I walked out on my sons competition Saturday

[TraditionalDan]

Please take some advice from a karateka of 12 years, no kata is 'below' a karateka. Even the most basic kata can bring out weaknesses in our karate when performed with full kime.

A truly advanced karateka can still perform a basic kata with noticable adeptness. We must not forget our basics!

Of course the grades did seem a little unfairly matched, and maybe he does like the girl in question. But I am a little upset that you walked out, your son is possibly showing more understanding of the art than you are giving him credit for.

[humble monk]

Traditional Dan nailed it just as I was getting ready to post. I am never above even my first kata, if that were the case, we could blow off learning them altogether and spend a couple years mastering one black belt form.

My instructor does our first form with an intensity and ferocity that conjures images of guys having their bones broken with the blocks and their hearts punched out.

I'm not convinced that I've ever done it to perfection, and so I'll never believe that this particular form and I are finished.

[MooYeaDoKID]

I could not believe it! My sons Dojo had a tournament Saturday. My son (Black Belt) was matched up with a Purple belt. He won the coin toss, let the girl go first. She did this long Tia Chi Kata that took several minutes. then my son comes up and does this tiny Yellow belt Kata that must have taken 45 seconds! One of the judges couldn't believe it either. He sat there watching a fly on the wall. didn't know what to say.

I left and sat in the car for the rest of the tournament. When It finally ended, I asked him why he threw the match. All I got was a lot of yelling that he didn't. Other than the fact that he likes this girl, I can't believe he would throw a match for that.

damn i wish my dad was that much into my martial arts as you are! i think its cool that u have a lot of interest in ur sons martial careeer. of course my parent do also, just not as much as you.

[Chikara]

It really hurts to have a parent leave in the middle of a tournament, even if they have no choice.

[Shinta]

Kata have associated ranks??

Your son lost? He should train harder...

He doesn't like competition? I, at least, do not compete in championships and I still win them. Karate is not a sport.

[TraditionalDan]

I too do not compete, but I did compete once. I did one kata (Bassai Dai).

I got a gold for it. But I wasn't exactly overwhelmed with joy when I got it, as I realise that there are plenty of karateka out there who would have beaten me to the gold.

At the same time I am not doubting the effectiveness of my own kata interperetation.

Unfortunately, humility and competition sometimes do not go hand in hand.

[tallgeese]

"Your son lost? He should train harder..."

Kind of a bit harsh here. We should all probibly train harder, we are talking about defending ourselves at the end of the day. We don't know how he trained.

Any competiton is always up for interpertation. Judges will grade based on their personal bias. You can't get away from it. It even happens in 10 point must systems emplyed in MMA. You win some, you lose some.

I'm not really a form guy, so I can't really comment on using a lower ranking form for something like this.

[Shinta]

I don't want to be harsh and I'm sorry if I was interpreted that way.

What I mean is simply that I believe that's the way to see things

- you don't win, train harder.

- you don't win and you believe it was referee's fault, train even harder

If you are really good and much better than the others, you won't give a chance to the referee to make bad judges.

Talking objectively here: imagine you were slightly better than your opponent and that the judge made a bad judgement (something perfectly natural, just as you make mistakes, he has the right to make them). Now imagine that your kata/ippon was perfect (or as near to than as your ability allows) and that it was significantly better than that of your opponent, I bet the judge would fall to your side.

To sum up, if you can be better than the error range of the referee, you are sure to win.

I don't like or dislike referees, their just a part of something I do not care when competing. I competitions, when I do a Kata, I do it the best I can and with a martial spirit, not a competitive one. When I do kumite, I really do kumite, not a sport - I do not search for the point, I search for pure kumite. The results have been good so far but I still haven't won against anyone, only against my own limits.

Sorry for the long post and slightly off-topic. I hate when Karate is treated like a sport but I respect whoever sees it as one, just different interpretations.

[Chikara]

That's why MMA judging is better; they don't hit for points (though they are counted), they hit to hurt. Judges can't judge against a KO or TKO.

[tallgeese]

Which brings us to a good point (at least from a free fighing stand point), the less you leave in teh judges hands the better. KO, TKO, submission, it's hard to call these th ings wrong (not impossible, but very hard).

Anytime you leave a fight in the judges hands you take the chance of it going the wrong way.