What is happening in Karate tournaments?
"my opponent was too good to be a yellow belt, months later I found out he was a black belt", "we saw a brown belt lower his rank to compete in another division", why cheating in traditional Martial arts?

I have been involved in the word of martial arts and trained different styles, I have also been in numerous tournaments as a student and as a teacher with my students. Unfortunately I have seen and experienced unfair practices.

I started training Kenpo Karate, when I was a yellow belt I participated in a tournament in one of the sparring division divided by rank, I was a beginner and my division was yellow, orange and purple belt. I won the first fight and on my second fight my opponent was a yellow belt too, but he was extremely fast and had unbeliable talent, he won the fight. I thought "well, I need to train more to become better"... Later on I saw the same "yellow belt" participating in black belt division with a different uniform and a black belt, his Kenpo form was really good. But I hated to see him there, it was not fair. There is no way a yellow belt with months of training is going to beat a black belt with years of experience. I am talking about a yellow belt with no experience at all in any other martial art.

When I was a green belt our main instructor back then was preparing a team to participate in a World Karate Tournament in Argentina, I was not going to be able to attend that one because I was at College that time. So I helped them train at the dojo. Then when they came back from Argentina all of them brought 1st and 2nd places in every division they participated ! I was so amazed about it. Then a week later one of them brought a photo album of the tournament, I was so disappointed, all of them lowered their ranks and the instructor allowed that. I was really disappointed, and that was it. I had to find my own way somehow, so I decided to find and train with a Seventh Degree Black Belt Sergio Contreras and with Master Larry Tatum. Those were the real instructors.

Years later when I was a first degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and had a few and loyal students, we went to a tournament. My students participated and won their divisions. But I personally saw with my students a brown belt lowering his rank to compete in another division and his instructor was there too and authorized him. Where is the ethics ? why cheating? I told the organizers about it and they did not do anything.

I love Martial Arts but sometimes I feel embarrassed for what it's happening, I have seen instructors screaming at his students, black belts cheating, instructors swearing, bad attitude and rudeness. It looks like nowadays anyone can be a black belt, it is just a matter of getting one from Internet... But where are the values? A black belt is supposed to be a role model, that knows how to behave, shows discipline, helps, and becomes a person who knows who he is and what his goals are.

It looks like the real spirit of Martial Arts is gone. where is he honor and discipline?

In Mixed Martial Arts there are no ranks, no defined styles. So you cannot cheat.

By Peter