Tournaments are a double-edged sword. I can speak from experience that they are a powerful motivational tool: When you have a tournament coming, you train harder and longer to be prepared. That is a very positive benefit. They can also have negative benefits in that I’ve seen many students quit the martial arts because of the behavior they have seen at tournaments. Whether I was a student or a teacher, the schools I attended always emphasized discipline and respect. We were taught to respect our opponents (actually partners in training), the officials, and all senior ranks. Unfortunately, not all masters and instructors are able to hold themselves to the high
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