What I learned from watching my first knockdown tournament

**Evergrey** · Posted On: 8/04/2011 4:04am

I haven't entered a tournament yet, but this summer I did get to watch one.

I learned some things, and not just new fighting techniques... I figured I'd share, and see what other people have learned from watching or fighting in tournaments that they didn't expect to learn. **** it, my percocet has kicked in and this seems like a good idea.

1. If you call out "SENSEI?" 20 people's heads will instantly whip around, and they'll all have that same pained "what is it now?" look on their face.

2. Judges are fallible and they don't always see something that's obvious to the crowd.

3. If someone gets kicked in the testicles, apparently the thing to do is pick them up and shake them up and down. Especially if it's a kid.

4. There's apparently always that one guy who decides to enter the knockdown division, and he's either a beginner or from another style that is not full contact, and he has no idea what he's in for. Poor guy.

5. Before being a chatty Cathy and talking at a million miles an hour to the Shihan of a friend of yours once he has introduced you, make sure said Shihan speaks English first. Otherwise you're creating some serious awkwardness, or a very harried translator. (Well, at least ending with "and I talk too much" got a laugh, hah!)

6. Martial arts is full of politics, and politics are a poison.

7. They usually don't like it when you climb the closed up bleachers and perch on top of them like a vulture over the mat during the knockdown portion of the tournament. Killjoys!

8. If you're too easy on someone with confidence and fear of aggression issues on the mat in class, you aren't doing them any favors, because when they're on the mat in a tournament, they're going to get run over. Better to get that lesson from friends in class than in front of a big crowd in a tournament... ESPECIALLY if it's a kid or a teen, where the ego is still rather fragile.

9. Watch where you're stepping on the floor, especially if your shoes are off. Sometimes there are wet mouthguards down there.

10. Old Japanese men really like to be given bouquets of flowers that are as big as they are. Or maybe people really like giving old Japanese men giant flower bouquets. It just seems to be a thing.

**budochic** · Posted On: 8/04/2011 5:23am

What I learnt from competing in knockdown tournaments - put in for the next day off work, otherwise you will have to work dragging your left leg behind you like igor.

**sempaiman** · Posted On: 8/04/2011 7:32am

Bet if u yelled Grand Master about the same number of heads would turn also.

**Evergrey** · Posted On: 8/04/2011 1:16pm

Originally Posted by sempaiman

Bet if u yelled Grand Master about the same number of heads would turn also.

Haha! Well I haven't actually ever met anyone in Kyokushin or related styles who claims a title like "grand master." Met a number of Shihans and a Kaicho (he was the head of his organization) but USUALLY there isn't so much of a tendency to put on airs. The proof is in the fight records, heh.

That's not to say Kyokushin is completely bereft of prima donnas. I'm sure we have some pretty pretty princesses out there somewhere that have to insist on how special they are.

**Lindz** · Posted On: 8/04/2011 1:27pm

Originally Posted by Evergrey

3. If someone gets kicked in the testicles, apparently the thing to do is pick them up and shake them up and down. Especially if it's a kid.

Does not help

**Evergrey** · Posted On: 8/04/2011 1:57pm

Originally Posted by Lindz

Does not help

I guess people feel like they should do something to try to help? Heh. Looks really painful. Glad I don't have those, but hey look at it this way- at least they aren't the size of melons and attached to your chest!

**Azatdawn** · Posted On: 8/04/2011 2:03pm

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I guess people feel like they should do something to try to help? Heh. Looks really painful. Glad I don't have those, but hey look at it this way- at least they aren't the size of melons and attached to your chest!

Hello there.

Anyway, they pick the testicles up and shake them?