Who competes, and in what?

[Bob Hubbard]

Who competes, and in what?

My preference is point fighting, padded weapons. I'm not a fan of form competitions, or 'live stick' stuff, though I've done them in the past.

 

[Shaderon]

I like the form competitions. We compete at colour belt level in area seminars every quarter if we want to and in regional and individual championships every year in forms, sparring and breaking.
In my first seminar competition I got a gold for my forms, in my first individual I didn't get anything but it was close I was told, and I got knocked out by the girl who got the gold.

In the regionals later this year I'll be eligible for breaking, I want to do that and am starting conditioning my hands already for it on a punch bag.

 

[MJS]

I used to go to tournaments all the time, although its been a while now. I'd usually do both sparring and forms. I didnt go nearly as much as some of the others that were at these events. I'd mostly go for the experience. I wasn't hell bent on getting a trophy, although thats always a nice thing to walk away with! It was good to compete with others outside of the school. There is certainly alot of tough competition out there.

Most recently, I've thought about entering some grappling events with NAGA. Just have to find the time to put in that extra training.

 

[kidswarrior]

Have a cohort of new blue belts (halfway to black), and been telling them that at blue they could begin forms competing in regional trounaments. So, looks like this summer.

For me...Naw. Nothing left I want to compete for. Believe point fighting is counterproductive to real preparedness. Forms are for self-discovery (bunkai, how the body moves, what points I learn from student questions). And techniques/basics are something I teach/learn from. But then, I'm old and jaded. :ultracool When it come to sport fighing, always think of an old salt Senior Chief I knew in the Navy. When he was on his way to watch a fight (loooong before pay per view), he'd always look forward most to the 'prefights'.

 

[Eternal Beginner]

In the past I have done the point sparring and kata competitions. More recently BJJ and sub grappling comps are what I get to mostly. I have done quite a few in Western Canada and a couple in the States but am really looking forward to competing in the Masters Tournament in Brazil this summer.

 

[terryl965]

At our schoo we do Olympic Sparring, point sparring and continous point sparring, weapon and Poosae, here lately we havea few that does the sport grappling. So I guess we do it all.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

I do a .50 shoot twice a year is all now. I used to be into point sparring and competitive fencing, but that was many moons ago.

Jeff

 

[Marvin]

One or two bjj and /or judo comps a year. Plus 3 gun and glock shoots

 

[Makalakumu]

I've competed in wrestling, judo, full contact kumite, point sparring, "MMA" style sparring, Forms, Breaking, and weapons. I don't do any of it anymore. I just don't have the time with a family, full time job and a full slate of TSD classes to teach. Plus, I got sick of being injured all of the time.

 

[14 Kempo]

I was competing in both forms and sparring up until the 12/2006 timeframe. Unfortunately I ruptured a disc at L5 during that forms competition.

 

[searcher]

I compete in traditional weapons, traditional empty hand(Korean and Japanese), open weapons, and point sparring(no use wasting my money if I am already there and my fees are already covered). Most of my sparring is in knockdown style and the occasional kickboxing match. I used to box Golden Gloves, but now I am to old per the rules.

I have been wanting to take up WEKAF sparring, but I have no idea where to start and I have no current stickfighting instructor. Maybe one of these days.

 

[Noah_Legel]

I've competed in forms, weapons forms, point sparring, and full judo, however I have only done so in the local tournaments hosted by my dojo, since I don't have a schedule for competitions, and since I live in central Illinois, I'm pretty far away from where most competitions would be (Chicago, Champaign, etc.). Hopefully I will be able to get into some larger tournaments, but I think I'm already out of luck for this year.

 

[lkblair]

I compete in empty-hand kata and point sparring. I would love to pick up a weapon, but the only local Kobudo class conflicts with my daughter's gymnastics. I stink at sparring, but I *love* kata. I get a real rush from doing my forms well (whether in competition or not).

 

[tntma12]

I have competed in MMA, and stand up sparring. I have also competed in kickboxing as well. I dont compete as much anymore, no time with teaching and working full time. Hoping to get back into competing someday, lol.

 

[Bumblebee]

I've competed in Olympic Sparring and Poomse, nothing big just a few local tournaments. I've been involved in a few MMA sparring matches, but those were far from an actual competition.

 

[gnrail]

I compete in forms, weapons forms and point sparing. I like the challenge and like to face other opponents in sparring than the regular gang in class. As well my son has been competing regularly and you get tired just standing around.

Some of our Karate school has also started studying Arnis and we have been practicing padded stick sparring. I will eventually get the nerve up to try this at a tournament.

However what do you do with the trophies?

 

[karate-dragon]

I've competed in our New England circuit. Problem is it has gotten very expensive and to play the "points game" you need to hit most of the tournaments to add the points up, and it is costly. In the past I prefer to spar, but also compete in forms and weapons (bo, kamas, sword).

 

[Zero]

Way back in High school I competed in TKD - Federation - and judo. About 3-4 years ago switched to karate training but only competed once in points/sport karate for fun as not my focus.

I have fought in full contact - kyokoshin and muay thai tournaments for about 3 years and have had several freestyle/ mma fights until 1 year ago when I had to stop due to injury (arm-bar induced). Now I am healed and back in full fight training and I would like to compete in several more open mma competitions before calling it quits. I am now in the UK/London and things are a bit different here at times - got into trouble in a goju ryu fight (full contact sparring not tournament) for knocking out opponent with a head punch, as here the rules are like kyokoshin and no head strikes apart from kicks (I had assumed the same as back home and wasn't told otherwise at the start).

I prefer mma as can utilise the judo and jujitsu training with the striking and far less rules regarding where and how can strike body regions.

 

[Lynne]

I just competed in my first Tang Soo Do tournament - forms, board-breaking, and sparring.

 

[14 Kempo]

I competed in forms and sparring up until December of 2006.