bushidomartialarts
Senior Master
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, Helvetica]Hi all, I had a rant/question for tournament goers out there.
I took my school to an open tournament this weekend and while my people did well I was appalled at the behavior of the black belt instructors from other schools. Some things I observed:
a line of 11 year old competitors waiting twenty minutes for their ring to start, because the black belt judges were all to busy watching kumite for anyone to come over and judge.
black belt instructors insulting participants in the ring against their guys.
competitors leaving the ring after performing their kata (not waiting to watch their fellow competitors), or talking loudly on the line while others performed.
an 'adult' student storming out of the gym after losing his match for 1st and 2nd.
that same student still receiving his 2nd place trophy.
a senior black belt actually heckling a center judge over a call, and refusing to back off when asked to.
tournament management trying to appease the heckler rather than tossing him out on his ear.
Maybe I'm just naive. This tournament was in the Pacific Northwest. Most of my tournament experience is through the AKKA organization in New Mexico/Arizona/Colorado. Where I came up the ranks, that sort of behavior would have gotten competitors or entire schools kicked out and asked not to come back. Which brings me to my question for you all:
Is this just the way of things in the circuit these days? Or was this tournament an exception? Or is this a growing trend that we all need to work hard to curb?
Peace & Strength,
Jason Brick
PS. I posted this thread at kenponet, too, so apologies to anybody I just bored.
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I took my school to an open tournament this weekend and while my people did well I was appalled at the behavior of the black belt instructors from other schools. Some things I observed:
a line of 11 year old competitors waiting twenty minutes for their ring to start, because the black belt judges were all to busy watching kumite for anyone to come over and judge.
black belt instructors insulting participants in the ring against their guys.
competitors leaving the ring after performing their kata (not waiting to watch their fellow competitors), or talking loudly on the line while others performed.
an 'adult' student storming out of the gym after losing his match for 1st and 2nd.
that same student still receiving his 2nd place trophy.
a senior black belt actually heckling a center judge over a call, and refusing to back off when asked to.
tournament management trying to appease the heckler rather than tossing him out on his ear.
Maybe I'm just naive. This tournament was in the Pacific Northwest. Most of my tournament experience is through the AKKA organization in New Mexico/Arizona/Colorado. Where I came up the ranks, that sort of behavior would have gotten competitors or entire schools kicked out and asked not to come back. Which brings me to my question for you all:
Is this just the way of things in the circuit these days? Or was this tournament an exception? Or is this a growing trend that we all need to work hard to curb?
Peace & Strength,
Jason Brick
PS. I posted this thread at kenponet, too, so apologies to anybody I just bored.
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