karate tournament

[progressivetactics]

What is your general opinion about karate tournaments? Some people love them and base part of their yearly income on promoting them. Others can't stand them and trash on all that do love them.
What is your take of them? Do they do any good for martial arts in general?

 

[John Bishop]

I have always approached tournaments as a "extra" thing that you participate in for fun and a chance to sociallize with other martial artists. Sort of like a sunday afternoon picnic and softball game.
I have never made tournament participation a requirement, or tournament success a criteria for advancement. I tell the students that it is a fun way to fellowship and compete with other martial artists.
When people take the competition too seriously, then the politics set in.
Every year in June/July we (Kajukenbo) have a weekend of seminars, awards banquet, and tournament to celebrate our founder's (Sijo Emperado) birthday. Kajukenbo people from around the world come together for celebration, socialization, and friendly competition.
I think if you pick and choose the tournaments you attend, they can be a very enjoyable experience.

 

[TallAdam85]

Tournaments How I feel About them Well I love them there great I go out and compete alot and meet lots of nice people and also win alot
:samurai:

 

[progressivetactics]

they are defenityly more fun when you win!

 

[jukado1]

Tournaments can be fun, recreation, sport, social gatherings, and many more things to different people, possibly their most important value is giving students ( and in this respect were all students ) a chance to test themselves under pressure, by facing the unknown, tournaments have many weaknesses, but to test yourself under pressure is the best and fastest way to improve.
good luck, train hard, train smart.