I seek help for tournament ideas

[knifeman.dk]

Hi there
I am looking into arranging new tournaments for my organization here in Denmark. We have had fullcontact arnis tournaments, semi contact ManoMano tournaments, form / sayaw tournaments, knife and even DuloDulo tournaments.
But i would like to hear good advice from all of you in order to make more realistic "and fun" tournaments for my people.
(we have participated in many various FMA touraments in the world - including european and world championships in different assosiations)

I am planning to make tournaments with (maybe) 3 rounds (3 minutes each) and something like 1. round with one or two sticks, 2. round with any kind of FMA related weapon (knife, sword, patul, Bankaw, dulodulo or ??) and the last round empty handed using FMA empty hands concepts.

I hope you can help me with good ideas to everything from tournament rules (for this kind of triple fma fighting), weight classes or no classes?, protective gear or how do we minimalize it, what should the judges be looking for, and what should the fighters be getting from this - that they cannot get from any other kind of training / tournament.

Looking foreward to learn from you .... !

sincerely Toby, knifeman.dk
www.arnis.dk
www.knifeman.dk

 

[arnisador]

How are your tournament plans coming?

 

[thekuntawman]

i dont think strength is a big issue for stick fighting. but skill level is more important, and if you have lots of people fighting and you have to split the division, i would go by height.

if you can take my advice about judges, make you own rules and bring it to them. let each main judge make some small calls for himself, but you set the main rules. what you dont want is some judge to disagree with how you want to run your tournament. you might even want to get with maybe two more teachers, to help you, so they can influence there friends to support you and share with ideas. especially if you are not part of a big organization with lots of local support.

also, money! not many martial artist like to fight, but if you offer money, you will bring more fighters to your tournament. since you will have empty hands division, advertise it to the karate community, with the money prize real big, and they will pay your expenses.