In an era of social distancing and interacting through electronics, sport martial arts tournament offer a platform for people of all ages to develop traits that will improve their lives. Ask nearly any former or current competitor about the positive impact of karate competition and you will hear about many benefits. Here are some of the best things you can gain from tournament participation. Post in the comments about what competition has done for you.
Confidence: It doesn’t matter if you are an overall grand champion or a finalist, sport martial arts competition is great for building confidence. Competitors in kata divisions perform in front of a panel of judges and in front of other competitors. Sparring divisions put competitors in a match against another person. Getting through a performance or completing a sparring match, even if not your best, makes competitors realize that they can do something difficult. It gives them a sense of accomplishment.
This can be applied to life outside of competition in school or work. Martial arts competitors are more likely to do well giving presentations. Confidence improves performance in other areas like recitals or band. Plus, confident people are better able to stand up for themselves or others during conflict.
Integrity and sportsmanship: Sports martial arts competition is an opportunity to face obstacles and work hard to overcome them. This applies even you are not the best competitor in your division or even among those at the tournament. By simply showing up, competitors begin character development as they learn what it takes to be a good sport and become more polite. Sport karate tournaments provide a unique opportunity for athletes to cheer on their opponents and to win and lose gracefully. Competitors can improve by watching and learning from others.
Self-esteem: Martial arts competition is an opportunity for everyone who tries their best to succeed even if not in the way that may have been expected. Even competitors who are eliminated at early stages of tournament play can be proud of themselves. Winning comes from more than medals or trophies. It also comes from trying hard and developing skills along the way. Sport karate is an opportunity to learn that disappointment is temporary. If you don’t win in one event, there will be other events where you can work towards improvement.
Perseverance: Even competitors who do not win their division can learn how to keep trying and working hard despite obstacles along the way. This is a valuable lesson for life as it pertains to school, work or family challenges. Competitors learn that practice leads to improvement and better outcomes. This is a skill that translates to many other areas of life.
Fitness: Martial arts competition is a great opportunity to get and stay fit because it involves conditioning and cardiovascular fitness. Many competitors also incorporate weight training. All of these activities are beneficial for your health. The benefits are not only short term but also for years down the road when you reduce stress on joints by keeping active. Training and competition are a great way to develop habits for a healthy lifestyle.
Sport karate competition is an opportunity to learn many valuable life lessons that will help you succeed in anything that you attempt to do. Getting involved in martial arts competition is not difficult. If you, your child or your student shows interest, try competition.
