The study of martial arts can be a great foundation for fitness and discipline. Not only will one become better at defending themselves with confidence when confronted physically, but he or she will also improve at school and at home.
In addition to this, various forms of martial arts, such as Kenpo, Ju Jutsu, and Shotokan are being showcased in the form of sport, much like boxing is displayed on local levels with Golden Gloves tournament events, up to levels of national and international competition.
Winning these competitions can be daunting. Some factors are out of a competitors control, such as favoritism in local tournaments, but many more factors are within the control of the martial artist, and they include:
- Regular class attendance
- Training outside of class
- Entering all events available
The Proper Foundation For Martial Arts is Built in Class
Once a student has found the school that suits him or her best, it is important to attend class. While students would not be expected to attend karate class when they are ill, or have lost a loved one, they would be expected to attend the night before a test at school, even the SATs.
Students who do not attend class on a regular basis will often be the same students who do not have the background to win tournaments. Their kata will lack balance and preciseness, and their weapons training will be behind those of their peers.
Training Outside of Class Will Provide the Edge for Fight Competition
Most martial schools are attended twice a week. Some even allow their students to come in six days a week.
Every hour that is honestly invested into one's training will be paid back in dividends through victory in competition, both in tournaments and out on the street. Just as a real estate agent who works full time will be better at her job than a co-worker just working weekends, martial artists dedicating several nights a week to training will be better than those without more concrete training schedules.
For Maximum Points in Overall Score, Enter All Events
Tournament-style competition caters to all forms of martial arts display. The usual events are:
- Self-defense
- Kata
- Weapons
- Sparring
Sparring and kata are the most popular events, and for good reason. Any student can participate in them without doing any extra training since almost all schools teach them, and nothing is required of competitors outside of showing up and competing.
The problem here is that even if one was to win first place in both of these events, he or she would not be likely to win the overall competition. Each event has allotted scoring for each place, and every event weighs equally. Some tournaments score up to tenth place with ten points going to the winner, nine to second place, and so on.
Under this scoring method, a person who placed first in two events would have 20 points, landing him behind a competitor who placed fourth in three events, earning 21 points.
The only way to combat this is to enter the less popular self-defense and weapons events. Even if the person's partner was someone without a martial arts background, and the weapons kata was the most basic of its kind, the likely place, and possible win, would provide a large boost to a competitor's overall score.
When it comes to winning karate tournaments, winning will be the results of regular, serious study, practicing outside of class, and entering all events in the tournament. Without studying seriously, entering all events is probably going to be a waste of money, and without maximizing one's points in competition, winning is not very likely.
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