| Competition and Its Usefulness | | | | can be so much confusion that it may seem to reduce |
| When considering the advantages of martial arts | | | | the effectiveness of martial style when compared to |
| competitions and thinking about personally getting | | | | real world self-defense; which brings so many |
| involved or when reviewing the circumstances of our | | | | practitioners together into the same mindset as to |
| recent or latest participation in a tournament or | | | | wonder why they should compete at all. |
| competitive event, we often find ourselves asking the | | | | With all of the excuses why not to compete I thought |
| most commonly self contemplated questions. Why | | | | it reasonable to cover the redeeming facts why one |
| should I compete? What good was all of that? How | | | | should consider competing. Who is the benefactor? Is it |
| did I benefit from this? | | | | the organizational party that collects the registration |
| Any one who has ever spoken to anyone else who | | | | fees? Are they the concession owners selling foods |
| has ever competed in a martial arts tournament in | | | | and old but unused martial gear and accessories? |
| today's circuit has heard the rumors. They have been | | | | Could they be the advertisement companies or |
| fed the war stories and they have been made to | | | | marketers? Truthfully speaking the real benefactors |
| reconsider whether or not they themselves should get | | | | are still the competitors. Although, martial arts |
| involved with it. | | | | competitions may have taken a turn for the worse in |
| After hearing the many complications and | | | | preparation, organization, operation and |
| disconcerting opinions of martial arts competitors who | | | | commercialization their original design and purpose |
| view themselves the victim of a scandal, many, or | | | | remain in full affect today. |
| even most, begin to play back all of the excuses. We | | | | Though the focus has been turned away just a bit it is |
| ask ourselves the critical questions to determine our | | | | still all about the practitioner. Participating in a martial |
| own interest in measuring ourselves. We do this not in | | | | arts competition will take every thing you have learned |
| the way to understand the benefits, but more like | | | | up to the point where you now stand. Your self |
| reasoning for not getting involved. | | | | control, patience, endurance, camaraderie, |
| Except for the Enthusiastic Practitioner, we find fault in | | | | sportsmanship, discipline, integrity and so much more is |
| the system and therefore excuse ourselves from | | | | all laid out on the line. Let's see how you conduct |
| participating. Many of us have had the discussion | | | | yourselves. |
| whether or not martial arts competitions are really | | | | Each redeeming factor should be explained in greater |
| worth the effort. There is much talk about corruption in | | | | detail than just to list them as reasons. Because of |
| the tournament staff; corruption in the ranks, unfair | | | | that I have broken them down into three generalized |
| judging and ruling policies, systematic fighting and point | | | | points. Hopefully these points will help you to |
| systems unrealistic to the basic principals of self | | | | understand the original design and reasoning for |
| defense, commercialization and the list goes on. | | | | competition, as well as give you a better guideline into |
| There are so many restrictions and regulations as to | | | | deciding your own level of participating in future events. |
| what can and what cannot be applied in the ring. | | | | Keeping your focus on the goal will help you reach |
| Organized Sports Tournament Associations are a | | | | them quicker. |
| dime a dozen. Whose rules should be applied? There | | | | |