TKD vs Karate

[Judodad_karateson]

Basically, my question is this: Am I going to have to switch to TKD if I want to attend Tournament regularly?

I have hinting at this quite a bit here. I love Japanese martial arts, and I adore my Karate Dojo, but want tournament time! Karate seems to have limited access to Tournaments unless you're in a specific location. Here is Texas, it seems like finding a reasonable distance for a tournament is nearly impossible, maybe once or twice a year. Why is that!?

Meanwhile, ATA alone has somewhere around 10 Tournaments just in Texas over the next 3-4 months!!!

I understand TKD is Olympic, and that is the mean reason for it having so much to offer in the way of spots, but why does Karate have so little? Does TKD just take too much of a market share?

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[Nidan Melbourne]

Not necessarily no you don't have to. I know the us is scarce in many states in regards to tournaments. As from what i know there are 3 or 4 organisations that organise tournaments.

And that would vary with the quality of tournaments held. From my little knowledge there are little tournaments even if at a reasonable distance. So i hope that resolves your issue.

Maybe enquire with the USAKF (usa karate federation$

Here in Australia each state runs their own tournaments, but you can compete at any tournament you want australia-wide. But it is expensive to travel interstate for tournaments as there is no prize money at all.

We have 6 tournaments in my home state every year but now we have from memory 10 due to 'country' tournaments which is outside metropoliton melbourne. And they are AKF sanctioned tournaments only. Then we have a lot more from ISKA.

[bushido_man96]

The ATA has its own tournament circuit, and there are lots of ATA schools, and lots of schools host regional tournaments. In TX, you probably wouldn't have trouble finding an ATA tournament to go to at all.

The ATA has lots of competition venues too, since I have left that association. They have their "traditional" point sparring system, and I think they also started doing Olympic sparring tournaments. They also have forms and weapons competitions, both in a traditional and XMA style, I believe.

Are there not any other open style tournaments in that area throughout the year?

[JR 137]

I haven't heard very many good things about ATA. I have no personal experience with it, nor do I know anyone involved to confirm or refute what I've heard, so take it as you will.

If you're serious about it, visit some schools, and perhaps more importantly, watch some tournaments. I'm lead to believe the ATA is pretty closed off from the rest of the TKD world, so the tourneys could just be a lot of the same people caught up in a money generating machine.

Hopefully I'm misinformed.

[bushido_man96]

There are good ATA schools out there, and there are bad ones.

I wouldn't say that the ATA is "closed off" from the rest of the TKD world, but they do have a self-sufficient tournament circuit. You have to be an active member of the ATA to compete in their tournaments. The judges have to attain levels of judging certification to judge at ATA tournaments. They run a Top Ten points system that keeps track of eligibility for competing at the World Championships competition they have annually. They really have a good system.

[Judodad_karateson]

Are there not any other open style tournaments in that area throughout the year?

Not from what I can tell in Texas. You can find a Lot of BJJ and TKD around here, but everything else is limited.

[skullsplitter]

Are you looking for open style tournaments?

[Judodad_karateson]

Are you looking for open style tournaments?

Like MMA?

[sensei8]

Open tournaments!! That's the ticket if one wants to compete against a plethora of MA styles. Otherwise, one's going to have to be a spectator in the stands or join their discipline.

This is just me, but I've always viewed closed tournaments as though they have something to hide and/or their not to confident in their styles effectiveness...again, that's just my view, and I can have a closed mindset about a lot of things.

Edited December 30, 2015 by sensei8

[Hawkmoon]

Just a thought, but ever thought about holding a tournament yourself?

If they are thin on the ground then you have space and opportunity to make something happen without risk of stepping on any toes ... there are none tostep on as it were!

.... or maybe a grand prix a tournament 3, 5 or 7 smaller competitions spread out around the area (a few miles from each other you get the idea). The idea is to build up to a large grand final!

Invite the winners and best runners up to the grand final!