Lessons from a martial artist preparing for her first national championship
By: Agam Shah
Tags: Competition, Martial Arts, Taekwondo

Brittany Adams won big-time at her first national championship, but she also had fun preparing for it.

Going to your first ever martial arts competition is like venturing into the great unknown — adventurous and exciting. First encounters at martial arts tournaments have their interesting little quirks.

Brittany Adams was nerves before heading to her first national championship in November. Superimposed on her confidence were a smattering of question marks: who would her opponents be? What were their fighting styles? All she could do was guess.

Brittany Adams enjoys the spoils of a winning day

The tenacious competitor, who is a university student, had a good chance of winning. A second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do gave her an edge, but she didn’t let overconfidence engulf her preparation.

“I didn’t need to compare myself to any of the other competitors. Having the mindset helped calm my nerves a lot,” Adams said. “I told myself that as long as I performed at my best level, that’s all that mattered.”

Adams’ approach paid off. She took first in forms and second in sparring, and her only worry was perhaps how she’d carry a few oversized trophies back home.

COMPETITION HISTORY

Organized martial art competitions date back to ancient times. Pankration — a mix of stand-up and ground-n-pound martial arts — was part of the Ancient Olympics starting in 648 BC. Judo and Taekwondo made their way to the Olympics, and Karate will be in the 2020 Olympics as a demo sport.

Tournaments tested skilled of opponents in older times, when the world was a bit more combative. Organized rules were set up by central bodies with formalization of martial arts in the previous century.

Taekwondo’s first international tournament in 1973 was a modest affair, with 19 participating countries and 8 medals up for offer. Taekwondo today is practised in 206 countries. Rules are constantly changing to keep the sport engaging, with some recent changes focusing on aggressive sparring approaches.

Competitions require martial artists to meet specific weight, gender, experience and other criteria. Competing is a great way for martial artists to build character, test skill, and just make friends and have a good time.

PREPARING FOR YOUR FIRST TOURNAMENT

Adams realized the national championship was a special platform and a big deal, so she turned her Tae Kwon Do practice up a notch two months leading up to the tournament. She practiced forms and sparring three days a week (versus twice a week), for two hours per session.

“In addition, I focused heavily on flexibility training and leg conditioning to get my kicks as high and controlled as possible,” Adams said.

She cross-trained in yoga for flexibility and balance in forms. She also lifted weights four days a week, and trained in cardio five days a week.

“I like to keep this routine up year round so I’m never having to do too much extra work trying to prepare for a tournament,” she said.

Not everyone can train at Adams’ level, but her routine highlights the need to put in extra effort ahead of your first tournament. A national championship isn’t your friendly neighbor kicking your butt in your home dojang; it is the best players in the sport coming together, and you need to be prepared.

Adams took an especially smart approach to distract her opponents. She decided to adorn her blue uniform to give her a psychological edge. Standing out in a crowd, especially in martial arts tournaments, make it known you aren’t just another competitor.

“I prefer to wear the blue because it’s more unique, most everyone else was wearing white. I like to stand out,” Adams said.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO WIN

If you’re going to your first national championship, don’t feel the pressure to win — go there to learn, enjoy and connect, says Kathy Kraft, a Tae Kwon Do instructor.

Don’t worry about medals — make friends, take the opportunity to learn. And behave well.

“Regardless of the reason you compete, always remember that there is no such thing as a loser,” Kraft said.

WHAT NOT TO DO BEFORE YOUR FIRST TOURNAMENT

Enjoy the competition, but don’t take it too seriously either.

“Don’t freak out, and don’t get cocky. You are neither better nor worse than any of the other competitors,” Kraft said.



Martial artists prone to nervousness should stay light ahead of the tournament — don’t over- or under-eat or drink the night before the tournament

“Your body is what you perform with, so make sure not to neglect or mistreat it,” Kraft said.

IT’S WORTH COMPETING

Brittany Adams is going for her 3rd degree black belt next year, and the competitive wins could be a key consideration in the run up to the test.

Competing at the national level adds to your credibility as a martial artist at any belt level. But have fun at a tournament, don’t knock yourself out with worry.