everyone wears all the gear even in sport. In all the tournaments that our school and association get involved with, the only gear that is required for adults is a mouth piece, hand pads, and a cup for the men. The kids under 16 also have to have head gear, but that is it, no shin guards, no chest protectors, no foot pads.. Take downs and base leg sweeps are allowed, as is fighting from the ground. The back is a point. The only areas of limits are the spine, and the legs ( other than sweeps).

I guess I once again stand in the minority.

For sport fighting, that'd be the equivalent of going out into the street with gear: everyone goes into ring with gear, so, that evens the playing field. In this case, it's realistic.

Ah... now for self-defense. We strike the attacker on the street to do damage. But what value is that - with or without gear - to a training partner? If there is a difference between "pulling back" on a strike, vs full-force, then, if you want training partners to keep coming back, you wear protective gear. If protective gear is what it takes to go full contact, and if there's a big difference between full-contact vs pulling back, then the gear makes it more realistic.

EDIT:

@Dave - you're right, but everyone goes in with the same equipment. Tournament sparring isn't "real" due to the inherent rules and goals - not because of the equipment. For self-defense, the equipment allows to strike with intent and meaning, which includes the risk of injury to both attacker and defender. Without the equipment, the person striking (either attacker or defender) must pull back on strikes so as not to injure the training partner - thus limiting realism.

Aw come on. Most of us have families and regular jobs. Sparring with some protection gives you the opportunity to use full force without busing a rib, collapsing a lung, rupturing a liver. Just how realistic do you want to get. I spare with all my students some bigger than ne by az much as a foot taller and out weighing me. I used to practice with a guy when I was a orange belt who's kicks used to pick me up off the floor by about 3 feet and I weigh about190lbs. Without chest protection I would have been dead!

Besides sparring and self defense are not equivalent. So realistic needs to be better defined.

I have alwas said a good fighter can spar, however a good sparer may not be a good fighter.

Training for self defense and training just to spar are different animals.

I guess that would depend on your definition of effective. We do use the chest guards in our dojo. We have this one guy that we knew studied years ago that would come to our class and watch. He would try to pick up some techniques from the side without joining the class. Sometimes after class he would asked me questions on something that was taught that day. I would see him stretch and practicing kicks that looked pretty good. I asked my sensei about him and he told me that he used to train yeas ago. I invited him several times to join the class one day. He said he would but years went by and he didn't. Price wasn't the factor since it was free. One day I came in he was in class. He kept coming. I noticed he had more skill than I initially thought. I asked him what was his rank? He had a black belt in some style. I invited him to stand with the instructors even though his rank is not in our style. He refused. Months later he started to help out more. Finally my sensei was able to get him to wear a black belt. He mainly teaches some basic to the very beginners. Often it is with the children. One day I noticed that he comes in with his chest protector. I almost laughed. H lets the kids hit him with that on. If I want to demonstrate a technique he acts as if I hit him too hard. He has on all of that equipment and I barely tap him.

I tested 4 students for yellow belt last week. I didn't award them any rank yet. I told my sensei that I was going to have them spar today first. My instructor surprised me and asked if they needed chest protectors. I laughed and said for what. He was referring to the other black belt that can't take any type of pain. I've stopped using him for demonstrations if I need to make any kind of contact. My sensei was giving me a hard time about him wearing that gear.

I'm going in early today. We probably won't even exercise today. I may start with the sparring. Then we are going to feed them little food as this is the last class for the year. We will get a few weeks break before our classes start back up.

Normally we have our students use a mouthpiece, headgear, hand and footpads. Of course makes should wear a cup.

18oz gloves mouth piece and a cup is all that u really want maybe shinpads other than that protective gear just makes u less likely 2 be ready 2 block gut busters liver hooks and such so it shouldnt be used in a serious class unless ur just trying 2 protect from injuries in a 100% sparring match

I agree with Dave. That gear serves the sport crowd much better than we protection nuts. Best to use technique to protect your body and hands, and the surprise you get when you really do get attacked (it will be a surprise, trust me) will be smaller. And, I know if I can stop one of my peers from continuing by my technique, a thug will also be stopped. Not so sure of that if all you ever hit is body protection. Or if you always bind your hands with gloves.

No, unless you wear it on the streets, its not. But if it will encourage people to spar, and train realistically, then I say let them wear gear. I know many MMA fighters who spar with protective gear, especially before a fight, so they don't get hurt.

No it's not realistic but it does offer some safety. Having said that we do our sparring without protective gear. People need to know if you fight you're going to get hit so they need to know how it feels,

Yes if you have head gear, gloves, and shin/foot pads but if you are wearing one of those red man suits the no