Sparring: Light and Medium Contact

Forms are different from sparring in that the routines and patterns are predetermined and, while they may be an artistic rendering of combat, they are not designed for actual combat.

Light- to medium-contact sparring competitions are held in marked-off areas where participants are protected from injury by foam padding. Certain parts of the body, such as the face and groin, may be prohibited as targets. The use of certain techniques may be also prohibited. Judges at the master level in the martial arts start and stop each match, award points to participants based on the solid landing of a technique, and resolve any disputes. To win, a participant must score a set number of points (for example, five points) before the time set for the match expires (for example, three minutes). Elimination matches are held until the winner is determined.

Participants may be matched by weight, gender, age, and level of skill. Some critics of sparring competitions have observed that, since the fighting is frequently interrupted by judges to award points or declare fouls, students learn to pull punches and not throw combination attacks. Interruption by the judges alters the flow of fighting and reinforces the bad habits of lowering one’s guard, not following through on an attack, and using tactics that score points but lack the power to thwart a real attacker.
 

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