Before we began, Selena took a second to lay out the rules of the spar, as much for myself as the onlookers. Spars were generally much more casual than duels, and lacked the magical wards and protection. As such, it was considered good etiquette to withhold any magic or attacks that would endanger the lives of the contestant or the convenience of an observer.
That didn't mean incidents were avoided, of course, but skilled Life Mages were always on standby in the training field. In this case, Selena herself was an extremely talented Life Mage and could guarantee the safety of anyone sparring under her instruction.