I am new here and figured I should introduce myself some. I agree with the need for real contact sparring. I got involved in SCA rather than the Kinder Karate stuff for just that reason. Society rules basically covered what was definately dangerous, and a standard of protection, but left your learning how to fight up to you. Eventually you could earn your knight's belt, but below that it was a matter of just being a new, better, or vetran fighter.
I got involved as an out growth from the D&D game and wanted to see "for real" how things worked. I got exposure to kendo and escrima thru the various SCA guys who had trained martial arts and who shared what worked for themselves. I find a lot of your philosophy and approach very compatible, and will be ghosting for a while until I get a better understanding. Eventually I hope to begin playing again as well. I am in Las Vegas and am transportation limited right now, so all I can do is watch, and try and copy the moves on the bag/ in the mirror.
