How do kung Fu touranments work ?

[TallAdam85]

How do kung Fu touranments work ?
Are they like karate touranments? Do they have sparing?

 

[7starmantis]

Well, having never been to a Karate tournament, I wouldn't know how to compare them. But, there is sparring in Kung Fu tournaments, its usually very controled and very strictly judged. Normally it is not like a real fight, however some bigger tournaments have san shaou which is full contact with very little padding. Those are good, except its not unlikely to see someone get something broken
We have different sections for forms, traditional, open, southern, northern, weapons, etc. It usually statrs off with a traditional lion dance and some type of demo. If you get the chance to go to one, I would advise it, its a good experience. I don't compete much anymore, thats kind of the problem with the chinese martial arts attitude, once people compete for a while, some just quite competing and working harder on their training.

7sm

 

[lvwhitebir]

As a competitor, the main differences I see are:

1) Introducing yourself before your form. Karate tournaments often say their name, school, style, etc. Kung fu tournaments typically skip this altogether. They call you, you bow into the ring, bow to the judges, get to your spot, and start.

2) Sparring can be classified as "light contact" or San Shou. Light contact is usually for rounds, rather than single point shots. Some of the tournaments I've been to have made the rule that you had to have a 5-point difference after 3 rounds to win.

San Shou is a different bird altogether and resembles more full-contact kickboxing, but with throws added in.

WhiteBirch

 

[7starmantis]

Originally posted by lvwhitebir
As a competitor, the main differences I see are:

1) Introducing yourself before your form. Karate tournaments often say their name, school, style, etc. Kung fu tournaments typically skip this altogether. They call you, you bow into the ring, bow to the judges, get to your spot, and start.

2) Sparring can be classified as "light contact" or San Shou. Light contact is usually for rounds, rather than single point shots. Some of the tournaments I've been to have made the rule that you had to have a 5-point difference after 3 rounds to win.

San Shou is a different bird altogether and resembles more full-contact kickboxing, but with throws added in.

WhiteBirch

Very true, I agree with that as well. There really is no indroduction. The AAU Tournaments that I have competed in, the sparring was only 3 rounds at 1min each for regionals and I believe 2 min at nationals. Differnet organizers probably do it differently.

7sm

 

[brothershaw]

I think the main reason there is no intro before forms is it isnt needed.
1- The in cmas the forms are very different from style to style and I believe to a large degree the judges can recognize the style because they have seen the forms before. In karate however from style to style the forms tnd to be more similiar.
2- Alot of the chinese schools wear t-shirts that often have the name of the school and sometimes the style on it, where in karate they all mainly wear white gis.

Number 2 sounds kind of funny, but that has been my actual experience and I have been to both karate and kung fu tournaments and I was just in a kung fu tourny on saturday.

 

[7starmantis]

Originally posted by brothershaw
I think the main reason there is no intro before forms is it isnt needed.
1- The in cmas the forms are very different from style to style and I believe to a large degree the judges can recognize the style because they have seen the forms before. In karate however from style to style the forms tnd to be more similiar.
2- Alot of the chinese schools wear t-shirts that often have the name of the school and sometimes the style on it, where in karate they all mainly wear white gis.

Number 2 sounds kind of funny, but that has been my actual experience and I have been to both karate and kung fu tournaments and I was just in a kung fu tourny on saturday.

In our tournaments no school T-shirts are allowed, you have to wear a jacket with no school logo on it. I think there is a wide statute of change between tournaments. It gets sad, but most tournaments I've been in, the forms are separated into open forms, southern, northern, etc, that way different judges can judge which ever ones they are familiar with.

7sm