22nd KUGB KYU Grades
Somehow I was talked into entering a competition after less than a year of training. Oh well, I suppose the easiest way to know how you’ll do in a fight is to actually be in a fight. We were quite lucky since Sensei Liam is big on competition and was prepared to do some proper kumite training for those of who are still at the ippon kumite stage of our Karate journey!
So, how would I describe the insanity that is getting up on the mat and going at it with someone? Bloody scary is probably as close as I’d get. The 20 seconds it took to walk around the mat and wait for the other guy to put the red tag on were rather difficult. I’m no fighter, that’s for sure, but I managed to keep myself together long enough not to just turn-tail and run. And once it ‘kicked-off’ I thought I handled myself rather well, winning my first fight and only getting one excessive force warning! Ok, so I lost the second fight, but only just and only because I got another warning instead of the second half point. Never mind.
Some of the other guys did amazingly given that it was their first time and they even managed to get me a gold medal in the men’s team kumite (as the reserve for the team I didn’t even have to throw a punch in that one). Something to remember the day by I suppose.
So what about next year? Would I do it again? I’m not sure at the moment. Whilst it was an incredible buzz it was also very stressful in the weeks running up to it. Oh and I also ended up with a cracked rib, which was nice.
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