Why Compete?

On September 13th, we will have some of our students attending a state-level tournament. On October 25th, we will be hosting a smaller, school-exclusive, Tiger Den Dojo Tournament. Over my 20+ years of martial arts, I’ve heard many martial artists question whether or not they should compete. I’ve also known plenty of students who ask why we require tournament experience for certain ranks. I want to address those inquiries.

1. Tournaments are a chance to pressure-test our skills against determined opponents. We’re here to do many things, and one of those things is self-defense. Tournaments–particularly the sparring/kumite divisions–give us the opportunity to pressure test the moves we’ve been learning against similarly skilled opponents in a safe environment. Nothing will teach you to keep your hands up like losing three points in one match because an opponent kept hitting that hammerfist. Sparring in a tournament setting is also fairly scary for most of our students. Learning to keep a cool head and use the tools you’ve learned is invaluable if you ever need to actually defend yourself. The more tournaments you do, the less intimidating it is to take a hit, and that translates to real life as well.

2, Tournaments provide a chance to demonstrate control and sportsmanship, especially in the face of failure and loss. It is supremely important for our students, especially our younger students, to learn how to confront–and even embrace–opportunities to fail and lose. Failure is not a weakness; it is an opportunity. One of the best gifts I can give my students is the gift of being able to lose and fail with grace, sportsmanship, and decorum. 

3. Tournaments give you an extra incentive to make the most of every training session. Tournaments are often a fantastic motivator, especially for some of our students who aren’t motivated by progressing through the ranks. Students preparing for a tournament tend to “lock in,” honing their skills with greater intensity and purpose. Evaluations and belt promotions are largely focused on being “good enough” for your next rank. Tournaments demand you be the best you can be.

Tournaments will always hold an important place in our curriculum and at our dojo. Healthy competition with excellent sportsmanship helps all of our students improve. I personally put my money where my mouth is, competing several times per year (most often nowadays as a White Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). We encourage everybody to keep that in mind as we begin to prepare all of our students (ages 6+) for our upcoming tournament.