who competes in tournaments?

[bushido_man96]

I've never been a hard core competitor, but have done my share. I wasn't that great, but it gave me some things to work on. Anymore, I just don't have as much time to train, and therefore, competing would be rather futile, so I don't do it so much.

[Hecklerboy]

I love to compete. I always learn something when I attend a tournament.

Tournaments are great for testing your nerves and finding your weak spots.

If you only spar with people in your dojo you will only get so good.

It's like two basketball teams playing only each other all the time. They will never get any better than the other team.

Sometimes you need to spar against someone of a different style or that uses techniques that you are not used to so you can find your weaknesses.

[quinteros1963]

I've competed in 2 tournaments in as many years. I think its good to see how you compare with others students outside your dojo and it gives a reference point on how good you are. I plan on going to a few more this year, as I think its a good way to meet other MAists ( I'm new to the area). But once I settle in, I'll compete in two or three a year.

[Fearun9033]

I think competing is pretty fun For my level, it's mostly kata and very simple planned sparring. I only went twice, but I definitely loved the experience!

It also motivates me to practice more and gold medals feel good

[Montana]

I've been a judge and referee in open (all styles welcome) since 1978, but have only competed in one tournament myself. Why? well, I'm not a competitive person by nature, and for me, tournaments are just a game. They have little relevance to what martial arts are all about in my opinion. Tournaments are "play time" and sport, not really "martial arts".

In the one tournament I competed in (black belt heavy weight division) I won 2nd place in kata (Chinto), 3rd in sparring (single elimination..I lost with a score of 4-5 to a good friend of mine from another system with many years of tournament competition experience), Outstanding Judge award and the Outstanding Competitor Award.

I figured for my first tournament as a competitor I walked out with 2 trophies and 2 plaques..that was good enough, so I retired from competition.

[Blade96]

Me. I compete. And i go to seminars.

[AndySike]

Doshinkan is a traditional, non-competitive martial art in which we learn physical techniques that should only be applied in true self-defense situations.

This is what my instructor says.

[jsteczko]

I don't participate in competitions... I don't know why, I think it is because I was never really interested in this subject. You know, competitions sounds fun but still it doesn't motivate me to participate in them.

[sensei8]

I use to compete quite heavily. It was a personal choice for me. California was a hot-bed for open tournaments and I probably competed every weekend, both as a kid and as a adult. I just loved the competition across the board. The win-some lose-some was more than evident within California because there were many, many talented martial artists, no matter the division. It made you to want to compete just to see what might or might not happen. I was part of the weekend warriors that traveled all over California. And yes, for me, it was fun!

My last tournament was in Bakersfield, California at the Bakersfield Open in 1998. It was STILL fun!

My Dai-Soke never pushed and/or encouraged us to compete in tournaments. It was our choice. He never deswayed us from tournaments because he told everyone, all the time, what we do outside of the dojo was none of his business unless it relects negatively on him and his dojo. Inside his dojo we did Shindokan and Shindokan Kobudo...nothing else!

I echoed my Dai-Soke and in that, we did Shindokan and Shindokan Kobudo...nothing else! I never pushed and/or encouraged my students to compete in tournaments. Tournaments are fine, I loved them, but I've no desire to teach tournament sparring and the like. I never kept and/or never allowed tournament flyers to be posted in my dojo. My students in California knew I went to tournaments, and I went to a lot of tournaments. But, I went to tournaments for myself, and not for my students and/or for my dojo. As a matter of fact, I never once displayed any of my trophies in my dojo because I never liked that sort of thing. Whenever my students would ask about a tournament that I went to over the weekend, and how it went for me, I'd just say "It was fun", nothing more and nothing less. If my students asked about tournament competition and they wanted to compete...well...that's up to my students. They can investigate and research about tournaments all they want and if they want to compete...I'm not going to stop them unless they do something that reflects negatively on me and my dojo. My students were at the dojo for one reason and one reason alone...learn Shindokan!

As of late, I've been entertaining the notion of competing in the Senior/Master Divisions at ISKA tournaments. Who knows, I just might.

[SlowHands]

My sensei has taught me that to be able to teach karate effectively in the future, i should go to competitions and experience using my techniques against other people. which, i believe is true as well..i've only recently begun sparring again.

I also compete as its a place to try what I've learned and build confidence in my skills. you see, my nerves get to me very easily... I still haven't been able to perform my kata very well in front of judges as I try to to rush through them resulting in a very sloppy kata.

As for kumite, i'm trying to build my self-confidence and not be afraid of whomever is standing in front of me.. before i would get a huge surge of adrenaline and my arms would feel like lead. At least now instead of freezing up (and making a very easy target), I begin to move around the ring as soon as the ref says hajime.