TKD Tournaments - Good or Bad?

[Great Sage]

Honestly, how many of you benefitted from TKD tournaments?

Myself, I went to about 10 TKD tournaments... And while the tournaments don't represent REALISTIC fighting, they helped me control my anxiety and mental focus.

The lower belt fights aren't too competitive, since people are mostly trying to muscle each other. There's more actual fighting in Grand Championships, or National Championships... You also get a six-foot trophy (I never got one, I placed 3rd).

The main reason I stopped competing was the false sense of ability people started displaying... There were a couple sparring matches in which I lost simply because a guy brushed his toe nails against my helmet as I moved in boxing style. But most notable are guys who score a point and run around until time expires... NOTE: It's harder to cut off the ring in TKD, because it's much larger and has no ropes.

After that, I switched to kickboxing...

[Tim Mousel]

I also used to compete in TKD tournaments. I agree that it is helpful for anxiety, mental focus and to gain experience in competition.

Tim

[Damian Mavis]

"helped me control my anxiety and mental focus"

Yes exactly how I feel. I used to freeze up in tournaments and through experience I was able to remain focused and react properly in stressful situations. Without my tournament experience throughout the years I don't think I would have been as calm and focused in my Muay Thai fight.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[eXcessiveForce]

I have competed most of my life in TKD tournaments. I found them valuable as a child to teach self confidence, timing, and as a guide on how I stacked up against people my own age.

Later in life I found it as a good motivator but I did not like the idea of training two ways. One for tournament and one for self defense. I believe that over training for tournaments causes some problems for people due to pulling of technique and breaking when a point is scored. Since many people forget the correct execution of technique and not to stop just because they hit somebody.

I still compete for my students. they see me go and win because I want them to know that i'm not just some guy that sits there and tells them they can do it but can't do it himself. I had a bad instructor once that was that way.

Unfortunately I have had a few major injuires that have caused me to duck out of competition, its just not worth prolonging the injury for any more "years"

[Andrew WA]

Tournaments are good to gain confidence and get a little feel of fighting. I think they should be for begginers and should never be stressed as important at all. Tournament fighters ussually can NEVER hold their on in a REAL fight. I think becomming a tournament fighter is a negative thing.