redruss

thanks for the advice guys, always appreciated. I have looked into gymnastic but the classes i have found so far are aimed at kids. Will keep looking. The capoeira is certainly a help, i joined for the gymnastic elements of the style but have come to enjoy everything about it and will stick at it for def.

Every competition i attend starts before i even glove up. Watch as many fighters as you can, whether they are fighting or warming up in the corner. You can pick out their good and bad points simply by watching... their favourite techniques, are they fast or slow? Punchers or kickers? Lefty or righty? Pressure fighters or counter fighters? etc. One of them could be your first opponent, always better to be armed with the knowledge of your opponents strengths and weaknesses so you can exploit them later on. As mentioned by others above, relax when you're fighting and enjoy it. Keep moving around the area and stick to what you know works for you. Avoid anything too flashy, stick to good old basic roundhouse kicks and reverse punches if you're not too sure. The most basic techniques are the most commonly scored simply because they work.

I would love to get into the whole XMA thing. Those trick kicks look amazing and whilst many would consider them flash, the popularity it growing fast... everywhere but in Cornwall UK!! Like many i have been on Youtube, seen Tony Jaa do his stuff in Ong Bak and watched the likes of mike chat and steve terada online. Inspired i went in search of a club where i could learn this fusion of acrobatics and martial arts only to find nothing local. My big problem is that i live in the very south west tip of the UK where we are last to get everything (VHS and Betamax are currently the latest thing to arrive here - my money is on betamax!). We seem to have virtually every other martial art here except this style. Unperterbed i figured i could learn the moves myself by following tutorials on youtube etc. I'm a good kicker, pretty flexible and very keen so why not? Not as easy as it looks i have to say. I then found a capoeira club 20m down the road. I have learnt a few moves as a result of things picked up at this class (540 kick) but the emphasis isn't on the acrobatics, more on the basics of capoeira as you would expect! I would still rather spend a whole session tricking! Anyone got any advice?!

i think from your first win your confidence grows and therefore the desire to compete even more perpetuates. I have always enjoyed the sport and wins are always for me rather than for some brag down the pub. I try to keep my karate life pretty private between myself and other fellow martial artists. I have found that by living way down in the south of the UK (we're pretty isolated down here) i have been forced to travel considerably to fight in the national comps. However, the experiences over the years are certainly worth it. Some of my most enjoyable fights and lessons learned are from the fights i have lost and it's an excuse to see the country. Thanks for the welcome!

I think it's safe to say that everyone at any standard (whether they realise it or not) has their own repertoire of techniques. They are generally the things that come most easily to them as a result of repetitive practice to the point that they flow naturally without thought either agressively or reacting to an attacker. In my experience i have been taught a whole host of techniques in various styles of martial arts, some have been discarded as they didn't work for me or i simply didn't enjoy them. As a result of this sort of "weeding out" i have fine tuned a set of kick and punching combinations that have worked for me over the years. Although i adapt my fighting style to each opponent these techniques are still prevalent. As the years roll by my repertoire may change as a result of necessity (people start to pick up on your fave techniques) or by my training methods.

I agree, you should perform the kata that you are most confident and practiced in. Regardless of the grade or skill level, a good kata is a good kata! By sticking to what you are good will also build confidence in your ability over time

Just signed up and thought i would say hi to everyone. I've been traing for around 20 years now, teaching for around 15 of those and competing in both kata and semi contact point-stop about 13. I started out locally and after many falls started getting some wins under my belt (pardon the pun). It wasn't until a good friend of mine then told me "better to be a little fish in a big pond than a big fish in a little pond!". As a result of such advice i started fighting nationally and now hold various british, european and world titles. Don't get me wrong i'm not a trophy hunter, i just enjoy the sport. I'm not so egotistical either in that i understand the titles i have won just meant i was either lucky or the best man on the day of those who turned up. I have fallen many times before my wins and only as a result of those falls can i attribute any of my success.

Whether it's your first competition or 50th, nerves always come into play. Those butterflies and knots that you feel in the pit of your stomach are really just your body releasing adrenaline into your system in preparation for fight or flight. Most of us don't understand the feeling so mistake it for fear. If you can learn to understand that its a perfectly natural reaction (like being hungry or having to pee) you will find that its simply your body's way of giving you natural boost in preparation for your performance. We all suffer from it, seasoned fighters just get used to the feeling... keep entering tournaments and you will too in time! I couldn't sleep the night before my first comp. Nerves affect people in many ways, sometimes they stiffen a persons performance. As time goes on and you gain more confidence you will find that you'll relax a little more each time. Try concentrating on your breathing technique before you are called up to help keep the heart rate down and your adrenaline in check. If you allow the adrenaline to eat away at you it can wear you down before you even start. I find tapping my feet helps too.