SPORT KARATE
A warning should, however, be sounded against tournament or sport karate. Explored and developed since the early 1960's, karate contests have been held with a view to determining not only technical skill but also winners and losers. When considered from the Tazaki standpoint, sport karate clearly contradicts his aims. Many instructors teach their young students that winning medals is more important than the building up of their character through good, hard training; and that the victory rostrum is the only platform worthy of respect and adulation. Many instructors make impressive claims about the results they get from their students in contests, and base their dojo advertising solely on these successes.
To be sure, sport karate does have its place in the overall scheme of things. It refines techniques exclusively required for the scoring of acceptable points in a match; it hones speed and reflexes, essential ingredients to win that coveted gold medal; and, depending on the motives of instructors, it can teach sportsmanship and healthy rivalry. But hard lessons have been learned over the years to justify the fears of many karate masters.
"In sports karate…there is cause for regret. There is a tendency to place too much emphasis on winning contests, and those who do so neglect the practice of fundamental techniques, opting instead to attempt [free fighting] at the earliest opportunity…
Emphasis on winning contests cannot help but alter the fundamental techniques a person uses and the practice he engages in. Not only that, it will result in a person's being incapable of executing a strong and effective technique, which, after all, is the unique characteristic of karate-do…
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