# Two minutes and twelve seconds of ignominious fail



## Big Don (Jan 23, 2011)

Like Bill, I participated in my first tournament Saturday the 22d.
Also like Bill, I lost. I was in the 36 and older Black Belt division. I was by a decade or so, the junior Black Belt in the division. 
Going into this I figured the best case scenario would be a few guys, who, like me, got into Karate relatively late in life, and the worst case would be, a half dozen guys, who, like my sifu, have been doing this, and competing for years.
So, I got matched up with this very nice TALL skinny guy, and then I lost, gracefully, I hope.
I bought a Flip Camera about a year ago, I got a great deal on it, $25 brand new, and never used it until today.
So, for your viewing pleasure, or something, my first tournament sparring experience.


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## Big Don (Jan 23, 2011)

I liked Bill's line, so, I shamelessly stole it.


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## 72ronin (Jan 23, 2011)

Awesome. 
Damn point sparring, you won that man, i saw his head fly off at .50 min mark 
Full-contact and you would have destroyed him.

cheers


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## Sukerkin (Jan 23, 2011)

Nothing ignominious about trying something for the first time and giving it your best shot, Don.  My compliments.

I do agree on the negative aspects of 'point scoring' physical contests tho', as Ronin noted above.  It's one reason why I've never been drawn into the 'live RP' sword-fighting 'scene'.  To keep it safe, the strength of blows and the allowed targets are so restricted as to make it pointless {Yeah!  Double-meanming pun-attack }.


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## Bruno@MT (Jan 23, 2011)

At least you tried. I still remember the first tournament I participated in.
I had no idea what to expect, and was slightly naive in how I would do.
2 times a couple of minutes of epic fail was the result. Since this was in 1997 or so, there is luckily no video footage of me getting pasted.


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## seasoned (Jan 23, 2011)

You move fast for a big guy. Definitely had him moving back and off balance.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Nice job!!


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## bluewaveschool (Jan 23, 2011)

That ref looked like he was a funny dude.  Also, I've never done it, so I can't pass judgement.


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## Bill Mattocks (Jan 23, 2011)

Big Don said:


> Like Bill, I participated in my first tournament Saturday the 22d.
> Also like Bill, I lost. I was in the 36 and older Black Belt division. I was by a decade or so, the junior Black Belt in the division.
> Going into this I figured the best case scenario would be a few guys, who, like me, got into Karate relatively late in life, and the worst case would be, a half dozen guys, who, like my sifu, have been doing this, and competing for years.
> So, I got matched up with this very nice TALL skinny guy, and then I lost, gracefully, I hope.
> ...



You have my respect, sir.  A fine effort, and as others stated, you rockem-sockem'd his noggin; points made the total, but you were far from failing.  In a fight, you'd have jetted off his head.


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## Yoshin9 (Jan 23, 2011)

Fighting is a tournament is a bit different than sparing in class, but you don't learn if you don't play, so well done sir! I am not a fan of point sparing because it's hard to get a good game on with the ref constantly interrupting your flow.

I remember a Shootfighting tournament where the guy took me down three times the same way and I couldn't figure it out. After a while though you look at your "failures" and see what's happening and learn how to counter it, then you move on to your next failure.


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## Touch Of Death (Jan 23, 2011)

If you would quit hiding behind your opponent, maybe we could see you. LOL
Sean


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## Steve (Jan 23, 2011)

Nice job, Don.


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## Archangel M (Jan 23, 2011)

How did point sparring become so popular? What does it really prove?


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## Big Don (Jan 23, 2011)

It was a good experience, I'm glad I did it once. I didn't know I took his headgear off until I got home and watched the video. Thanks everyone for your comments.


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## Big Don (Jan 23, 2011)

72ronin said:


> Awesome.
> Damn point sparring, you won that man, i saw his head fly off at .50 min mark
> Full-contact and you would have destroyed him.
> 
> cheers


I don't know, dude had a lot of reach.


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## Big Don (Jan 23, 2011)

Touch Of Death said:


> If you would quit hiding behind your opponent, maybe we could see you. LOL
> Sean


Oh, I know. I must have words with my videographer. My photographer (my dad) is a whole different story on the same theme.


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## Bill Mattocks (Jan 23, 2011)

Archangel M said:


> How did point sparring become so popular? What does it really prove?



I don't know that it proves anything, since it has less to do with martial arts than I initially thought.  On the other hand, there is a certain level of excitement from being in the ring.  I can't walk away now that I've lost my initial bout; I have to get better at this.  I'm just like that, I won't walk away until I can do it competently.


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## Archangel M (Jan 23, 2011)

Just beware of training to play a game so much that you train in "game habits".


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## Bill Mattocks (Jan 23, 2011)

Archangel M said:


> Just beware of training to play a game so much that you train in "game habits".



I'm hip.  I've been thinking about it a lot since my bout.  I realize that the _'jump out and touch quick' _thing isn't going to help if you are in a fight and you just tap them.  On the other hand, it did teach me to get off the dime, stop strategizing, and strike fast; which of course I failed to do.  That might be a good thing to get experience with.  And anyway, in my dojo, we hit hard and we keep rolling, we don't stop the action after each 'point'.  So I don't think I am in any danger of learning too many bad habits by participating in a few points tournaments.  Can't speak for Big Don, but that's my take on it at the moment.


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## Bruno@MT (Jan 23, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> I don't know that it proves anything, since it has less to do with martial arts than I initially thought.  On the other hand, there is a certain level of excitement from being in the ring.  I can't walk away now that I've lost my initial bout; I have to get better at this.  I'm just like that, I won't walk away until I can do it competently.



It does indeed have less to do with MA than dojo sparring or partner drills. These point matches get stopped right about the time when it gets interesting and you are toe to toe. It is 'just' a matter of playing tag and trying to touch the other guy first.

I mean, I already admitted that I sucked at it as well and lost my tournament bouts 14 or so years ago. But you are right that they are not really geared towards comparing martial arts capability.


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## Big Don (Jan 23, 2011)

When sparring at my school, where we go hard and points aren't a consideration, I tend to over-think the whole thing. Having to just act and react might be a good thing for me.


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## Sukerkin (Jan 23, 2011)

Aye, that is one of the major aims of training.  I always describe it as having a toolbox of techniques at your disposal.  Your body is the executor of those techniques, your brain decides which is the right one to use.

As with an army, a General who overthinks second-guesses himself into immobility.  So you train so that your mind is quiescent, allowing the body to defend, waiting until it sees a 'snapshot' of opportunity that it has seen before in training and then, "bam", the order to act is given.  Right technique at the right moment.


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## Big Don (Feb 9, 2011)

Spent about 30 minutes last night talking (well chatting on facebook) with the guy I sparred at the tournament. Really nice guy. I asked when he started karate, he said 1973. I was LITERALLY in diapers when he started. A shade less than 6 years experience vs 37 years experience? Yeah... Well, that explains that.


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## Sukerkin (Feb 9, 2011)

:chuckles:  Aye, a thirty year edge in training and experience will certainly make a difference :tup:.


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## Sensei Payne (Feb 9, 2011)

Nothing is a failure as long as you did your best and learned from it.

Congrats man, way to hang in there, Tournaments can be taxing.


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## Blindside (Feb 9, 2011)

Archangel M said:


> How did point sparring become so popular? What does it really prove?


 
It became popular because you can do it with less chance of hurting people, thereby broadening the group of people willing to participate in the event.  

As for what it proves, not much, it shows you can win given a particular ruleset, no different than any other sport.  I don't think a Judo match, an Olympic TKD match, MMA match, or a fencing bout prove anything either.


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## Blindside (Feb 9, 2011)

Big Don said:


> Spent about 30 minutes last night talking (well chatting on facebook) with the guy I sparred at the tournament. Really nice guy. I asked when he started karate, he said 1973. I was LITERALLY in diapers when he started. A shade less than 6 years experience vs 37 years experience? Yeah... Well, that explains that.


 
The older black belt divisions are funny that way, and fun to play with if you are the "kid" in the division, sort of like watching the big eyes of the recently 18 year old black belt in the regular adult division for the first time, fighting against guys who have been judging him since he was a little pun... kid.


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## Sensei Payne (Feb 9, 2011)

The Tournaments I have been to, the black belts judge kata all day and then are told to spar...there is always that one guy that didn't how up until sparring time..lol, self promoters.


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## Yondanchris (Feb 14, 2011)

You gave it your best! 

and like has been said before if this was real life or full contact sparring you would
have knocked his head clean off!! 

I also am not a big proponent of point-sparring, we do very little to none in the dojo 
and I do not expect or push my students to compete in it when tournaments come around! 

Very good job, keep it up!

Chris


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