Tournaments

[MJS]

What are your thoughts on them? Do you go to them, entering in kata, fighting or weapons divisions? How do you feel they impact the art?

 

[terryl965]

Well we do about 15-20 a year so I gues I beleive in them as far as a sport. I do not think they bring that much into actually S.D,principle driven people. I have always said tournaments help with timing but in the street you have no timing it is all reaction.

We do alot because of my son who dreams is being in the Olympics in TKD so that is one reason they other it is good for the school, if you can get great at playing the game you can win which brings in more students and in time hopefully the parents join as well and brings in a great attitude for the S.D. program. I also can see in some Arts they are not needed that much or at all.

 

[ackks10]

for me, its burn out Mike, i only go if the person who is running it asked me to do a demo, than i will go, and if some of my students wants to go than i will go just for them, but i don't go if i can help it, ( i did alot back in the day)
now don't get me wrong, if the person who is running it also asked me to help out i would, check this video out , kids at a Tournament,sparring.



http://video.aol.com/video-detail/kids-sparring-at-karate-tournament/4232363436

 

[Ray]

In the late 80's I enjoyed tournaments even though I was not consistantly a winner. From about 92 until earlier this year I hadn't had the opportunity to compete in a tournament. I competed and I enjoyed it as much as I ever did even though I didn't place in sparring.

If you have a competitive nature and enjoy forms, then competing in the forms division gives you a good reason to practice. Point Sparring won't necessarily help you perfect a knock-out punch but it does give you a reason to work on controlling distance and being fast.

I suppose it depends on your personality, what you like to do and what goal you've set.