Today I competed in the Japan Karate Federation Ehime Championships for the first time in 6 years. Back in 1999 I entered the individual kumite and won my first few fights, eventually being stopped by a tall Wado-ryu stylist whose powerful jab punch rocked my helmet-protected head numerous times. The following year the Federation rules apparently changed - only Japanese nationals were allowed to enter - something about the possibility of a gaijin winning through to the nationals and possibly the All-Japan titles. This year my sensei rang me and asked me to go in the team event - teams can't go on to the nationals so there is no nationality restriction.
I had to wait around all day, which meant I had the chance to familiarise myself with the new scoring system. My dojo's tournament style is ippon-shobu - a one point contest, so a match is decided by two half points or one awesome full-point techique, like a kick to the head. Under JKF rules a match is 8 points - 1 point for a normal punch, 2 points for a kick and 3 points for a really decent technique like a head kick or a takedown followed by a punch. Matches take longer, but there is more variety of technique. I saw the lanky Wado-ryu guy. At age 50 he was still competing, and still hitting people's helmets with enough forced to blood noses. He took 3rd in the kumite.
The team events started late in the afternoon. Four teams - Shotokai (me), Wado-ryu, Goju-ryu and Shito-ryu. We beat the Shito-ryu team and faced the Goju guys for the final. My team was older in the tooth, with ages of 32, 33, 35, 36 and 39. The Goju teams was made up of uni students - 21 or thereabouts. We had experience but they were young and fit. And very fast. Too fast for us. In my match my lack of recent training was obvious and I was beaten to the punch nearly every time (I got one reverse punch in). I kicked the guy fair and square in the face earlier on the match, and should have received 3 points for it but perhaps the refs weren't used to face level front kicks - the technique was ignored. At one point we scuffled and I placed a knee kick to the abdomen, only to hear mass disapproval from the crowd and a warning from the ref. The Goju guy took the honours, 8-1, and deservedly so - I fought like crap. We came second.
I talked to one of the sensei later on about the front kick. "I can't really comment on another ref's decision.....but I would have scored it..." And the knee? "That's prohibited under JKF rules"
Hmm. Back home I checked the web. Unlike 5 years ago, under World Karate Federation rules knee techniques are now prohibited. Perhaps I should have done my homework....
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