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Light-Contact

Light-contact sparring is the most popular type of sparring. Its critics, and even supporters, often referred to it as playing tag. Light-contact sparring is identical to no-contact sparring except that attacks are focused so they just touch the target. Ideally, this touch will be similar to tapping a person on the shoulder to get his or her attention. The person will be aware of the touch but will not feel any pain or any threat from the touch.

Light-contact sparring is similar to playing baseball, Baseball players tag the runners with the ball; they do not try to hit or harm the runners. However, this does not make baseball injury free, heavy contact does accidentally occur and it may lead to injury, but deaths are extremely rare.

Risk of injury

Although only light-contact is permitted, there is more risk of injury in light-contact sparring than in no-contact sparring. Techniques are focused two or three inches closer to the point on the opponents body where injury may occur so the chance of injury is increased.

Level of expertise required

As with no-contact sparring, light-contact sparring techniques are perfectly performed and precisely executed while using maximum power. However, while the means is important in light-contact sparring, the result has priority over the means. The touch is more important that how it was delivered.

Light-contact sparring does not require the level of control required by no-contact sparring since there is a lot of leeway in what constitutes a simple touch and excessive contact. In no-contact sparring, if you do not touch the opponent, you may score and neither the opponent nor the judges may claim you used excessive contact; however, the tolerance range between the scoring distance and touching is narrow. In light-contact sparring, the difference between light-contact and excessive contact is not as clearly defined; it is very subjective. Whether or not a touch is judged as a score or as excessive contact depends on the sound the impact makes, the reaction of the person being hit and of the hitter, the visible results of the hit, the target and technique used, the emotional state of the hitter, and the option of the judges as to what is excessive.

Since light-contact offers feedback to the opponent that he or she has been scored upon and offer feedback to the attacker so he or she knows the attack was successful, scoring in light contact sparring is less subjective than with no-contact sparring, where experienced judging are required to defines the nuances of what constitutes a scoring techniques. In light-contact sparring, since contact is required, it is easier for even inexperienced judges to score the competition.

Usefulness in self-defense

As related to usefulness, light-contact sparring is similar to no-contact sparring. While light-contact sparring, there is a slight increase in the chances of being hit too hard, but the hits are not that hard and are too infrequent to be of any benefit in preparing a fighter for receiving full-contact attacks.

Who may participate?

As with no-contact sparring, practically anyone may participate in light-contact sparring. The risk of injury, though slightly increased, is so low as not to be a problem for most people.

Full-Contact

Full-contact sparring is where the big dogs play. Full-contact sparring is not for everyone. One must understand the risks involved in full-contact sparring and be willing to accept the risks.

Full-contact sparring may range from making full-contact while wearing protective equipment with the intention of scoring points, to making full-contact while wearing little to no protective equipment with the intention of injuring the opponent to the point he or she is unable to continue. Olympic style Taekwondo uses full-contact sparring with contact only allowed to specific to specific targets while wearing hand, foot, head, and body protectors. Mixed Martial Arts style full-contact sparring uses only light hand protection and only prohibits inherently dangerous techniques.

Full-contact sparring is similar to playing American football. Football players put on protective equipment and then bang into each other full-power. Minor injures are numerous and serious injuries are few, but deaths are possible.

Risk of injury

Although the risk of injury is higher in full-contact sparring than in the other two types of sparring, the injuries are relatively minor and the matches are stopped before serious injury may occur. Knockouts usually only cause temporary brain damage, however, if someone who spars full-contact for years, the risk of permanent brain damage increases. 

Level of expertise required

Full-contact sparring require a high level of skill and mental and physical fitness to deliver effective attacks, but it also takes a high level of mental and physical fitness to receive the attacks. In full-contact sparring, the result is far more important than the means. As long as the technique is legal, there is no concern for its form, only for its result. Therefore, precision at performing techniques is not required, so it is not practiced. If an attack works, that is all that matters.

Usefulness in self-defense

As related to self-defense, full-contact sparring is about as close to the real thing as possible to achieve safely. Practitioners are used to hitting with full-power and being hit with full-power.

Who may participate?

Full-contact sparring is generally limited to adult participation, but some martial arts and states permit teenagers to spar full-contact with parent’s permission. The body takes a beating from full-contact sparring; therefore, there are not many full-contact fighters over forty years of age. As seen in boxing, years of having your head pounded may have no, little, or a profound effect on the health of the brain. One thing everyone will agree upon, years of having your head pounded does not have any beneficial effect on your mental health.

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