I don't start from a dead stop without a clutch. I could if there wasn't a clutch starter interrupt switch but it is a good safety item and I'm not going to disable it. Without a clutch switch, you would start the engine in gear and away you go. It is best to have already warmed up the engine, then shut it off to restart in gear.
Shifting between gears while driving is very easy. I don't recommend you try it without having someone demonstrate it to you. Basically you pull the stick out of gear as you release the throttle. Then you apply gentle pressure on the stick toward the gear you are shifting to. When the shaft speeds match, the stick slides right into gear. On an upshift, you usually need only to wait for the engine speed to drop to match. On a downshift, you need to gently rev the engine to build up engine speed to get the speeds to match.
I do it fairly often to stay in practice. If you should ever have a clutch fail in such a way that you cannot release it, at least you can drive the car. It's a little hard to parallel park though.
Experienced over the road drivers of big rigs seldom use the clutch. Often, if the gearing is low enough, they don't even need a clutch to move from a stop. As long as the truck move even a little bit after releasing the brake, you may be able to slide the shifter into gear. I learned to drive a big rig on logging roads. Between the slippery dirt road and low gears, I seldom needed to use the clutch.
I hope this post doesn't suddenly create a rash of broken transmissions.
