First kumite competition, Shobu ippon rules

[Charlewisoe]

Yesterday I had my first Kumite tournament as a blue belt, with Shobu Ippon Rules.

I've learned a lot !! Most points i've scored with Gyaki zuki countering when the attack came.

The first match was against a brown belt with a few years of experience in competition, but I even knocked him to the floor just with gyaki zuki conutering (twice ! ) And didn't get a warning at all to my suprise, I thought shotokan was no contact, but apparently only no hard contact to the face. (the guy needed to sit down for a few minutes to get his breathing back.)

In my thoughts I was always thinking that you could easily score with leg techniques, but a good Gyaki Zuki counter does the trick very good !!

The second match was against a guy that used his legs a lot, so he kept me at distance, but I noticed when he was kicking, his guard went down, so when his legs where flying at me, I scored a lot with kizami zuki Jodan.

The final for first and second place was also against a guy with a few years experience in competion and also a brown belt, he was just to quick for me, and with far more experience in competion he just scored his points very quick with kizami zuki and gyaki zuki, he also used his legs, but i could block them very easy (again, scoring with legs is not so easy)

The only negative thing I did was turning my back constantly. This is a very bad habit of me. When I attack and didn't score, I turned away with my back to the opponent, which obviously is very dangerous, I even had a warning for doing it to much.

But now I was thinking, when I turn my back away, when I am so close to my opponent, isn't it a good idea to just do a quick ushiro geri ? Or maybe a quick back leg sweep ? I'm afraid that i will have more difficulty to learn to don't turn my back away, then to do something when turning my back away, or does anyone has other good tips for a beginning competitor ?

It was a very nice experience, and second place against more experienced competitors was not bad at all for my first kumite match. But there is still room to improve

[Nidan Melbourne]

congrats on doing so well! it is good that you know what you were doing wrong (especially with those bad habits). So work hard on changing that and i know you will be great kumite fighter at competitions

[Charlewisoe]

Thank you very much.

Basics are apparently very important.

In our Dojo we do a lot Kihon, and kata, We don't do free sparring a lot, only the basic kumite techniques like, sanbon kumite and Gohon kumite.

I guess if you start walking very good, and you can walk very good, you can start walking fast, and then you can start learning how to run.

And in the beginning just keep those feet on the ground, even when I thought I had fast leg techniques, they where just to slow in competition, you can block them so easy, are go back so easy. You've got the be very good with you're legs to score a point with them.

For now I'm going to practice more striking combinations, so that I will be able to attack much quicker, and without being afraid, so that I don't turn my back away. And if I turn my back away, I will need to do something, like uraken or ushiro geri, or ashi barai.

If anybody else has more good tips, you're welcome to share !

[bushido_man96]

Congrats on your performance.

I just have one question for you....could you please translate the technique names you've used? Not all of us are Karateka, so it gets tough to decipher at times what techniques you are using. I know jodan is head, but that's all I can pick out of your post up there.

Otherwise, work in class on not turning your back. You need to put some combinations together, like a follow-up technique to your scoring technique, that way, when it doesn't score, you have a plan, and can do something that will either set up a score, or get you out of range to reset, if you want to. Personally, I wouldn't want to give up that space once I've taken it, so I'd stay close, punch away at them, and make them start moving back. Then, try to score with a kick.

[AdamKralic]

Turning your back to run away is like getting naked in front of everyone at the tournament: it should NEVER be done.

A good fighter will plow you over...LITERALLY.

[Charlewisoe]

Yes I know turning my back is a major error. Gyaki zuki is punching with your backfist (opposite of the front leg), while jumping forward with your front leg, with the other hand you block. This was my countering technique, and kizami zuki jodan, is jumping in with your front leg, and punching with the front hand at the same time.

I guess for this first competition I was a bit to nervous and scared, and made that error of turning my back away.

I searched the forum on how to use the blitz, and I will going to work on that, so I know how to overwhelm my opponent without being scared and turn away after a few attacks.

[AdamKralic]

Yes I know turning my back is a major error. Gyaki zuki is punching with your backfist (opposite of the front leg), while jumping forward with your front leg, with the other hand you block. This was my countering technique, and kizami zuki jodan, is jumping in with your front leg, and punching with the front hand at the same time.

I guess for this first competition I was a bit to nervous and scared, and made that error of turning my back away.

I searched the forum on how to use the blitz, and I will going to work on that, so I know how to overwhelm my opponent without being scared and turn away after a few attacks.

A defensive side kick with a fade or a angle fade is a pretty crucial "trick" to have in your bag. Nothing and I mean nothing stops a bull faster than eating a side kick that they are running full speed into.

[Charlewisoe]

This weekend I've fought allready my Third tournament ! This was my first international tournament in another country (I'm from Belgium and the tournament was in the Netherlands )

I've fought 4 times and lost one time. So I ended third ! Normally I had a very good chance to be Second, but the I made the same mistake that I Always make when I'm a bit scared, turning my back, and also I stepped out the ring three times by accident.... So I know my mistakes ! All the opponents where much bigger then me, and much heavier ! Also lot more aggresive like I'm used to. Nevertheless I beat 3 guys ! I was much more relaxed and countered their attacks very good. Just need to work on my attacks and not turning my back away after I make my attacks.

30 March is an european championship in Belgium, so I still have time to work on that back turning error. And I forgot to read the earlier posts about the side kick that stops the bulls ! I stopped them with my counter punch in the plexus

[sensei8]

Gyaku Zuki and Kizami Zuki are two of the most effective techniques in a tournament. They're fast and economically. The more you spar, the easier you'll decipher. The Kumite must be as often as Kihon and Kata!! If your dojo isn't as active in Jiyu, then find some like minded training partners to Kumite as often as you can.

Good luck in your training!!

[Charlewisoe]

Indeed very basic but very important techniques. In our dojo we do a lot of kihon and kata, so the basics are there, only the follow throughs I have to work on to gain more confidence. I've scored the most points just by countering with Gyaku zuki, with a perfect timing and distance, and it feels so good ! That feeling of your fist planting itself in the others plexus when the want to knock off your head