Tournament time..... :)

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_Simon_

_Simon_

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Has been a little while, but unsure of my tournament aims this year, or whether I will compete. My main priority is getting back into training in a new style, and I may just focus solely on this. It's been a difficult start to the year in a few ways (but so many blessings), with health stuff playing up and financially not able to afford training.

The Nationals for the all styles tournament are actually being held in our state this year which would just be incredible to compete in. It doesn't make sense to compete in sparring if I haven't had anyone to spar with regularly in the dojo (there's only so much you can work on solo!) so I'm thinking of maybe just competing in kata, something I've kept up at home.

If I find my new dojo and get consistent training and sparring then this may change.

We'll see what happens. There's of course a chance I'll completely flip and change my mind 180° [emoji14]
 

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Hope it works out for you.

Jacob finished his season this weekend....1 more tourney in the season but he is going to miss it due to a school trip.

He finished 1st in fighting and 2nd in kata and weapons in the seasons point standings. Good but he came up short in qualifying for the Jr National Team. (He has been on the team for the last 3 years so he is a little disappointed.)
 

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Hope it works out for you.

Jacob finished his season this weekend....1 more tourney in the season but he is going to miss it due to a school trip.

He finished 1st in fighting and 2nd in kata and weapons in the seasons point standings. Good but he came up short in qualifying for the Jr National Team. (He has been on the team for the last 3 years so he is a little disappointed.)
It’s tough when you’re at that age, or any age really, to see all the accomplishments after finding out you didn’t make a team. Don’t let him let that take away from his success.

And not making the team could be a great thing or a bad thing in the long run. Gut check time. I’m pretty sure he’ll use it as motivation.
 

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Hope it works out for you.

Jacob finished his season this weekend....1 more tourney in the season but he is going to miss it due to a school trip.

He finished 1st in fighting and 2nd in kata and weapons in the seasons point standings. Good but he came up short in qualifying for the Jr National Team. (He has been on the team for the last 3 years so he is a little disappointed.)
Sorry to hear it. I sure you will support and love him up. Let him know us here on the forum are supportive of him.
 

CB Jones

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Sorry to hear it. I sure you will support and love him up. Let him know us here on the forum are supportive of him.

He understands. The problem this year was school activities. He missed a bunch of tournaments this year due to High School Baseball, FBLA and BETA Conventions.
 
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_Simon_

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Hope it works out for you.

Jacob finished his season this weekend....1 more tourney in the season but he is going to miss it due to a school trip.

He finished 1st in fighting and 2nd in kata and weapons in the seasons point standings. Good but he came up short in qualifying for the Jr National Team. (He has been on the team for the last 3 years so he is a little disappointed.)
Thanks!

Ah sorry to hear, he must be disappointed. Must be quite a process to make the team hey!
 
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Checked out another all-styles tournament circuit today just to branch out from the other one and see what others are like. An hour and a half drive, but just to watch. It was pretty cool, definitely much smaller, only two rings and not heaps of competitors, but may be worth giving a go for the experience. Referees and judges seemed professional and fair. The continuous sparring divisions were pretty heavy contact, they were really going at it!

Saw some unreal Tang Soo Do forms today, looked really different but fascinating. Such a mix of different soft and hard techniques!
 
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Tournament is in two weeks... but unsure whether to enter. Have been incredibly unwell the last 2 months so don't know if I physically can at this stage.. ugh decisions...

If I did it would only be in kata, so it wouldn't be overly taxing. This is the only round left to qualify for states and then nationals, so....
 

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Tournament is in two weeks... but unsure whether to enter. Have been incredibly unwell the last 2 months so don't know if I physically can at this stage.. ugh decisions...

If I did it would only be in kata, so it wouldn't be overly taxing. This is the only round left to qualify for states and then nationals, so....

We go through these periods of health not being up to par during different stages of life, Simon. There'll be plenty more tournaments, you'll have plenty more years hopefully, please take care of yourself first.

Maybe just go and watch with camera, video and pen in hand, making notes and shots and film on everybody and of the tournament itself. Kind of like a scouting mission for next year. Think of it as research.

Sometimes when I couldn't compete due to injury, I'd go watch and study the fighters, but sometimes I'd only study the judging. A lot of the same judges would show up for the same tournaments each year. Different judges have different ways of judging, different things they like and don't like, or things they just plain miss. I find that people that do a lot of judging all have habits and tells that a competitor can use to his advantage if he knows them.

So maybe go use it as a scouting mission. Then go smoke em' next year when feeling a little better.
 
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We go through these periods of health not being up to par during different stages of life, Simon. There'll be plenty more tournaments, you'll have plenty more years hopefully, please take care of yourself first.

Maybe just go and watch with camera, video and pen in hand, making notes and shots and film on everybody and of the tournament itself. Kind of like a scouting mission for next year. Think of it as research.

Sometimes when I couldn't compete due to injury, I'd go watch and study the fighters, but sometimes I'd only study the judging. A lot of the same judges would show up for the same tournaments each year. Different judges have different ways of judging, different things they like and don't like, or things they just plain miss. I find that people that do a lot of judging all have habits and tells that a competitor can use to his advantage if he knows them.

So maybe go use it as a scouting mission. Then go smoke em' next year when feeling a little better.
Thanks so much... really appreciate that. For sure I need to put my health first. I figured doing kata wouldn't be overly stressing (even though I give that couple of minutes my all haha..), sparring is absolutely out of the question.

I'll have a ponder as to what to do.. some awesome suggestions as to watching and taking notes. Really was so looking forward to possibly making the nationals as they're in our state this year, bit emotional about it all..

Thank you
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

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Thanks so much... really appreciate that. For sure I need to put my health first. I figured doing kata wouldn't be overly stressing (even though I give that couple of minutes my all haha..), sparring is absolutely out of the question.

I'll have a ponder as to what to do.. some awesome suggestions as to watching and taking notes. Really was so looking forward to possibly making the nationals as they're in our state this year, bit emotional about it all..

Thank you
Keep in mind if you go, you wouldnt just be giving those couple minutes your all. Youd be giving them your all these next two weeks. And that's where you'd be risking hurting yourself.
 

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Yes, and I really don’t see Kata as a passive activity in competition.
 
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Thanks guys, yeah that is a good point.. it's been a few things health-wise but basically at the moment it's my SI joint that has been excruciatingly painful, not having any idea why. Seeing an osteopath on Thursday, I guess I'll keep my focus on healing up, and hopefully working towards training in the dojo again. Cheers
 

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Thanks guys, yeah that is a good point.. it's been a few things health-wise but basically at the moment it's my SI joint that has been excruciatingly painful, not having any idea why. Seeing an osteopath on Thursday, I guess I'll keep my focus on healing up, and hopefully working towards training in the dojo again. Cheers
Hey Simon,

Sorry to hear about your health. Tournaments will come and go but without your health everything in life will be more difficult. Important to take the time to heal. Good luck.

Y
 
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Hey Simon,

Sorry to hear about your health. Tournaments will come and go but without your health everything in life will be more difficult. Important to take the time to heal. Good luck.

Y
Thanks mate, very true, appreciate it :) osu
 
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How’s your health this month?


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Hey Michele :), still up and down, SI joint is still sore but it's definitely improving with the osteo appointments. Only my pelvic pain stuff has really ramped up because of all this so going back to the pelvic physiotherapist in a couple of weeks.

Still trying to watch vids to learn what I can and trying to do at least one karate session a week to keep everything moving. Been emotionally struggling alot with it all so just taking it one day at a time. Hope you've been well :)
 
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So even though I didn't enter the last round to qualify for further rounds, I thought I'd check with them to see if it would still be possible to enter the State titles, which happens in a week and a half from now. My health stuff is really quite good, SI joint has healed up really well, just a tight glute medius to keep trying to unknot! So stubborn!

I told them I've been quite unwell this year and wasn't able to compete in earlier rounds, but that I'd totally 100% understand if they wouldn't allow it. I said I did quite well in the State titles last year if it meant anything haha, but also that I would understand if it's not possible.

Also said that I would only be entering the forms division, sparring is probably still not the best idea, and also wouldn't make any sense as I've sparred NO ONE this year haha. Unless you count sparring intensely with my shadow!

After a few weeks of back and forth, they said............ all good to enter :).


The question is..... will I..............
 

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So even though I didn't enter the last round to qualify for further rounds, I thought I'd check with them to see if it would still be possible to enter the State titles, which happens in a week and a half from now. My health stuff is really quite good, SI joint has healed up really well, just a tight glute medius to keep trying to unknot! So stubborn!

I told them I've been quite unwell this year and wasn't able to compete in earlier rounds, but that I'd totally 100% understand if they wouldn't allow it. I said I did quite well in the State titles last year if it meant anything haha, but also that I would understand if it's not possible.

Also said that I would only be entering the forms division, sparring is probably still not the best idea, and also wouldn't make any sense as I've sparred NO ONE this year haha. Unless you count sparring intensely with my shadow!

After a few weeks of back and forth, they said............ all good to enter :).


The question is..... will I..............
To quote Rocky, "Go for it"!
 
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Decided..... not to compete. Have been sick with a bad infection and it's going to be a crazy busy week, so it would be pushing it.

And I am strangely... at peace with it. I'm going to keep my focus on finding a dojo when all settles down these next two weeks and I recover okay. That's really my priority, so I'm okay with things. I'm a bit over feeling sorry for myself and getting depressed when I miss out on things due to health. When I'm ready I'm ready. But once I'm better I'm jumping into training!

I'll go up and watch the Nationals in December and do much observing and notetaking :). There's always next year to compete!
 

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