Preparing for a tournament

Hi everyone

This pay includes important information about preparing for a tournament.

• Arrive early. Parking can be difficult, and you don’t want to be rushing. If we have a big group, we will have a team briefing and photo.
• Bring lunch. There is often a place to buy food, and long queues. I recommend bringing your own.
• Bring your camera/phone – you may like to take photos or video of your child competing.
• We don’t know what time each event will end. Usually tournaments end about 3 or 4pm, but it depends on the numbers of entrants and officials, and how things ruin on the day.
• If you finish early, please stay to support other Glendowie students.
• Prepare your “Go Glendowie!” chants!
• Sit together in a Glendowie group!
• If you are not competing but you are free on the day, come along and support us!
• Be VERY polite to tournament officials. They are volunteering their time so that you can have a competition. Remember “Sir” and “Ma’am”, not “Yip” and “Nah”. Your behaviour and attitude reflects on our school (even yours, Mum and Dad). We want everyone there to think of how nice and cooperative we are, not how nasty and unhelpful.
• Being cash in case you want to buy anything. Suppliers sometimes have specials, food is on sale, etc.

We need parent help! The organisers also need parent help! Please volunteer! We know it is important to watch your child compete, and we want to ensure that happens. Ideas about helping here. Tournament organisers also need help: marshaling competitors, preparing and helping at rings, etc. All training provided.

Are you free sparring? Is your child free sparring?

• You need your own clear mouth guard. You can buy these from a pharmacy.
• You need to bring a towel, and a drink bottle of water.
• Boys, you need a groin guard – just like for cricket.
• Young children, we have some sparring gear that you can borrow to compete. Everyone else, remember to bring your own sparring gear.
• Students free sparring have a supporter called the coach sitting at the side of the ring. Parents may end up coaching if we are short of seniors.
  • Please wear sports shoes.
  • You will hold the student’s towel and water bottle.
  • There will be latex gloves under the seat, you must wear these. (Keep them to wear later.)
  • Keep advice simple and clear. The best advice is:
    • Keep your guard up.
    • Move around.
    • When the opponent moves in, fast side kick.
    • Side kicks and punches win tournaments.
    • Punch to the opponent’s head. It is easy for judges to see, and for the opponent to know you are scoring.
    • Perform techniques to touch. No touch, no point.
    • Sticking out your hand or foot, or silly little rabbit punches do not score. Good technique scores.
  • There are usually 2 rounds of 2 minutes each. Between rounds, the student gets a short break to talk to the coach.
• Usually the contact level for 10 years and under is “kiss” – a very light tag. For 11 years and above it is touch. (You must touch your opponent to score.)

Are you competing in patterns?

• White belts will usually perform four direction punch (saju jirugi) and four direction block (saju makgi).
  • This includes first green, first blue, first red and first black.
• Yellow stripes may perform Chon-Ji, saju makgi and/or saju jirugi.
  • This includes double yellow stripe and triple yellow stripe.
• All other grades will perform their current pattern, and a random lower pattern.
  • If you have a stripe, and your opponent does not, the non-stripe pattern will be performed.
  • E.g. A yellow belt and a green stripe will perform Dan-Gun.

Are you competing in special technique or power test?

• Ask your instructor to work through the process with you the week before the tournament, to prepare you.
• You bow to the officials first, then perform an L-stance guarding block, then do the technique. Afterwards, perform an L-stance guarding block, then bow to the officials before leaving the floor.
• The technique and method for each age group can differ. These are examples.
• Power, 5 years and under are hitting pads for distance with front punch and front snap kick.
• Power, 6-10 years are breaking child friendly boards with elbow, turning kick and side piercing kick.
• Special technique 10 years and under is kicking a pad with flying high kick.

Parents, please work together. If you are standing by a ring and the marshal calls for someone from Glendowie, rush back to our seating area and call the person.

We will need parents by every ring all day. We will have children and other students competing in all rings throughout the day, and we don’t want students missing their events. Listen for announcements (they will announce divisions and rings, not competitor names).

We try to generate a FANTASTIC atmosphere for Glendowie. Please get behind our school, and support our students. Have FUN!

I usually umpire all day (without umpires, we can’t have tournaments). I will do what I can, but mostly I will rely on our black belts and students, and parents, to look after each other.

Regards

Master Banicevich.