Sparring is NOT reality, it is just a tool used to introduce the uninitiated, novice and fledgling beginner who is taking up the martial arts and karate for what-ever reasoning, i.e., sports, self-improvement or self-protection.
Sparring has its purpose just as basics, kata and drills. They are tools to introduce one to the fundamental principles that govern how one uses their bodies in a physical way to get and reach certain objectives such as competition, a meditative self-improvement way or to defend and protect themselves, etc., against the rough and often violent world in which we humans live and survive in.
Sparring helps teach the practitioner the principles that make the bodywork but although in a form that may feel like actual defensive and proactive physical methods that will protect and defend are not what it really takes to protect and defend, at least not the full Monty that is the self-defense world.
Just take the time as most intelligent and aware people do and research this by, as a beginning, reading about this complicated and complex world called self-defense martial arts. There is more to the story that this book helps us realize that makes up, "The rest of the story."
Sparring ability and proficiency is NOT indicative of what one encounters in the reality of aggression toward violence, especially the physical kind. You really have to understand that although sparring can be scary, it is not even close to the scary you will experience if you ever face-off against true violence. It is not the reality of it and is not meant to be the answer to such unknown and unexpected violence that exists.
Sparring in the dojo will NOT prepare you when real violence hits of a predatory asocial nature. Those predators are something that exists that most people will never understand or believe especially when they make you their "bitch."
Your facing off against a dojo-mate, with the mutual respect both feel in the "proper dojo", with all the safety gear, padded armor, worn and all the rules to safeguard from serious injuries and even death is not reality.
In the majority of dojo sparring one faces directly their opponent, opponent is very different from adversary or attacker, then they bounce around half-heartedly waiting for an opportunity to exchange pre-defined or pre-rote-oriented techniques or blows and kicks. This is NOT the reality of the type of one-sided application of violence you will experience in the real world ergo why it is NOT how to actually deal with real world violence.
Notice I wrote, one-sided, because when a predator decides you are their target you can count on and bet the bank that his mind-state and mind-set knows, from his huge experiences, that when he hits you there will be absolutely no chance you will respond with anything dangerous. If that exists he leaves you alone - hint, hint here - and finds another target.
You will be totally and completely surprised; your balance and structure in all likelihood will be totally destroyed; the pain and damage will be such that your mind will be in total brain-lock that continues in such a way that your mind will be unable to even orient to what is happening. The only way to combat this is with proper reality-based training and experience. That is another story and this is why sparring is NOT the end-all answer as some might believe.
There is no way that sparring and the dojo-controlled environment can teach you to deal with the unexpected making technique-based defense drills and training inappropriate for that time, place and violence. It does teach you many good things but not the answer to violence and your defense against it.
People who want, need and take self-protection, especially through the dojo model, must come to accept and realize that what is taught is not the answer but merely the path and the tools necessary to get started, call that stuff a prerequisite to take the full reality-based teaching necessary to self-protect.
People have to realize going in that understanding how reality works by the acquisition of the knowledge of others who work and live in a world that is often very aggressive and potentially violent is necessary just to find what reality-based teachings will benefit the individual if, and often when, they encounter that danger.
The old adage used, "expect the unexpected" means a lot here but it goes further as one professional states often, "It is not what you know that will get you killed, it is what you don't know and what you don't know you don't know that spells disaster." (or words similar but the gist is there)
When you shop for a dojo; when you enter the dojo to observe; when you pose questions and concerns to the dojo leadership; you have to accept, understand and "acknowledge (more to yourself than anything) that what will go on in that dojo will not, in most cases and all likelihood, cover a lot of what really goes on out there in the wild, wild society.
Be wary of those trappings the sell the dojo, i.e., the plethora of trophies while professing to teach self-defense; the load of patches, the wall of honor with pictures and certificates; the posing of pictures and such on social media, web pages and other ad-oriented stuff, etc.
Barnum and Bailey Circus once said, "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time." In short, "buyer beware," because this is an industry and it is dangerous as well because if you face-off against most social and especially asocial violence your surprise is going to manifest in ways that you can't imagine and the result can be grave harm or even death.
I quote, "We want certainty in our self defense training. We want assurances that what we know is valid and enough to get us home safely. The reality is, there can be no such guarantee. We must always have an open mind, always keep seeking out new lessons and yet we will never have all the answers. We must listen to those that have actually faced certain situations instead of thinking we can think up answers without experience." - Colorado Springs Ninjutsu Dojo Article
The good people who seek out the type of security and safety that covers our vulnerable state, our wanting to be free from such fears but not at the expense of our health, safety and security and not at the expense of our very lives and livelihood must accept that there is NO CERTAINTY and that this urge must be dealt with in a realistic way by embracing our fear, use it to keep growing and to continue our study and achieve understanding else we just fool ourselves into a false sense of safety and security, i.e., we bury our heads in the sand and say things like, "This can't happen to me."
Sparring is a great tool but it is NOT the answer and never will be yet it will be a great introduction to the path you need to take especially for self-protection. It is the true way of a martial artist and karate-ka, a true way of a path to safety and security that is mind, body and spirit.
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