Ok,I have heard on the grapevine that in order to promote to your next Dan level that you will have to participate in a tournament at the rank that you are. And be a judge at a tournament too. What's everyones feelings about this??? Good idea? Bad idea? Pro's? Con's? I understand the idea about it, but I still think that it is open to abuse. Nothing says you have to be of any standard in that tournament,(and even if it did how could you enforce this there are only 4 medals at each discipline. Can only 4 people promote???) so no further knowledge or training is in fact necessary. So no deeper knowledge of your new syllabus will be gained. The judging thing also i can see as being positive, however again its unlikely you will be judging near to your own belt level so what help is it to be in understanding your new material. I like the idea if it is one of making the standard better however, i just think there may be better ways of doing it maybe. Like being stricter on testings perhaps???
Sounds to me like they just want more black belts at tournament! More competitors = more money! I dunno, thats just my take on it!! Can see no other benefit to it....after all I thought Kuk Sool wasn't really a competitive art?!? There's pro's and con's but how they can enforce it upon you in order to promote, I'm not sure?
oooh! does that mean i can promote to 3rd dahn now? no? oh, ok then when i have more time i will post a more constructive answer
if it is true then it is an attempt to manipulate people to compete for the sake of $$ but it will not keep you from being promoted if you paid your test fee. an exception will be made somehow. Mung Kee is correct. I am not surprised that this has not happened sooner. very sad
I think that rule has been around for a long time. I also think that with or without the rule the same number of people would participate, so I think it is a silly rule.
I distictly remember competing with you at every tournament that ever existed, so I think you are safe and get to keep your belt.
What I've been told is that you have to participate in one seminar and one tournament in order to receive JKN. I'd heard that the rule existed before, but most of the people who stick around long enough have been the kind of people who met those requirements anyway. I'm told that tournament provides another situation in which to practice your MA, as another kind of stress training. Tournament's sure stressful for me I don't know that I LIKE the requirement, as it can come across as a money grab. But considering that you have three plus years in which to meet the requirement, and you only have to participate once... it doesn't seem like a whole lot to ask. I've done tournament & seminar every year without the requirement.
Some of you guys feel it is a money grab? How much are they? Those super seminars that are coming up in the houston area are only $40...
It doesn't seem like a bad requirement to me, to experience those things at least once. I don't have a particular interest in tournaments, but would like to see one eventually. Seminar I can't see a reason not to go to it every year (other commitments notwithstanding). And I think the $40 for the seminar was well worth it. Just consider the fact that they normally try to sell the DVD you receive as part of the seminar for $35 on its own. Plus if you're a colored belt you'll get to play with weapons you wouldn't normally be exposed to until much later... And apparently Kuk Sa Nim will only be doing these seminars himself for a couple more years, so... might as well take advantage while you can.
Tournament participation isn't very expensive. I say it would all depend on how many tournaments they require one to compete in between dan gradings. It doesn't bother me terribly as I like competing. I see how some would have a problem with it though.
The actual entry fee is probably the least expensive aspect of attending. The expensive parts are the travel, food, and lodging. I can't say I'm particularly in favor of this proposed rule, although I do favor every students' attendance to at least one tournament even if they don't compete. It is a worthwhile experience.
I'm not sure how legitament this is. Sound kind of crazy to me? How are they going to keep track of that? Unless they require all judges and competitors to provide their WKSA I.D. number. Seems kind of sad to me to sink to this level . . . (if this is true)
Ok i have to say i don't really go in for tournaments. Martial arts to me isn't about collecting medals or competing against other people, but if i have to then i will, it doesn't bother me. I just don't see what its gonna bring to the participant. Ok i understand the stress thing, but stress is only there if you wish to perform to your best. So its caused by wanting to perform the best you can. If i have to do a tournament to test am i necessarily gonna care how well i perform or am i just looking for a tick?? The judging element is fine, as long as its backed up with judge training and examination. I mean if i have to do a tournament judging i could just sit there and give someone a 9 the next person an 8 and not care i have my box ticked again. I wouldn't do this, but i'm just saying it is so open to people abusing it and making the tournaments worse for the ones who actually want to compete. As anyone who judges knows. Sitting through 20 forms of people who want to be there is bad enough. Imagine sitting through 60 with 40 being appauling but just doing it to get a tick. There has to be a better way.Surely ?????
