Overprotective
I think some JKD Gyms apply too much gear during sparring. I know you don't want your face busted in, etc. My gym is pretty decent with the amount of the gear you wear. But I have seen gyms where the kids are covered. With the biggest headgear, and bodysuits, etc. How much gear do you think is enough?

Protective gear
I can't speak directly for JKD clubs as i have little to no experience in it unfortunately. However it is a good question. On the one side good protective gear allows people to really go for it and get a feel for their techniques at full power (well 80%), without pads many people would not be up for this and would leave, (bad for the club, plus their is more of a legal concern nowadays). Although too much protection can actually change the way you train and the techniques you use, as well as not giving you any experience of taking a knock (not everyone's cup of tea but is a must if competing full contact etc). For example wearing boxing gloves in JKD that restrict the ability to grip, trap and grapple etc is not beneficial to the art. I recently attended a reality fighting and police combative's seminar, we were all took outside the room where everyone was padded up head to toe, (full contact police riot protection, big head guards with visor, neck brace, body armor, gloves, the lot) we were took down the corridor and into the room one by one blind folded. The people outside had no idea what was going on although we could hear a lot of shouting (and screaming :lol: ). When it was my turn I was directed to the room where I was spun round a few times so I was disorientated and then the blind fold was removed. Then suddenly three grippers padded up in riot gear came charging at me striking and shouting all the names under the sun at me. The idea was to keep fighting until you either knocked them all down, was defeated or made it back out the room. The whole thing was a scenario based thing to -*test*-('") your skills under pressure. My point: Although admittedly my adrenalin was pumping I never felt the type of zanshin (awareness, alertness, fighting mind) that I do when practicing sparring/jiyu kumite at my karate club with a really good opponent with no pads on, basically because in the back of my mind I knew I couldn't get 'too' injured. (Not to say this type of training wasn't effective, it was/is but is just different, in fact it was one of the best seminars i have attended recently). For me I think both training methods should be used to train different aspects, and again it depends on the individual's desires. Padded equipment can be a helpful training aid but we must also train without pads at times (with control, or as much as you agree to use with your partner :P ) I don't think there should be one certain amount of protective gear that is the correct amount i think it should vary depending on the individual and what training method they are doing. What do you think?

not heavy, but medium protection is good.