who competes in tournaments?

[KumitePanda]

my first comp will be next year in tasmania at TSKF nationals. shihan takahashi is there and takes training most the time. this year they did round about 1400 kicks in training

[mindsedgeblade]

My instructor never pushed it, and I never felt the need. He was a pro fighter for some time, so had nothing agaist good competition. I can't get used to the silly rules: no contact to the head, only light contact to the body, no sweeps, no throws, no grabs, you must wear all this padding, you must stop at every touch, you only go to 3 or 5 points. There's no reality in it. Sure, it's fine if you're facing someone far outside your experience or size, but that's it. Training sensibly means you take precautions without a gigantic pile of rules.

And form competitions usually come down to who is the loudest or flashiest or fastest. Really, is it neccessary to stomp every movement?

[etali]

I haven't been doing Karate all that long, but the tournament thing is a contentious topic in my Dojo. Some of the instructors are very into the "art" side, and prefer to do only Kata competitions. There are a couple pushing for the sport side of things though.

I want to compete. The travel and the expense is a problem, but there's a competition in my area in a few months toim, so I might give it a go.

I agree with what others have said about the rules for point sparring being unrealistic, but I still think it can be beneficial to do - especially if you're the kind of person that freezes under pressure (I am). I figure any alien situation I can put myself in will help me get used to performing under less than ideal conditions.

[bushido_man96]

I haven't been doing Karate all that long, but the tournament thing is a contentious topic in my Dojo. Some of the instructors are very into the "art" side, and prefer to do only Kata competitions. There are a couple pushing for the sport side of things though.

If they only do kata in competitions, then the nature of it being a competition is making kata a sport. They just as well jump in with both feet, instead of standing on the side of the pool testing the water with one foot.

[Nevinyrral]

I dont compete because I'm just a yellow belt, and at my age you must have green belt to compete in kumite, and I dont know too many kata for kata competition. But my sensei said that if I went to the lats tournament I would be third without doing nothing, because there were only two others in my age

[KumitePanda]

I dont compete because I'm just a yellow belt, and at my age you must have green belt to compete in kumite, and I dont know too many kata for kata competition. But my sensei said that if I went to the lats tournament I would be third without doing nothing, because there were only two others in my age

do they not do 5 step kihon kumite in the competitions in Poland?

[Nevinyrral]

I think not. My sensei didn't say anything about it. There is the one that you get point when you get hit. So I need a higher rank or get better in kata

[KumitePanda]

point sparring? is that it!

[Nevinyrral]

Yeah, it think thats the name for it but i'm not in a rush to be able to compete in it because I know i'm to slow for that

[DWx]

point sparring? is that it!

It might just be that particular tournament circuit doesn't do it or his Sensei doesn't enter them for other events. They probably do have other kumite.