No-Contact vs. Full-Contact Sparring
No-contact competition emphasizes scoring with little or no contact. In point-sparring., engagement is stopped at the first score. In continuous-sparring, points accumulate without stopping engagement. Speed and directness are stressed in no-contact sparring. Full-contact competition just gets started at the point where a no-contact engagement is stopped. Once they close the gap with a kick or a punch, full-contact fighters follow-up with close-range weapons such as elbows, knees, throws, joint locks, and grabbing techniques. Powerful, potentially lethal techniques are important in full-contact fighting so it uses more circular techniques, like hook kicks and hook punches. Although they are slower than the direct, linear techniques of no-contact sparring, they generate much more power. Since a knockout is the goal in full-contact sparring, head punches and head kicks are numerous. Full-contact sparring techniques are mostly close in and flow easily from one to another, where as, in no-contact sparring, techniques are fired from the farthest, safest distance possible, and at the first available moment. Since the emphasis in no-contact sparring is speed, straight-line techniques are preferred.
In no-contact sparring, you attack specific body targets with fully controlled techniques that do not make contact, but must appear to be powerful, thus pinpoint accuracy is necessary. Competitors train for speed and accuracy. Since matches last only two or three minutes, endurance is not a major concern. In full-contact sparring, since the goal is to knock out the opponent, techniques do not have to precise, only effective, so power is paramount. Full-contact competitors must use continual power, even when exhausted, so they train to increase endurance and stamina.
Since, no-contact competitors use straight-line techniques, they generally attack areas located along the centerline of the frontal portion of the body and head. Full-contact competitors attack the same areas, but, since they use more circular, hooking techniques, they also aim for the jaw, temples, and kidneys.