Thoughts on competing in tournaments

[Damian Mavis]

This is something I posted on the ITF Tae Kwon Do bulletin board in a discussion about tournaments and just thought I would get other peoples thoughts on the subject. It's about Tae Kwon Do but it can relate to any art that has competitions.

"I'm not against competition. I'm against the FOCUS of my art becoming sporty. I do not pressure my students to compete but I do encourage them to try it as a good experience. I tell them to go to tournaments for the same reason I go: I go to overcome any fears and anxiety that might hinder the successful application of my techniques while in a stressful situation. The reason I think this is important is because street defence is all about using your techniques while under duress and tournaments are the closest thing to experience that without going out and picking fights. It is excellent training for preparing yourself for self defence. It's not the same of course but it is stressful and if you can overcome that and perform you strikes effectively and accurately while nervous, scared, panicking...whatever than you have a better chance of actually defending yourself realisticly on the street. That is really the only reason I compete and I suggest to my students to compete. Winning or losing is completely unimportant compared to learning how to handle combat stress.

I have always felt this way. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose but I always feel good about having put myself through the experience. I was even Canadian champ one year for my weight division while in GTF and honestly it meant nothing to me compared to the realisation that I was finally focused and calm during stressful situations. I used to freeze up and mentally shut down when I got into the ring so it was a big deal to me to overcome that.

I don't have anything against people that compete because they just want to win, I just don't like to see schools and or individuals become completely absorbed with winning and that's all they care about. Competition should be a small part of the art, not the whole point of learning Tae Kwon Do."

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

 

[fissure]

I have said before that competition is great as long as it doesn't become the sole focus of training.
Maybe I'm just getting more selfish, but I realize now that if someone is only interested in the sporting aspect of a MA ( well, I guess it really wouldn't be a MA at that point would it!) then, for them at least, what is the harm?
I think there will always be plenty of schools such as yours that pass on the kind of MA training needed to keep the arts alive and well. Admittedly they will probably never be as large or profitable as "sporting MA schools", but again who cares?
The sad thing to me is ending of a tournament players interest in MA when they no longer are able to compete. At this point there is nothing left for them in MAs. Once the lure of trophies is beyond their grasp, there is nothing else to hold their interest.

 

[Senfeng]

Tournaments are an oppertunity to try your skills against students of another school. People get used to their partners. Ever notice how the students in your morning class match up pretty well with each other and ditto with your evening class? Have you ever tried to get all of these students together on a Saturday? Count how many kids accidentally get hit in the face or trip over each other. It can be quite awkward at first. That awkard feeling is amplified when facing an opponent from a different school (or even a different style or no style).

In THIS respect, I feel that it prepares you for a street fight. However, the biggest differences I see between a tourney and a REAL fight are:
1) You spend a month preparing for a tournament, but you're almost never prepared for a fight on the street.
2) During the match, you fight until someone gets a point. In a street fight, you stop when someone makes a point... the definitive win. Tournaments don't go beyond that point making hit or combo. In a real fight, its best to keep your combos going until you know you've won.

Of course, these are just my oppinions.


EDIT
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
YEAH! I just got my orange belt! 60 posts WOOHOO!

 

[Damian Mavis]

Your point number 2 generalises a bit, you've got to take into consideration that not everyone competes at point fighting. Federations like mine compete at freestyle fighting which means you have a 2 minute round and you go go go. Nobody stops you unless someone goes down to the ground. The judges keep track of points while the round is ongoing.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

 

[Senfeng]

My mistake. I assumed you were talking about point sparring.
However, there are other differences between a tournament fight and a street fight (as I'm sure you're aware, so I won't go there). So... does tourney fighting prepare you? Sure it does. It trains you to prepare for the differences in fighting styles. It relieves you of that 'awkwardness', but does not always equate to a fight on the street. I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new.

 

[KennethKu]

The problem with over emphasizing on winning tournys is that you tend to get over focused on techniques and training that win tournys (scoring points) but might be totally useless in real life self defence.

In sparring, you are not concerned about protecting your groin and lower body from attack, and you don't train for limbs destruction neither. Just to name a few examples.

 

[JDenz]

I think all tournaments are good. I think it is a good testing point of your body. I havent done many stand up tournaments, but still I think it is great training. First of all you get your body in great shape training for a tournament and that would definitly help you with a street fight. I can see how fighting in a point karate tournament or something could hurt you a little on the street, i.e. pulling some punches or aiming for non vital points but I still think they are a good thing

 

[warder]

the biggest reason I compete, is because it scares the hell out of me to do it. I never sleep the night before. Im anxious, and my nerves are always shot. Then when its all over, i always have a great time, win, lose, or draw. It is just another experience to me. I dont put any merit on my competition record. I only do it becaus eit is a challenge to me. I will continue to do it as long as it remains a challenge to. Plus it is always a good way to meet people with the same intrests as you. It is also a safe way to humble yourself when you get too cocky about your abilities.

 

[Hollywood1340]

Fellow Artists,
Know what you want your arts to be. I started in TKD knowing that primarily it is now a sport. I started CHKD knowing it had no sporting application. I've ceased training in TKD because I wasn't getting what I wanted out of that particular art. My judo is a nice blend, I'd say 60/40 sport/street. And right now I don't compete. I just train
Cheers!

 

[tshadowchaser]

Tournaments are for learning. Learning technique and winning that trophy is only one part of it. You learn about yourslef about how you control fear, joy, many emotions. You learn about how to handle your temper and how to show respect for others. You can learn about styles different from your own. It is all about learning UNLESS you are only in it to win (hate to tell you but you learn from all the others also).
Shadow:asian:

 

[karatekid1975]

I liked to compete, but only breaking and forms. One reason I didn't spar is for the fact that it IS too sporty.

In my TSD school, competing wasn't "forced "on me. The choice was there, do or don't. But I love breaking and I'm fairly good at forms, so I did those.

In my TKD school, I feel like I'm being "pressured" to compete. My instructor keeps saying, "You should compete .... you should spar. You have good technique. You would do great." I feel like saying .... well I won't go there.

I told myself when I got into WTF TKD that I refused to let my training go "sporty." I'm not in it for sport. Plain and simple. (Warder heard this from me before LOL) I got into martial arts for the ART (self defense, that is).

I agree that it (sparring) would be good experience as fair as endurence, but it's just not my thing (the sport end of it). Sorry.

 

[Deathtrap101]

When i first got into karate it was for being able to be an awesome fighter and i wanted to be able to kick everyone's *** and i never realy thought id be doing tournaments. When i started competeing all my goals and everything set to sport(though i never eraly realized it) i did my first two tournaments and then i started thinking about why i started. I went to my last tournament last month and now im done competing.

I came to karate to learn how to take somebody out as hard, fast and efficeintly as possible. Im finished with tournaments untill i can get into the more contact ones which is hard to get into as a yellow belt, not that i would want to get into them just yet. Gime a year or two yet.

 

[yilisifu]

Tournaments can be enjoyable for students. They get to see different schools and styles and meet other students...but never forget that tournament fighting and actual combat are two different worlds.

 

[JDenz]

Tournaments are good because it teaches you the right mental attidude. By being able to remain calm in a tournament, it should allow you to remain calm at least to a degree on the street.