Tournaments for me, there time is past.

 

I was taught Karate in the era where tournament karate was a big deal.

And as it turned out many of the competitors I had to compete against were national champions. That competition did help sharpen me without question.

 

Back about 1985 after moving to the New England area I became less, and less interested in tournaments. For the most part I was not much interested in being a competitor.

 

Focused more and more of my time on instruction.

 

At times I would compete, to once again push myself.

 

However, many of the tournaments I went too, the standards the judges were judging by, were not standards as I knew them. And that met many times I had no interest in having those judges judge my students. They of course were free to follow their standards, but I was also free to do other things.

 

So fewer and fewer tournaments. My own interests were on other things.

 

The last time I competed was just that, to push myself one last time, Facing surgery I decided to teach myself a form I did not really know, and push myself  to compete with it. And I did.

 

Now  such things are way beyond my ability to accomplish.

 

And while I am very interested in understanding karate better,

I have absolutely no interest in Tournament anywhere in the world.

 

Of course I wish everyone to find their own fulfillment.

 

It is however that my focus is very much elsewhere.