Does anyone remember their first tournament?

[Khan]

I remember mine, I was 11 and waaay too overconfident. The tournament was set by age group, not by weight, so I would be facing some 15 year old brown belts.

 

I won one match by default, (my opponent no showed,) the next I got ten shades of crap beaten out of me. I managed to get one lucky shot in, (a mae geri to the solar plexus) but other than that he destroyed me.

 

What was your first tournament like? And what did you learn from it? Me, I learnt not to be cocky.

[kotegashiNeo]

I was badly disqualified in kumite - badly.

[ncole_91]

Well I have not been to a tournament yet, so I will get back to you. lol

[BJJShotoshe]

oh yeah, i remeber my first tournament oh to well. it was when i was about 10 years of age. i was very scared and nervous, and that was my downfall. it was just a little too big of a tournament for me, i don't think i could have made it through without my trustee headband. of course that was my second most downfall. i shook my hair all over the place, that made my kata look discusting. any who short story short i got fifth in all of my events.

[mattys]

I was extremly scared. I was a yellow belt in kumite up against a whitebelt half my size (13-15 division) and he beat the crap out of me. Why? I needed more confidence. I took shots because I was too afraid to pummel him. In forms and weapons I learned the same, it was my first tourniment but I still placed well, I believe a second and a third in those... so I basically learned to be much more confident in myself and my abilities.

[smr]

I won point sparring by default. There were no others in my division.

 

I received first place in kata out of only five competitors.

 

I got dead last in kobudo because I completely forgot my form.

 

I did "sort of" earn the first place trophy in point sparring. They put me up against a really, really, badass yonkyu. I don't think I managed a single point out of that match.

[Mr. Mike]

almost disqualified for head contact...I gave up more points than I ended up with...argh.

 

Then I got a warning for defending a guy's sidekick with a slip and grab/throw...he told me after that it was the first time anybody ever did that...usually they try to block it...that was the 2nd time he kicked me...the 1st time hurt like heck.

 

Took 4th in sparring...kinda salty about it because I should have been more disciplined. Oh well.That 4th place sits behind my 1st and 2nd place trophies... as a reminder to behave myself

[Dijita]

Ya I remember my first tournament in Kyokushin....

 

I got a concussion and broke my toe, I keep my hands up a lot more now.

[Chirath]

I didn't really understand the concept of point sparring and kept on jabbing the head. Ended up losing loads of points and wasting money on entering the tournament. Put me off point sparring as I could easily have beaten most of the people in a full contact. At the end the smallest kid there won it. Quite a success but now he thinks he can win fights. Even though point sparring is nothing like a real fight and he is the weakest person I know.

[Gloi]

I did the kata first and part way through it was like I suddenly woke up and went 'Wah! what am I doing here in front of all these people' and I just froze for a few seconds, I completely forgot where I was up to and had to work it out from the position of my hands and feet.

 

I was quite nervous before the kumite but I actually enjoyed it once I got going. I got to the semi finals and got a third place medal.