Why does point fighting get so much disrespect

Buka

Sr. Grandmaster
Staff member
MT Mentor
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
12,952
Reaction score
10,444
Location
Maui
How to get score in "point sparring"?

- left hand grab on your opponent's Gi.
- right hand punch on his body.
- Kiai as loud as you can.
- Turn your head around and look at the judge.

You know, bro, that's pretty right on. What I used to do a lot was just that, grab the Gi high on the arm or shoulder to control that arm and the angle of his body, and repeatedly punch with the other hand, body, body, head, body like a piston, kiai-ing all the way - both for fun - and so as I couldn't hear the ref yell stop. Never looked at judge, though, not once. As a judge, you go looking to me to call a point - I'm going to go blind.
 

Tez3

Sr. Grandmaster
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
Messages
27,608
Reaction score
4,901
Location
England
The main judge in the center who call "score!" not the corner judges who hold flags.

No, never seen a centre judge. We are talking different styles and different rules. You are generalising. As Buka says anyway you go looking at any judge and they are going to blank you.
 

Kung Fu Wang

Sr. Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Joined
Sep 26, 2012
Messages
14,041
Reaction score
4,488
Location
Austin, Tx/Shell Beach, Ca
No, never seen a centre judge. We are talking different styles and different rules.
I assume we are talking about Karate tournament here. You can see center judge (the guy with black top and white pants) and corner judges in the following clip. Since there were no Kung Fu tournament in US back in 1971 - 1974, I had competed in many Karate tournaments myself. I still remember there would be no score for "hammer fist on top of the head" and "instep contact MT type roundhouse kick on the head (or chest)". In one tournament, one instructor coached his student and said, "Kill! Kill! Kill that SOB!". Next tournament, the side coaching was not allowed.

 
Last edited:

Tez3

Sr. Grandmaster
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
Messages
27,608
Reaction score
4,901
Location
England
Look, I don't want to be rude but you really don't need to patronise me by explaining something I have already told you I haven't seen in the competitions I have been at. 'Karate' is a generic term, there are many types and many governing bodies with different rules about competing. Basically just because the comps you were in had 'centre' judges does not mean it's standard operating procedures for all comps. The techniques you mention are quite legitimate ones in many comps while other techniques are not.
I understand words, It's not necessary to post a You Tube video to explain something as simple as a centre judge thank you
 

jks9199

Administrator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
23,473
Reaction score
3,795
Location
Northern VA
Counter punching after you've been hit, yes.
Counter punching after you made them miss, no.
Not always... I've seen plenty of points given for missed shots -- or a counter punch lost in a clash. Most point fighting (and, really most competitions where someone isn't clearly KOed) end up rewarding aggression, if all else is equal. I think it's just human nature to pick up on the first person's action rather than a reaction, unless it's really, really clear.
 

jks9199

Administrator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
23,473
Reaction score
3,795
Location
Northern VA
It's a problem. Real world sometimes you take one to give one.
Many, many moons ago, I competed in a tournament. The guy I was fighting was doing some silly leaping hand flip thing... Got the first point. I said "OK, that ain't gonna happen again", and the next time he leapt, I stepped in, and punched to his chest, knocking him out of the air. Judges call stop -- and I'm all set for my point -- and they gave it to him. No way he had power to hurt me, even assuming his hand got in before I knocked him out of the air. "Real" world, I'd have happily traded a love tap on the noggin for breaking his ribs....
 

Tez3

Sr. Grandmaster
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
Messages
27,608
Reaction score
4,901
Location
England
Any competition where you have to rely on judges to decide the score is going to be open to various human failings from bias to not seeing properly. A good many sports from ice skating to dressage, gymnastics to diving leave people frustrated with results awarded seemingly at random sometimes. Much easier when someone is first past the post or jumps the furthest etc likewise a KO/submission in boxing/MMA is preferable to leaving it to the judges.
 

Buka

Sr. Grandmaster
Staff member
MT Mentor
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
12,952
Reaction score
10,444
Location
Maui
Point fighting to MMA, Judo to boxing, Kung Fu to TKD, and everything in Martial Arts that falls somewhere in the middle, be it competition or sparring in the dojo - it's the most fun thing to do in Martial Arts.
 

straightkicks

White Belt
Joined
Feb 7, 2016
Messages
1
Reaction score
1
I started training in 1968 in Kyokushinkai Kan Karate and I can assure you that point fighting has been around for at least 20 years before that. I visited Oyama's training camp in Korea In 1971 and earned my second degree black belt there.
The body retains memory so if you point fight then in a real fight chances are you will barely touch the guy when you actually meant To kill him, figuratively speaking of course. I also have a strong background in jujitsu and Kickboxing And I recommend all three for anyone who wants to be a well rounded fighter.
Also not sure what you're talking about here, but since I wasn't alive in the 70's I can't really argue either way. However, Kyokushin Karate was developed in the early 60's, and as far as I know Kyokushin has always been full contact.

I don't know what you mean by saying point fighting evolved into full contact fighting in 1973? As someone who was training karate then I can assure you that full contact was the norm in those days and points came a lot later.
 

Buka

Sr. Grandmaster
Staff member
MT Mentor
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
12,952
Reaction score
10,444
Location
Maui
Welcome to MT, straightkicks.
 

Tez3

Sr. Grandmaster
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
Messages
27,608
Reaction score
4,901
Location
England
I started training in 1968 in Kyokushinkai Kan Karate and I can assure you that point fighting has been around for at least 20 years before that. I visited Oyama's training camp in Korea In 1971 and earned my second degree black belt there.
The body retains memory so if you point fight then in a real fight chances are you will barely touch the guy when you actually meant To kill him, figuratively speaking of course. I also have a strong background in jujitsu and Kickboxing And I recommend all three for anyone who wants to be a well rounded fighter.

I'm sure point fighting was around for a long time as was full contact. I think the 1973 date is when the poster first saw point fighting and saw full contact later so assumes that one segued into the other when in fact they have been separate entities for a very long time.
 

Latest Discussions

Top