Jitsu nationals are big two day events where all of the clubs in the country come together on one mat. So you get to see the world beyond your club. The mornings are devoted to training sessions where groups are taught by the best instructors in the country. Over lunch there may be demonstrations and then the competitions themselves take up the afternoons. One the Saturday night we all take over a night-club and go wild.
Atemi competitions are essentially self defence competitions.
You are attacked in a variety of ways and judged on the effectiveness and quality of your responses. What it never involves is sparring, pre-rehearsed partner work or playing with pads. Two lines of people provide a constant stream of fresh attacks which you must deal with is a swift and merciless manner. A gauntlet is a chance to show off your skills at their best. You walk between two lines of people who attack at random.