Our "Fun" Tournament

It's almost here. Martial Madness 2011. The last couple of months have been spent pouring over the results of last year's tournament in an attempt to once again make this year even better. Setting up new divisions to make sure there isn't 20 kids competing against each other and organizing times more efficiently so competitors aren't called to two rings at once. We hope each year brings a better, more organized, more fun tournament. Ah - a fun tournament. I've said over and over again lately that this is a fun tournament. But what exactly do I mean by that? I thought I should probably clarify. What I DON'T mean is that everyone competes with an I-don't-care-if-I-win-or-lose attitude. That is never the case when it comes to karate competitions. We are all after that 1st place trophy. And we should be - it's training for that top spot that spurs us on, making us better. What I DO mean is that we invite the most supportive, friendly clubs who genuinely love the martial arts. We hope each year that competitors meet new people and make new friends. You love the martial arts - so isn't it awesome to hang out with others who share that love? You will never hear anyone (coach or parent) screaming at a competitor for not performing as well as they should have. The only screaming you will hear on April 30th will be shouts of encouragement. We are all there because we want to win, but when we don't, we know to congratulate those who did win, show good sportsmanship and we look to find ways to be better for next time. So don't show up on April 30th just to be there. Come to compete! Come to try your best! And most of all, come to have fun!