I'll be competing for my first time in Oct

[Lynne]

I sparred for the first time last night and I also attended the sparring class afterward. We did three- and four-minute rounds in sparring class. Wow, was that conditioning!

I was hoping to compete someday, but I thought it would be a year from now or even longer.

Our instructor wants me to compete (not just me, all of the 8th gups) in the Central New York Classic the first week of October. I feel a little nervous about it, but I'll be sparring the same rank, right? I wonder how age plays into it?

I will be going to weekly sparring classes, you can count on that. I heard we may spar in every class from now until the tournament. I don't know if that's true, but I hope so. So much to learn...so little time.

I haven't decided whether I'll compete in forms and board-breaking yet.

What was your first time competing like?

 

[masherdong]

Hey Lynne,

The way most tournaments are set up are Beginner's (white, yellow, orange), Intermediate (purple,blue,green), Advanced (Red and Brown), and then Black Belt divisions.

From that it is divided into adult men's and women's, then it is further broken down by age groups.

Hope this helps. Good luck in the tournament! Just have FUN and RELAX!

 

[terryl965]

You will do fine, you will only fight fellow beginners and it should be great.

 

[KempoGuy06]

I agree relax. My first sparring competition was a little unnerving as well, but then I remember that the only differences from that and sparring class was that I was up against somebody new and I was being watched by a whole bunch of people.

Most important part is remembering to have fun.

B

 

[Kacey]

Sparring divisions are generally by rank, and then there are age/gender divisions within ranks; exactly what those divisions are depends on your organization's rules and who registers; if only one person registers in a particular bracket (group) that bracket may be combined with another - the rules for such things are generally laid out in the registration packets.

 

[IcemanSK]

Go get em, Lynne! You'll be great!

 

[Em MacIntosh]

Don't eat heavy foods, eat oatmeal or cereals. Carbs are what you need. Don't warm up too long or you'll burn out before you start. At your level you have to give extra consideration not to hit your opponent too hard (or indeed, at all. There are whiners who sometimes pretend they are hurt and aren't just because you made contact)-, if they say they can't continue, you're disqualified. Most importantly, you win some, you lose some. Let this be a confidence boost as it's simply a new experience, regardless of the outcome. Have fun! Hope you fare well.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Enjoy and relax when the time comes.

 

[stoneheart]

Good luck, Lynne! May I suggest practicing the reverse punch counter in the next few weeks? Most people at the beginner levels usually slid in with a backfist or lead leg roundhouse kick. I found it incredibly useful to practice either sidestepping or blocking the attack and then countering with a reverse punch. Be sure to kihap with your punch to 'influence' the judges to score your shot.

 

[Lynne]

Don't eat heavy foods, eat oatmeal or cereals. Carbs are what you need. Don't warm up too long or you'll burn out before you start. At your level you have to give extra consideration not to hit your opponent too hard (or indeed, at all. There are whiners who sometimes pretend they are hurt and aren't just because you made contact)-, if they say they can't continue, you're disqualified. Most importantly, you win some, you lose some. Let this be a confidence boost as it's simply a new experience, regardless of the outcome. Have fun! Hope you fare well.

Thanks Em for the tidbits. I had no idea about the whiners! I'll be 50 in September and I don't know the age range I'll spar. I hope that women in my age bracket will be more mature than to whine and such. Who knows? People are people.

Don't we have to make contact in order to score a point though? I don't know the rules yet. For instance, when I sparred the other night, someone came in and punched me and I punched back. That may be useless but it was instinct. I don't know if that was wrong because I wasn't corrected on that.

That stinks about being disqualified if you hit too hard. Gee, my daughter hits hard and I do mean hard. So, she could be in trouble then.

The men in our class don't want us to hold back though. They constantly tell us to go for it.

I had wondered about overdoing the warmup so I'm very glad you brought up that issue. I can't imagine the energy that will be expended in a two-minute round. I don't even know if I will do more rounds with the same person or if I'll be sparring additional people. I don't know how it the system works. I'm not nervous about that though.

I'm looking forward to sparring - not overconfidence mind you as there is no room for that (I have no idea what I'm doing), but the fact that I'll be sparring my own level is less intimidating.

I am hoping I won't get a broken nose since the face is fair game.

 

[Lynne]

Good luck, Lynne! May I suggest practicing the reverse punch counter in the next few weeks? Most people at the beginner levels usually slid in with a backfist or lead leg roundhouse kick. I found it incredibly useful to practice either sidestepping or blocking the attack and then countering with a reverse punch. Be sure to kihap with your punch to 'influence' the judges to score your shot.

Thank you for the advice. I need all I can get. I'm making notes in my training journal.

The other night I was doing rear and lead leg roundhouse kicks for the most part. Right on for the beginner I tried some side kicks and couldn't get close with them. I didn't try jump frontkicks. I have a feeling they are too slow for sparring? Plus you end up facing your opponent - would that leave you too open?

Hopefully in a month I'll have learned the hook kick. I don't know how useful that is in sparring though.

I was able to chase down two opponents because they were newbies like myself - that won't last long I'm sure. One of the senior instructors told me that making my opponent miss was more important than anything. She told me to side step as much as possible, keep bouncing and shifting, and never back up (running from my opponent).

With the reverse punch, are you talking about moving in with a forward leg and punching with opposite arm? Do you have to follow up with another punch for it to count? What if you punch three or four times? Is that extra points?

When you kick do you also have to follow up with a punch for it to count?

Kihaps - I will start working on them in class so they'll become automatic.

 

[stoneheart]

The other night I was doing rear and lead leg roundhouse kicks for the most part. Right on for the beginner I tried some side kicks and couldn't get close with them. I didn't try jump frontkicks. I have a feeling they are too slow for sparring? Plus you end up facing your opponent - would that leave you too open?

Yes, the jumping frontkick is too slow to score against an experienced opponent. As you surmised, it leaves you vulnerable to a countering spinning back kick which is not pleasant to take flush in the belly.

Hopefully in a month I'll have learned the hook kick. I don't know how useful that is in sparring though.

It's not particularly useful as an offensive technique, but the hooking motion can be useful since it allows you to take advantage of the occasional odd exposed areas when your opponent has overcommited. Watch some old Olympic TKD matches on Youtube when you get a chance. You'll understand what I mean about it being more of a countering technique.

I was able to chase down two opponents because they were newbies like myself - that won't last long I'm sure. One of the senior instructors told me that making my opponent miss was more important than anything. She told me to side step as much as possible, keep bouncing and shifting, and never back up (running from my opponent).

Generally sound advice for sport sparring.

With the reverse punch, are you talking about moving in with a forward leg and punching with opposite arm? Do you have to follow up with another punch for it to count? What if you punch three or four times? Is that extra points?

That's indeed a classical reverse punch. In traditional karate tournaments, the judges will not score a technique unless you show good form and control... thus, displaying a step in and transfer of weight and good snap on the punch is vital for that type of competition. If you are competing in one of the more casual point fighting tournaments more common in the US, I imagine you can get away with not moving your feet at all and just firing in the punch.

Combinations are always good and increase your chance of scoring, but no you don't get any extra points. Some tournaments has "continuous" sparring, where you simply spar for a minute or so and then the judges name a winner after the round is over. Obviously, combos are preferred in this case.

When you kick do you also have to follow up with a punch for it to count?

No, at the tournaments I've attended.

 

[Lynne]

Yes, the jumping frontkick is too slow to score against an experienced opponent. As you surmised, it leaves you vulnerable to a countering spinning back kick which is not pleasant to take flush in the belly.



It's not particularly useful as an offensive technique, but the hooking motion can be useful since it allows you to take advantage of the occasional odd exposed areas when your opponent has overcommited. Watch some old Olympic TKD matches on Youtube when you get a chance. You'll understand what I mean about it being more of a countering technique.



Generally sound advice for sport sparring.



That's indeed a classical reverse punch. In traditional karate tournaments, the judges will not score a technique unless you show good form and control... thus, displaying a step in and transfer of weight and good snap on the punch is vital for that type of competition. If you are competing in one of the more casual point fighting tournaments more common in the US, I imagine you can get away with not moving your feet at all and just firing in the punch.

Combinations are always good and increase your chance of scoring, but no you don't get any extra points. Some tournaments has "continuous" sparring, where you simply spar for a minute or so and then the judges name a winner after the round is over. Obviously, combos are preferred in this case.



No, at the tournaments I've attended.

Thank you, stoneheart, for taking the time to answer all of my questions. Much appreciated. I doubt I would have learned all of this before competing.

I'm really glad you mentioned form and control. If I can manage good form in my punches and control, that may go a long ways for an orange belt. Next time I spar in class, I'll be working on snapping my punches, too.

 

[Lynne]

Well, I'll be competing in board-breaking, forms, and sparring.

I'm going to a board-breaking clinic September 24 so I can learn to break boards!

I can now see why some people might get disgruntled with tournaments. One of my senior instructors went over sparring rules the other night. Evidently, it is up to the Master of each ring as to what is allowed and what isn't. Some will allow a fake backfist for a set-up and some will not. Absolutely no punches are allowed to the head but many of the senior women are "headhunters" and will go for the head anyway. If the Master doesn't issue a warning and your opponent scores a point, go for the head in return. Sometimes colored belts below green belt are allowed to lightly kick the head, sometimes not.

This is a big tournament. We're expecting 500 competitors from Europe and across the US.

I thought there would be consistency amongst Tang Soo Do. Then again, maybe I'll be fighting someone from TKD or another art. Is that possible?

 

[Lynne]

Enjoy and relax when the time comes.

I have a pretty good attitude, I think. I could care less about winning. I just want to do my best.

 

[Bumblebee]

I've never been to a competition where "If you hit too hard, you get disqualified." If your opponent can't continue because you hit too hard, and your hit was legal, then that's a TKO. If it's an illegal hit, like a groin shot, and your opponent can't continue, then I understand being disqualified.

As for my tips, make sure you eat. Don't make the mistake of not eating, because you'll be lacking energy and you'll be hungry. Crackers and cookies don't count as a meal. The competitions I've been to, I was always one of the last age groups to go. They let the black belts go first, then the kids, then us. So bring something to keep you busy for the wait. Don't think too much about the competition, stay focused, and remember your training, but don't overthink it I guess is what I'm saying.

 

[Lynne]

I've never been to a competition where "If you hit too hard, you get disqualified." If your opponent can't continue because you hit too hard, and your hit was legal, then that's a TKO. If it's an illegal hit, like a groin shot, and your opponent can't continue, then I understand being disqualified.

As for my tips, make sure you eat. Don't make the mistake of not eating, because you'll be lacking energy and you'll be hungry. Crackers and cookies don't count as a meal. The competitions I've been to, I was always one of the last age groups to go. They let the black belts go first, then the kids, then us. So bring something to keep you busy for the wait. Don't think too much about the competition, stay focused, and remember your training, but don't overthink it I guess is what I'm saying.

Gotcha about the not overthinking part. Try to stay alert but relaxed.

They are going to be selling food. I don't know what it will be though. I was thinking some protein, some fat would be good. High-glycemic carbs like white buns may be the only option (I suspect they'll be selling hotdogs - grease could do you in though, that sort of thing). Maybe fast carbs will be ok as long as I have a steady supply. I thought of taking some protein bars but they seem to make me hungrier unless it's evening, aka, they don't do the job of a meal. I think we're going to be there from 8:00 am until about 4:00 pm or so. I think nutrition and hydration is going to be a large part of how I do. I have a tendency toward low-blood sugar/reactive hypoglycemia.

As far as the rules go, it appears the rules are different for 4th gups through 10th gups versus red belts/black belts.

 

[Bumblebee]

Right, in my tournaments, since I'm a colored belt the majority of them restrict kicks to the head. The black belts are allowed to kick to the head, that's the biggest thing I came across.

You could always bring your own food from home. Probably something non-perishable and keep it in the car. When there are tournaments from 8-4 there's a 99.999% chance that they will break for lunch. You can then go out to your car and eat. I ate two hot dogs for lunch at my last tournament and still won gold, but yeah, I don't recommend it. What you basically want is to not be hungry and not be full.

They don't allow outside food or drink? Smuggle it!

 

[Lynne]

Right, in my tournaments, since I'm a colored belt the majority of them restrict kicks to the head. The black belts are allowed to kick to the head, that's the biggest thing I came across.

You could always bring your own food from home. Probably something non-perishable and keep it in the car. When there are tournaments from 8-4 there's a 99.999% chance that they will break for lunch. You can then go out to your car and eat. I ate two hot dogs for lunch at my last tournament and still won gold, but yeah, I don't recommend it. What you basically want is to not be hungry and not be full.

They don't allow outside food or drink? Smuggle it!

I think I'll bring some sandwiches on whole grain bread, maybe a box if raisins and a banana. I don't trust what they will be selling, so I'll bring my own. Thanks for the tips.