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Do not ascue my words. You're implying that I am looking to get injured by picking fights. What I am saying is that when a girl challenges you to a fight and does not request that you go easy on her(most adult women will do this... younger girls will notice your going easy and request you fight harder, this has been what I've found in my exprience) than in her mind set she CAN handle anything you can throw at her. If she didn't think she could handle this then she would challenge you in the first place. It runs along the same reasoning of why most white belts are reluctant to spar black belts.
If she over-estimates herself, then you need to understand that while you may feel bad for hurting her, in such extreme cases, or just hurting her pride it (also keep in mind that you can strive to win and go full force without the intention to injure)ultimately is better that she recieves this learning exprience of what are the possiblities of her art and what her own limitations are at that time.
In the end... by holding back against anyone that is old/mature(I say this because most children generally can't comprehend the risk of injury) enough to understand the risks of the injury you are doing nobody any favors.

Side-note: I've sparred Ee dans that were olymipic class sparring of divisions of over 6' ft and over 200 lbs that went all out. And, part of mastering the art is learning how things such as size and strength being, in my case of 5'3 120 lbs, over-whelmingly out classed can actaully help you win(they can). I've come out with many bad injuries from over-estimating myself but I love my art and for me what I've learned from the injuries is well worth recieving them.

Doesn't matter what martial arts it is in. No matter if they use different parts of the body, or a different style altogether... So there really shouldn't be a difference at all...

Just because you go full power doesn't mean you have to be a ******** beast... make your hits to the right places and if she is equally skilled she can take them or block them, giving you the decent hits back.

Don't purposly hurt a person just because you "promise to be a beast", fight a girl in the ring as if you were fighting a guy.

I think what pengwyn is trying to say (hope you don't mind me clarifying for you) is: Don't make the next girl you fight an example.

It's common human nature to go and kick the living crap out of the next girl you fight just so you can come back and say "SEE what happened!!!". I'm not saying you would do that. I'm just assuming that that was Pengwyn's concern.

I can't say I'm too experienced in this myself. In Wing Chun we don't do any actual "sparring" (I'd personally like to). We do Chi-Sau, which is pretty damned close. Just without the hitting.... most of the time (I slip sweatdrop )

I do my best with anyone I'm up against. Unless there is a gap in skill/experience, THAT can factor in.

On the guys side though. I do know exactly what you're talking about. I was raised to be a gentleman. I was raised to be chivelrous (just not tought how to spell it). I still, after much effort, have many prejudices, mostly involving physical activities. Not to say that I oppose women in anyway, I don't. But I DO notice when I am up against a girl rather than a guy.

I think it's just something us guys have to deal with. Some have it worse than others.

If you don't know what to do, go easy on a girl. Why? because that's your gut feeling. If she's a good fighter, she'll notice this and kick the living crap out of you. Next time you'll know not to go easy. That way, you can take it one girl at a time, instead of trying to cleanse your entire body of all prejudices at once. And ladies, if you find a guy taking it easy on you, either tell him to go all out, or kick his a**. He'll have to learn eventually... You can't really change all mankind (pun intended) at once. I figure take 'em one at a time.

Kinda.... Fight a girl as if they were a guy. Don't think of them as a girl. Think of them as an opponent.

I've sparred with women before. Never held back. Maybe I would have if I had been taught to fight by a man, but my sensei is Sarah Sischo, and she's one evil hardcore *****. I held back against her once, and after I stopped hurting enough to pick myself off the floor, I vowed I would never hold back against a woman again.

About two years ago, she put me into a spar with two women, not quite black belt level, but I had sparred with them before and knew they could probably work me over if I didn't finish it quick. They started out facing either side of me, about 18 inches in front of me. Sensei said go, and before either of them moved I slammed my top two knuckles into the closest side of their chest as hard as I could (which at that point wasn't very, I was kinda weak). I heard two yelps and they both broke off before they had time to throw a punch.

I've always thought that kind of encapsulates my view on women in the martial arts. They're not weak. They're as strong as any other practicioner. And if they want to play, don't hold back - you're just asking for trouble.