Sparring & Gear

Alright i've been back in training for about 2 weeks and soon we'll be starting on sparring. I have my old sparring gear still, but I heard my instructor saying that you have to make sure your gear is up to date...my gear is in farely great condition...not busted or anything. But has the rules and regulations changed in competition about gear?? Should I be using another kind of gear, i simply have the macho gear...

And if you didn't have gear yet (my g/f that taking it wit me) do you recommend that I get it now, or wait till i do some actual sparring??

Thanks.
DJ Hunny

 

If your gear is still in good shape, then I don't see why you can't use it. If its the foam type gear then you'll be fine. Foam or soft vinyl is what is often used today for sparring.

 

i notice the higher ranking belts using the century gear..that looks almost like boxing gloves, but what i don't understand are the feet gear. the ones that look like boots/or slip on shoes...cuz the bottom of your feet arent exposed. don't those cause you to slip?? and yes my gear if foam dipped or whatever it is called..thanks for replying pacificS

 

You mean something like these?

 

yep those are the one...except their's even covers the heel of the foot too, i like how those leave that part open. but their's is completely incased...like a boot..

 

Hmm...interesting, never actually seen sparring boots that enclose the entire bottom portion of the feet. I know that some wear their foot gear over their dojo shoes. Would be interested as to who makes those kind of foot gear.

By the way, so far I've not slipped using my particular foot gear

 

thanks PS...i guess we're the only ones that are floating around the Kenpo forum...I really like the tae kwon do cloth sparring gear..cuz I feel a lot quicker in them, but that's only for lighter contact, so it wouldn't work in Kenpo, but it's so cool.

What do u think is better...shin attached to foot gear...or the shin separate from the feet gear?? or do you even use shin guards??

 

I use the cloth shin protector because it doesn't slide around or slip off during sparring.

 

oh..never thought of combining the two...maybe that's a cheaper solution...cuz the cloth ones are only like 10 bucks..very smart