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Master's Thoughts
OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I'VE OBSERVED MANY DIFFERENT DISCIPLINE'S IN ACTION. I LOVE THE
SPEED, EXCITEMENT AND ACTION IN MMA. IT'S A VERY TOUGH SPORT WHER THERE IS KNOW QUESTION THAT ONLY THE BEST RISE TO THE
TOP. ONE OF THE BAD THINGS WITH MMA IS HOW IF YOU'RE A TOP LEVEL FIGHTER YOU'RE ALWAYS FIGHTING THROUGH INJURIES AND
DEALING WITH FIGHTERS NOT SHOWING UP OR PROMOTER PULLING UP AND CHANGING VENUES OR FIGHTS AFTER THE FIGHTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN
SET. THIS IS VERY DISHEARTNING TO YOUNG UP AND COMING FIGHTERS.
THEN I TAKE GRAPPLING TOURNAMENTS, THESE HAVE TO
BE THE MOST BORING EVENTS TO WATCH NEXT TO SOCCOR, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S IN THE GI. THE PACE IS SLOW AND METHODICAL AN VERY
UNEXCITING TO EVERYONE EXCEPT THE COMPETITORS. I DO THINK NO-GI IS FASTER AND A LITTLE MORE EXCITING AND FUN TO WATCH BUT
IT'S STILL A PRETTY BORING SPECTATOR EVENT. i LIKE TO REFER TO MY FRIEND PABLO POPOVITCH, HE SAID HE'S TRAINED SINCE
THE AGE OF 4 AND THE GI BUILDS TO MANY BAD HABITS AND NO-GI IS FASTER, HARDER AND BRINGS THE CREAM TO THE CROP. STILL I WONDER
WHY JIU-JITSU TOURNAMENTS COST 2 AND 3X AS MUCH TO ENTER AS COMPARED TO KARATE TOURNAMENTS AND THE MEDALS ARE A FRACTION OF
THE COST AND NOT NEAR AS NICE AS THE TROPHIES YOU WIN AT KARATE TOURNAMENTS.
KARATE TOURNAMENTS YOU STILL HAVE
TO DEAL WITH THE SAME OLD THING, BAD JUDGING. ANYTIME YOU HAVE TO RELY ON ANOTHER HUMAN BEING TO MAKE A CALL THAT DETERMINES
A WINNER AND A LOSER IT'S JUST ASKING FOR DISASTER AND CONTROVERSY. WE'VE GOT TO THE POINT IN KARATE TOURNAMENTS TO
WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE WELL PAST THEIR PRIME TRYING TO CALL POINTS FOR FIGHTERS THAT ARE AT THIS TIME FASTER THAN EVER. WE ALSO
RUN INTO THE FACT THAT MANY TIMES COMPETITORS HAVE TEAMATES AND SENSEI'S CALLING THEIR FIGHTS. IN MY OPINION TOURNAMENTS
NEED TO HAVE A GROUP OF JUDGES THAT ARE TRAINED ONLY TO JUDGE KATA AND OR SPARRING. THE PROBLEM WE RUN INTO WITH THIS IS MONEY,
IT'S TO BIG OF AN EXPENSE TO HIRE JUDGES THAT ONLY JUDGE, IT'S ACTUALLY HARD ENOUGH TO GET BLACK BELTS TO JUDGE AT
TOURNAMENTS ANYWAY. STILL COMPARED TO GRAPPLING TOURNAMENTS KARATE IS WAY MORE EXCITING TO WATCH AND ALOT LESS EXPENSIVE.
LAST THING I WANT TO ADDRESS IS CONTIUOUS SPARRING! THIS ISN'T A NEW CONCEPT BUT ONE THAT IS NEW TO THIS AREA.
AGAIN WE NEED JUDGES THAT ARE TRAINED TO CALL THE MATCHES BUT FOR THE MOST PART IN CONTINUOUS SPARRING YOU USUALLY KNOW THE
WINNER AND THERE IS ALOT LESS CONTROVERSY. THE BAD THING IS THAT WE HAVE TO MANY POINT FIGHTERS THAT DON'T HAVE THE METAL
TO STEP UP AND FIGHT CONTINUOUS. MY HOPE IS THAT IN THE FUTURE MORE BLACK BELTS WILL STEP UP AND ENTER THE CONTINUOUS SPARRING
DIVISIONS.
SUMMARY; AS LONG AS WE HAVE COMPETITION THEY WILL BE COTROVERSY. THEY'RE NO REAL CUT AND DRY SYSTEM
TO MAKE SURE THAT COMBAT SPORTS ARE JUDGED FAIRLY AS WELL AS CORRECTLY. IN TODAY'S WORLD OF MARTIAL ARTS WE DO HAVE ENOUGH
DIFFERENT FORMS OF COMPETITION TO QUINCH THE COMPETITIVENESS THIRST OF ALL MARTIAL ARTISTS. Gregg McMahan
SHICHI-DAN ISSHINRYU
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