Sparring is either "prearranged" or "free style, in pre arranged sparring, students are told specifically how to attack or defend themselves. One student might, for example, be told to step forward while throwing a kick to her opponent, followed by a strike to the head. Her opponent, knowing what technique was coming before it was even thrown, would block the kick, then the strike with predetermined techniques. As soon as the attacking student finishes her techniques, she'll become the defender as her opponent throws the same kick and strike.

Prearranged sparring has several variations. One student might step forward with her attack as the defender steps backward, forward, or to the side in order to block the move, then immediately counterattack. A student may also attack more than once with the same technique while her partner keeps stepping back and blocking the attacks. After the last attack, the opponent counterattacks as many times as her partner did with the same move. A student may also attack with several prearranged techniques as the defender retreats and blocks the attacks. At the end of the attacks, she delivers a forceful counterattack of her own.

Another form of prearranged sparring, but which more closely resembles free-style sparring, has both partners moving around freely. One student attacks with a prearranged technique—a side kick, for example—directed at a prearranged target—say, the opponent's head. The defender blocks and counters the attack with the same kick or perhaps a different technique, but one that both students have agreed upon in advance. A more advanced variation of this involves two students who decide who will be the attacker and defender; only the method of attack and choice of weapon remain undisclosed.

 Free-style sparring is the most advanced form of training. Here, students are free to throw any technique in any combination as many times as they like. Generally, one student will come in with one, two, or more techniques. If the techniques are successfully blocked, the opponent will generally move into the other student with her own techniques. This back-and-forth exchange in free-style sparring differs from competitive karate in that it is still a method of training whereby students work with each other in perfecting their skills in a realistic situation. When attacks are thrown, they are pulled just short of contact so injury is avoided. Nevertheless, students generally wear protective equipment to avoid taking the impact of an out-of-control technique.

Then there's the ultimate in fighting: free-style, full-contact sparring. Though generally reserved for competitions in tournaments, full-contact sparring is performed in some schools. Of course, as in most sparring, protective head and body equipment is worn, and certain areas of the body are off limits. But that doesn't mean you can't still get injured, and that all students avoid off-limit areas.

 Sparring can also be performed with more than one partner, with weapons, and on the ground. In my school, multiple-partner sparring is usually done only with advanced students, and often during a promotional test. Generally, the instructor assigns each attacker a number, then calls the numbers out one at a time. As he does, each student with the corresponding number attacks the defending student. This type of sparring is usually well-supervised, and, surprisingly, few injuries occur. (Only during black-belt tests is the assigning of numbers omitted, and attacking students allowed to attack in any order and more than one at a time.)

Sparring with weapons is also popular. Here, an attacking student comes at her opponent with a fake weapon—a rubber knife, for example. Another form of sparring is ground fighting, which involves the defending student lying on her side on the floor against a standing attacker. The attacker tries to get past her opponent's kicks to get close enough to throw a kick or punch of her own. This type of training prepares students to fight even after they've been knocked or swept to the floor.

Occasionally, my instructor has students practice light-contact, free-style point sparring. Here, the class breaks up into two teams, with one person from each team facing off in the center of the training floor and sparring. A point is scored when one student executes a clean, effective technique. Usually, during each match, a student takes a turn standing across from the instructor to referee. These students are responsible for helping the instructor decide whether a student's technique deserves a point. To add an element of competition, the losing side must do push-ups or drag themselves across the floor using only their arms.

Though an entertaining way to learn about point sparring, this in-class exercise was the closest I wanted to get to competitive karate. I've competed in tournaments, but only in forms. I like to have some control over who I spar. In class, at least I'm familiar with each student's style; at a tournament, even one that doesn't allow full-contact matches, I not only don't know the student, but I don't know the teacher or the school.

 In tournament sparring, two students go back and forth until one throws a clean, effective technique. Karate students^ wear protective equipment, and throw punches, strikes, and kicks within a defined area, usually on a hardwood floor. Choking, head butting, knee and elbow strikes, biting, holding and striking, and striking when an opponent is down are prohibited. In full-contact karate, contestants fight to the knockout. In semi-contact karate, light contact is allowed.

In judo, students work on a mat, grasping each other's jackets and trying to throw each other using pins, chokes, and armlocks. The objective is to apply foot techniques designed to unbalance the opponent, timing, and the techniques themselves, with emphasis on posture and form. Amateur karate matches generally consist of three two-minute rounds; judo matches generally run six to ten minutes. (Judo is the only official martial art included in the Olympics, having been adopted in 1961.)

As late as the 1970s, women judoists were restricted to competing in forms. Today, they can compete in randori tournaments. In most cases, the only difference between men' and women's randori is that the women's rounds are shorter. However, women occasionally spar with men, such as when not enough students have signed up to create two separate competitions.

If you attend a sparring competition, you're likely to see a referee standing in the fighting area, a judge seated at each of the four corners of the match area, and one arbitrator seated to one side of the match area. The referee conducts the match, awards points, announces fouls, and issues warnings and disciplinary actions. The judges can override a referee's decision, and help decide in case there is no clear winner. A winner is declared when a contestant has three points or if the match is over and the score is two to zero.