anybody fought another club member at a competition before?

[ladyj]

Being female who has been around awhile, one of the other ladies in our school and I always wound up at the end of a tournament having to fight each other. So we agreed that we would fight all the way down and when it got to us we would swap out on the win but we would put on a good show for everyone. We sparred all the time in class, were friends, and have always remained friends.

[Kicks]

Usually the organizers try to match you up with someone from another dojang, if possible, for at least your first match. Sometimes there just aren't enough competitord from other dojangs so I've had to spar fellow members from my dojang.

Now top this...in my last tournament, I not only had to fight a fellow member of my dojang, I had to fight a fellow member of my family....my own son!

[Sam]

And as i remember you saying - first time he beat you correct? I had to spar one of the guys id been training with for ages a couple of tournaments ago, and lost which was pretty obviously going to happen anyway!

[Kicks]

And as i remember you saying - first time he beat you correct?

OK, no one asked you to remind me.

[y2_sub]

Lol.. It happens with me all the times , in local tournaments , it's always me and a fellow member of my dojang competing for the first place .

[Goju 4 Life]

we usually bow out to each other. It's just not worth it

[Kicks]

we usually bow out to each other. It's just not worth it

I've only bowed out once, and that was to my head instructor in the finals at the our USTU state championships. I had heard that he was going to bow out to me, but I had won the division the 3 previous years and had nothing to prove and this was his first and only time competing. So it was sort of a combination of respect for him and no big deal for me, I guess. That's OK, cause 1 month later I won nationals.

[Sam]

I woudlnt bow out personally even to my head isntructor - even though he would beat me; itd seem to much like i was LETTING him win, if you see whati mean... but then again we've always had a good tiem sparring against each other...

Oh and sorry kicks - just teasing

[Sam]

Oh and also congrats on the nationals!

[Kicks]

Sam,

I know what you mean, and feel, about not wanting to bow out to your instructor. I really didn't want to either and I felt that I would have won. I do a lot of training for tournaments and he doesn't, simply because he never competes. He doesn't have the experience. I also know that I should never say that I think I can take my instructor in a match because everybody will swarm all over me with stuff like "you think that only because he's never gone all out on you in class". Well, tell that to my nose he broke. But that's OK, I've sent him sliding across the floor a few times and rung his bell.

But, anyway, after I did bow out a lot of people, including several masters and the sponsor of the tournament, said that I did the right thing. And they knew how much I love to compete. In fact, when I do compete and they have to draw lots to see who gets the bye, they don't even include me in the drawing because I've always asked not to be given a bye. So if they think I did the right thing, maybe they're right. Who really knows?