Are Competitions good or bad?

[Shorin Ryuu]

Do you think that a focus on competition erodes or enhances the self-defense skills found in traditional Karate?

I think the answer to this really depends on how the focus is applied. There are those who use competition strictly as a training aid to better their karate. And there are those who use their karate strictly as a training aid to better their competition. Most people fall somewhere in between, although many fall towards focusing more on competition whether they realize it or not.

As for me personally, I do not participate in competitions because I do not like training extensively within the rules geared for competition. I think in many cases, the "wrong person" may win in competitions. I have seen those who do competition and are able to make a clear distinction both in their training and in their minds between competition training and self-defense training. And some of these would defeat me quite handily in a "real fight". But those who make this distinction tend to be more of an exception rather than the rule.

My stance on this is the same as free sparring. If used only as a tool, then it is acceptable. If it becomes a goal, then it is not.

Edited April 7, 2005 by Shorin Ryuu

[vertigo]

Not to be too critical of you, Vertigo (and it seems like you might have realized this towards the end of your post), but if you're training your karate as a martial art there shouldn't be a distinction between your karate and your self-defense...

No, that's a perfectly reasonable point. You're right though, I was kind of formulating my opinion as I typed... that's why I start to contradict myself a bit.

[Sandan]

actually, I think its good to see how you react in a competition. It's the only time that you have to make a very quick decision about a person and how they fight. Sure it's contrived, but what else is there. For young people it's a great way of seeing the potential of what you can do... it's also bloody scary.

For most people the only opponents they meet are in the dojo so they never know what it feels like to have to make a very fast decision about someone...

[MASIsshinryu]

Do you think that a focus on competition erodes or enhances the self-defense skills found in traditional Karate?

My stance on this is the same as free sparring. If used only as a tool, then it is acceptable. If it becomes a goal, then it is not.

Exactly.

My first instructor was very into tournaments. At the second one I went to, also the last one I went to, I observed one of the Black Belts performing a series of kicking techniques which I thought left him very vulnerable. When I asked him later why he felt comfortable doing this, his response was "because he (the opponent) is not permitted to sweep my base leg, or kick to the groin." Clearly, he had based his strategic doctrine on the rules of (tournament) engagement.

[Armbar]

My first instructor was very into tournaments. At the second one I went to, also the last one I went to, I observed one of the Black Belts performing a series of kicking techniques which I thought left him very vulnerable. When I asked him later why he felt comfortable doing this, his response was "because he (the opponent) is not permitted to sweep my base leg, or kick to the groin." Clearly, he had based his strategic doctrine on the rules of (tournament) engagement.

This is a perfect example of competition sparring leading to bad habits. I wonder if those who consistently win at higher levels think this way, or with a more self-defense oriented approach.

I have to make a distinction here between competition sparring and 'dojo' sparring. When we train for competition sparring, we're stuck with in the rule set of the competition we happen to be training for.

In dojo sparring, we often wear little gear. pretty much anything is legal as long as you don't maim your partner. You can move through all the ranges, making you learn good defense/offense strategies at each one. We simulate punches to the face with openhanded slaps (not hard ones). These matches end when someone taps.

[pineapple]

Competition kumite and real street fighting are completely different, however it does require a lot of skill to be successful at tournaments.