Tournaments

Discussion in 'Judo' started by Jeff, Mar 5, 2004.

  1. Jeff

    Jeff New Member

    Can everyone remember deep into their mortal fears and recall the horrors of their first tournament? I'd like to know what's in a tournament, What do you do to get your first belt other than white? What happens????????How was your first tournament?
     
  2. FortuneFaded

    FortuneFaded Feel my Squirrely wrath!

    Ya, kinda tight that no-one has replied, i'll tell you about my first tournamnet, when i actually do one :D
     
  3. Specter

    Specter New Member

    My first tourny wasn't that long ago, so I still remember pretty well. I was nervous as heck, and I was one of the lightest guys there. They did something I wasn't expecting that made that a lot worse too: They simply took everyone in my belt category and averaged their weight, and then made 3 categories for them. This put me in the "light weight" category with a couple guys who had a good 20-30 pounds of pure muscle on me. Well, I warmed up a bit before the match, but I just couldn't keep my mind on it. Finally, they called me, and as I walked out my instructor muttered something like, "Don't let em scare ya." I proceeded to do exactly this. I was up against another white belt, and felt pretty confident. I was ready if he shouted, or if he just locked up, and felt calm in myself. I bowed, and the guy launched himself at me, shouting something like "Duck!" Well, there went my composure. I had the presence of mind to lock up just in time for him to osotogari me to the mat. Luckily, it was double elimination. The next time I was lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) to be up against a friend from my own dojo. This relaxed me, but he was also much better and more experienced (6 months vs. 2 years). We bowed, and locked up, and then all of a sudden stuff kinda just went black. I wasn't really looking, I'm not even sure if my eyes were open. I felt myself pull him towards me and do a haraigoshi, and he, surprised, dropped to his knees. At this point I kinda came to and saw where I was, but having not done much in this situation, I was unable to roll him onto his back before we were stood back up. This time he walked up to me, and as I reached out to lock up he through me off of my extended sleeves. Overall, I was happy with my performance, and both he and my instructor told me afterwards that I had fought better and with more zeal than they had ever seen me do in randori. Also, my second opponent, and another friend from my dojo went on to compete for first and second place, so we all felt pretty good afterwards. Was a fun day.
     
  4. Kwajman

    Kwajman Penguin in paradise....

    Well, every tournament is different. But the last poster pretty much summed it up. They go by weight, rank, age, gender and then see how many are in each division. For instance, I'm 44 yo, a red belt. So I'm in the mens senior division >35 yo, advanced category. I compete in forms and breaking. Try not to spar unless I have to (long story). But this is for TKD, so there may be a number of other factors to come into play in your tournaments.
     
  5. Capt Ann

    Capt Ann Valued Member

    Ooohhh!! Pick me!!!! I can answer this one!!

    I started a journal a while ago, and my first (and so far only) entry in it is about my recent trip to the Maryland State TKD Championships in Feb. Post is located here:
    http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/journal.php?action=view&journalid=3519

    My first tournament, about a year ago, was only two weeks after I first put on my white belt. When I signed up for the tournament, the Instructor told me that I'd be competing against others my own age, size, belt-level, and gender, so I would only compete against other beginners, and I shouldn't worry. With his advice, I signed up to compete in forms (using the only one I knew at the time), and sparring. He told me it was the same price for three events as for two events, so he signed me up for those two events, PLUS board breaking. This made me more than a little nervous, since I had never broken a board up to that point. Ever. And the competition was in two weeks. I broke my first board at practice that same day, then practiced a few more times before the comp. Ended up winning, as the top "female over forty white belt" in breaking.

    I don't know what all is included in a Judo meet. In TKD you can compete in forms, board breaking, and sparring, and some comps add creative forms (make up your own, with or without music), height breaking (how high over your head can you break?) and/or distance breaking (how far out or up, with or without obstacles, can you jump and break?), and weapons (nunchakas, bo/bong, sword, etc.). Forms are the easiest to compete in, because you can always practice, with or without someone else there (IMO).

    In TKD, you can find websites that list the judging criteria for different comps (so you can get an idea of what judges look for, and what scores points, in breaking, sparring, forms). You can probably find something similar for your style, that will help with preparing for your comp.

    Good luck, and please let us all know how you do.
     
  6. Furikuchan

    Furikuchan New Member

    My first tournament?
    Okay, get this. We have a girl around here in NC who is rather...uh...heavy for her age. At my first tournament, I was too light for anyone else my age, so I ended up playing her, although she was 9 and I was 11. She threw my butt all over that mat. Our first match ended at the time limit with 6 yukos and a koka to NOTHING. I was spinning out of her throws, but I couldn't score anything.
    There has been a rivaly between the two of us ever since then. She has STILL been too heavy for her age and has always ended up playing up, which means I have had to deal with her at nearly every tournament. Only beaten her twice in 7 years. It's hard to move something that out-weighs you and doesn't want to move. (Right now she is 16, 5'5" and nearly 200 pounds. I'm 18, 5'6" and 150. There's still a weight difference, but I like the challenge.)
     
  7. FortuneFaded

    FortuneFaded Feel my Squirrely wrath!

    50 pounds away from her then? well you could always invest in Mcdonalds or Burger king? you know beefcake it to the maxium! or put weight on, in the form of muscle.

    I have to fight this girl at my dojo sometimes, shes sorta the opposite of your situation, so am i. Dunno 200 pounds, but i weigh 14 stone, and she weighs 9 stone, on top of that i'm waaaaaaaaay taller than her but man, is she fast....

    Christ- she has expierance over me too, but blooming heck, her speed was pheonomal, in a blurry of movements i was over her... crikey!!!

    but i got back up, she tried different moves and couldnt perform them, cause i'm a bit tooo heavy for her :D. It was kidna funny fighting her, she's the same age as me and well, so i got her to the ground and was like,

    "i canna do ground work on her..." erkells...
     
  8. aml01_ph

    aml01_ph Urrgggh...

    What I felt in my first tournament? Nervous as hell!
     

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