Maxx,
Unless you are somehow much bigger than anyone we have ever seen before, or perhaps you can swing a stick like Barry Bonds you should not worry about your weapons hurting anyone. Fact is, this is not the Flintstones whacking each other's head while standing still, but fluid, mobile fighters who can close with you and make you just fight for survival. All this not mentioning the ground game that has become part of this thing and taking it to a new place.
Sparring is a voyage of self discovery, part of that voyage is finding out how little we really know.
Bon voyage.