"Punches are only allowed on the pody mass and with the vest they're moreor less useless.
Kicks are more powerful and you have a longer range.
Punches to the head are too dangerous. There're too many vital points. We learn them though.
Throws can go wrong. You can't throw me over your shoulder if I set my foot in front of yours. (yep, we learn such things)"
Heheh, We don't spar with vests=) Punches pack allot of power and your arms are FAR faster than your legs. Over the shoulder throws are very rare. Far more common are sweeps and pull downs.
Blows to the head in Karate must be very controlled for if you draw blood, it's automatic disqualification.
The main problem in Taekwondo is the lack of blocks. When I joined up, they said that that arm blocks are useless VS kicks. Thats a load of BS. During the course of the next month, two of the blackbelts fractured their shins sparring with me.
But Taekwondo has done allot for my kicking technique. My sensei has black belts in both taekwondo and karate. And shit, He is FAST=)