Why compete in tournaments?

[JR 137]

Ok, I was a little short in my description. There are time-in-grade requirements, of which I've met the minimum (hence: moving fast). There's also proficiency in the techniques.

But one thing to keep in mind is that my school ranges in age from 4 year olds to 64 year olds. Someone who starts in their 50s or 60s isn't going to have beautiful head-level spinning hook kicks. But they can teach the 8 and 10 year olds how to do it if they understand the body mechanics.

Now, I'm not in the 50-60 range. I'm 30. I can spar and make it look good. I just can't compete with 22 year olds who have been doing the art since they were little kids, are 8 inches taller than me, and have time to work out.

I see what you’re saying. Proficiency and making something look pretty aren’t one in the same. Being TKD, I’m sure there’s far more emphasis on high kicks and flashier kicks than at my dojo. With stuff like that, and everything else, the expectations are adjusted for age, disability, stuff like that. Spirit is most important, but technique plays a critical role too. If the CI sees you’re doing your best and can make it work for you, you’ll get far more praise for that rib-height kick you’re struggling to do than the guy who can easily kick an apple off your head without touching you, but is somehow only kicking shoulder height today.

It’s effort, spirit, knowledge, etc, but being proficient is definitely required. Again, you don’t have to be able to throw a flawless roundhouse to the head, but you’ve got to be able to effectively use the roundhouse within your realistic limitations. And not only against the air.

Edit - I say roundhouse, but that applies to everything. I’m sure we’re far closer with this and the previous posts than this type of medium shows.

 

[DrewTheTKDStudent1992]

You will feel the fear, the shame of being kicked in the *** in front of people...

For me, it was a matter of emotions management and test myself in a competive environment. As it was an internal competition (within the association), skill level of opponents could easily be years apart, so it could not be just about winning really, but more about seeing what I could do even in an inferiority position.

In training we can all be badass, but it is when things suck that we know our actual level and limitations.

My 50 cents.

Not bad advice, I was a competive kid back in elementary school, when it came to riding bikes, school, and other things. Yet I never thought about Martial Arts tournaments back in the day. Yet it got worse as a teen to my early adult years because I became a whole lot less competitive (in almost anything). I guess I would’ve liked the younger me to train and compete a lot more. Especially since things are competitive in our world today. Might’ve been a good lesson for me.

 

[marques]

Not bad advice, I was a competive kid back in elementary school, when it came to riding bikes, school, and other things. Yet I never thought about Martial Arts tournaments back in the day. Yet it got worse as a teen to my early adult years because I became a whole lot less competitive (in almost anything). I guess I would’ve liked the younger me to train and compete a lot more. Especially since things are competitive in our world today. Might’ve been a good lesson for me.

I feel I am becoming less competitive as well (I mean, less and less willing for MA/sports competitions).

Another point of view is in a world that (monkey) people is fighting all the time for peanuts, focusing is MA competitions may relieve us from pointless wars (if you consider MA meaningful). So, up the competitiveness, other thing is focus.

 

[DrewTheTKDStudent1992]

You can test your skill against people you have never met. If your MA skill can work on those people, the chance that your MA skill will work on the street will be high.

Excellent point, I’ve been thinking about this.

I definitely want to win, and when I’m preparing I train to win. I train as hard and as smart as I possibly can. But with the whole winning thing, sometimes it’s too low of a bar (if the field is awful) and other times it’s too unrealistic (if the field is way too good). I do everything thing I can to prepare, leave it all on the floor when I’m doing my thing, and walk away leaving the rest of it all to take care of itself.

You’re right, because as for me I don’t want to focus so much on getting a trophy or whatnot, even though it is nice. My goal right now is to be able to hold my own against any opponent.

 

[pdg]

I just can't compete with 22 year olds who have been doing the art since they were little kids, are 8 inches taller than me, and have time to work out.

I'll give you the time to work out bit

Anything else is on you though.

Saying you can't compete with them is the wrong attitude imo.

I'm past 40, it's unlikely many people have 8" on me but a few are taller, and if I can't keep up / compete, that's my fault.

Ok, so it's maybe not sensible (like that time I nearly fainted by trying to keep up with a 21 year old marathon runner / comp MTB rider during a beep test in class - but I beat everyone except him ) but if I start to think I'm too old / can't compete, then you know what? I won't be able to compete...

 

[skribs]

I'll give you the time to work out bit

Anything else is on you though.

Saying you can't compete with them is the wrong attitude imo.

I'm past 40, it's unlikely many people have 8" on me but a few are taller, and if I can't keep up / compete, that's my fault.

Ok, so it's maybe not sensible (like that time I nearly fainted by trying to keep up with a 21 year old marathon runner / comp MTB rider during a beep test in class - but I beat everyone except him ) but if I start to think I'm too old / can't compete, then you know what? I won't be able to compete...

So let's say I wanted to play baseball. Should I join a local softball team, or try out for the Tacoma Rainiers?

The problem I have with the tournaments is that because they all are seen as pathways to the national or world competitions, it's somewhat similar to minor leagues. Instead of being a competition appropriate for someone with my ambitions.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

The nice thing about tournament competition is it makes people to feel less ego. If we put the whole earth population in one tournament, there will be only one winner. After that winner dies, the earth will be filled with all losers.

 

[Feitianwu]

I competed once, in Tae Kwon Do. Took home a medal. I think that's the funnest sport for competition fighting. I just went because I was asked to come along. It was the first time I ever did martial arts for sport. It was really enjoyable. Up until that time I only ever trained to kill. I trained under Grandmaster Douglas McLeod in his own hybrid American Kenpo system before MMA was a thing. We never competed, nothing was for sport, everything was strictly death, training for life & death situations, using only fatal strikes and techniques.

I found Tae Kwon Do to be much lighter, just kind of plinking around. And it's not as hard on your head as some MMA fighting without head protection etc, and you don't get hit in the head relentlessly, so you're not causing or receiving brain damage