Whats with tournaments nowdays???

[gojuchad]

Is this stuff even martial arts or is it gymnastics or chearleading. whats with all of the backflips if you try that in a fight youre dead!!!! How can such a impractical move be graded seriously, these tournaments really leave me with a bad taste in my mouth and I fear what message they are sending to the general public. Everyone is just trying to be more flashy than each other which is practically no self defence value at all in my opinion FLASH IS TRASH.

[USGR13]

Hey Personaly I like the flash stuff, but what are you talking about most tournaments curcuits have different divisions, theres Open Forms divisions which is all where acrobatics and flash stuff you can add, and then they have a Traditional forms divisions where acrobatics and flash isnt allowed, some tournaments have self defense divisions it depends but most tournaments split it up into divisions . For example open forms or extreme forms, traditional forms, or self defense forms, musical forms.S o what im saying is if you dont like flash just dont enter those divisions if you like it then enter them.

[the tkder]

Is this stuff even martial arts or is it gymnastics or chearleading. whats with all of the backflips if you try that in a fight youre dead!!!! How can such a impractical move be graded seriously, these tournaments really leave me with a bad taste in my mouth and I fear what message they are sending to the general public. Everyone is just trying to be more flashy than each other which is practically no self defence value at all in my opinion FLASH IS TRASH.

 

I totally agree, watch tkd instead

[the tkder]

I meant sparring at the olpympics

[ShotokanKid]

I agree with you gojuchad! flash is trash... however, it's a good way to impress people but has no application in a real fight or with a person who knows what they're doing.

[ramymensa]

I study what you could call a "traditional" style. We do it quite traditionally too Maybe it's because my country is still at a lower level with MA spreading, but our tournaments emphasize techniqes that are good and effective. Being is a small country didn't help me know how things are done at greater "houses". I've seen recently some documentaries and talked to you guys here and it has opened my eyes. I never thought a tournament could be so "spectacular". I've seen more backflips than in the gymnastics at the Olympic games In my country open division means you can compete if you are over 18. The SAME style. We don't have mixed styles and I never thought it could be possible. The good thing in the way tourneys are done elsewhere is that you can see different styles, the bad thing is it's sometimes almost like (forgive me if it's mispaced) circus. Forms shouldn't be judged by people that are not proficient in that style. You cannot judge a form unless you've trained it thousand times and taught it to others. A form is not better if it's flashier, it has to be good and effective. A very good reverse punch would be more successful than a poorly performed kick in a flip.

 

My opinion

[White_Tiger]

I have never seen a tournament where 'the flash' and traditional go head to head. There is room for both in my opinion. Tournaments are for fun. People take them way to seriously (I know I used to). Enjoy them...network with other martial artists. No need to cut down people who don't do what you do.

 

Good luck!

[Mark70Z]

Here's the problem in my opinion. Some of tournaments are going to different division like Classical/Traditional, Open, and Xtreme, i.e. NASKA circuit. The "flash" spills over into "all" the other divisions. Example, we went to the US Open in Orlando this year. In my sons traditional division there were around twenty six competitors. There were about three individuals doing a traditional form. All the rest of the forms were made up and had a bunch of yelling, high kicks, too low of stances, balancing techniques, etc. "None" of the traditional katas won. The top four seeded NASKA individuals placed 1-4 in the traditional division. I'm not saying that they weren't talented, but it wasn't even near a traditional form.

[gojuchad]

yes mark i agree with you.

 

white tiger wrote....

 

I have never seen a tournament where 'the flash' and traditional go head to head. There is room for both in my opinion. Tournaments are for fun. People take them way to seriously (I know I used to). Enjoy them...network with other martial artists. No need to cut down people who don't do what you do.

 

I am certinally not trying to cut down people.But doing these type of things in what are suppose to be ma tournaments in my opionion we are sending the wrong signal not only to the upcoming children but also to people who are interested in ma's. At a martial art tournament in my opinion you should do martial arts.

[Goju 4 Life]

Yeah. I think the flash is great for demonstration and getting younger people in to train. SO if you are going to practice it for demos, why not compete with it? Traditional and XMA are totally different.