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Originally Posted by Kaxmax  Just go in knowing your shins are going to hurt. A lot. You can simulate by having a friend beat your lower legs with a bat for a few hours. |
Most schools that are not into hardcore sparring and most are not for insurance reasons are going to make you pad up for sparring. You will still get bruised up but not so bad you cannot walk. Martial arts of almost any type is a contact sport so injuries will happen.
I've been studying American Kenpo Karate (Parker system) as well as doing kickboxing for around 4-5 years.
Kickboxing is mostly sparring and working on fundamentals. We use 16 oz gloves and shin pads but we don't force people to wear mouth pieces, head gear or even a cup.
It is all about respect and the people you spar with. We have a pretty good group with a core of around 5 or so that have been around for 5 years and we all know how to spar at full speed but not injure our partner.
I've dabbled in a few other forms of karate and honestly, I've found American Kenpo to be the most realistic in terms of learning to defend yourself.
Another MA form that has been getting a lot of play and also seems pretty good is Krav Maga which is the official defense training of the IDF (Isreali Defense Force). My gym has a school and what I've observed is it is more about striking first and brute force over finesse but it seems to be effective.
My only suggestion for someone that wants to learn to defend them self in a real life situation is to not go for Tai Kwon Do. Most schools do not teach effective self defense and focus more of point sparring and form over function.
As others have said, it does really come down to the school you join. The "best" system can still not prepare you properly if you have a subpar instructor or someone that does not know how to tailor instruction to each person's strengths and weaknesses.