TOurnaments, tournaments

[terryl965]

As a general rule how many big tournament odes your school do compared to the smaller one's. What do you say is the benefit for the small ones compared to the big ones?

Why do you do small tournament in lou of the bigger ones and do they really benefit the mind of the younger student?
Terry

 

[tkd_jen]

We don't have a lot of big tournaments in our area unfortunately. We do have at least one 'mini-tournament' each year. Our mini-tournament is our association only. The purpose is to get the students who have either never competed or only competed once or twice to get some tournament experience in a friendly, less intimidating environment. Another benefit is that it gives the high rank students experience in being a corner judge and center ref as well.

I think it really helps to get a mini-tourney under your belt. We run it as close to a real tournament as possible, but kinda hold their hand along the way as well, as far as showing them how to enter the ring, sparring etiquette etc.

 

[jfarnsworth]

In North Dakota, don't you have like a town and then hundreds of acres of cattle ranching? :uhyeah: Of course you wouldn't have tourney's there'd be too much driving.

 

[tkd_jen]

In North Dakota, don't you have like a town and then hundreds of acres of cattle ranching? :uhyeah: Of course you wouldn't have tourney's there'd be too much driving.

Exactly our problem!! It is common for us to drive 200+ miles for a tournament because we have to, no other options available.

 

[Gemini]

I've been a spectator at smaller tournaments but never competed in one. It seems like the smaller they are, the more games get played. Especially if they aren't sanctioned. At least at the larger ones, there is some accountability.

 

[karatekid1975]

We are only allowed (mostly) to go to closed tournies (our association only), which I think bites. My dojang does attend one open tourny in Conn once a year (not this year, though). But that's a long drive and a whole weekend of just burning money I don't have (food, hotel, gas, tourny fees, ect).

I've been to many association only tournies. Some were good experience, some lame. I liked the ones where they go by rank, not age. I'm 31, so when they go by age (specially for women's breaking), there's like two of us, and I win no matter what (that's lame).

BUT when they go by rank, it's awsome. My last tourny, I went up against 6 black belts and I was one of two red belts (2nd gups at the time), and both of us red belts beat the BB's. She got 1st, I got 2nd. The other 7 girls were half my age, but I beat them (except one). That was totally cool because I was the "old fart" with a bum leg, three weeks before my surgery (pain), and a week before my test for 1st gup (the one I passed).

So yea, even association tournies aren't all that bad. They can give people who are new to tournies some experience with tournies and be around/compete against people they know the first time out. But once you get the "itch," for the bigger ones, you're stuck (as in association only tournies).

But my first ever tourny was an open tourny. I got 3rd in forms, and I had the time of my life seeing all the action, seeing the different clubs/martial arts (I was new to MA at the time), and what they do .... It was awsome.