My question is what level of contact do you apply, what level do you feel teaches you or others the best, and what kind of equipment is best used.

In my gym, I break sparring down into three levels:

1. Light Sparring-Equipment used is fingerless Kenpo or MMA style gloves, mouthpiece shin guards. Usually contact in about 50-60 percent, light contact to the head. This allows people to practice all techniques learned, including grabs, hooks, bridging, sticky hands, shirt or lapel grabs, ect. that are difficult to perform when using boxing gloves.

2. Moderate Sparring-Boxing gloves, shin guards, mouthpiece. Contact is a little heavier, with more emphasis on stringing together combinations.

3. Heavy Sparring-Head Gear, Boxing Gloves, shin guards, mouthpiece. Heaviest contact which combines elements of the first two with about 70-75 percent power put into strikes thrown. This, of course, also depends on the level the student is at and other such factors.

One thing I have learned when teaching new students is to break them of these two habits:

1. When sparring without head gear often they make NO contact as if the other person is made of glass. Some contact must be made, albeit controlled.

2. When heavy sparring, as soon as someone gets head gear on it's swing for the fences time. Making them step back and set up good combinations and technique is instrumental in getting them away from the head down, bull rush, swinging mode.

Please share thoughts and ideas concerning this.