WKF and AAU, what the %$#@ !

O.K. I'm venting. I've just recently returned to the active karate world after about a 16 yr lay-off. It now seems all my old karate senseis are tied up with either the WKF or AAU.I've attended several tournaments of both organizations. WOW! who thought these rules were a good idea? Sparring has turned into a battle of reverse punches (nothing else seems to get called as a point.) Even when somebody clearly lands a good technique with correct timing, posture, zanshin and all the other requirements, not enough judges saw it to get a point. In one of the AAU referee classes it was stated, to score the attacker has got to be making forward momentum. How do you make forward momentum with a ridgehand, roundhouse kick, hook kick, or backfist strike? Kata, Oh boy!!! The two competitors at once flag system... Who came up with that one? Let's say there is 6 competitors, First two get up and perform at the same time, when both are finished, the judges pick who's kata was better, the loser is out. then so on. well the loser of the first two might have been better than the other 4 but he was put out first. plus how can a judge honestly pay that close attention to all the finer points of kata while having to watch two at the same time? I'm not even going into all the head kicks I saw in the kata's. If the judges give higher scores for that then I say they need new judges.The last thing that really irked me was instructors are now refered to as coaches and karateka are now atheletes! I'm not a coach or athelete... I'm a karateka. There is a difference! Anyone else as disgusted as I am about this? Thanks for letting me vent.

I compete and judge in both WKF and AAU tournaments.

In kumite, you'll be scored for the techniques you score with.Istead of griping about it I suggest you work on your performance so the judges can see it.

As for the Kata. The sysem you state is only AAU, not WKF. Also you have to lose twice before being eliminated so that makes the system slightly fairer.

As for the 2 competitors performing their kata simultaneously. IT SUCKS.
Worst system they've ever tried. Hopefully they"ll realise it sometime and can it.

Hi, again. Thank you JohnL for responding. I don't compete anymore. (way past that stage of my youth ) Just from watching all the sparring events, AAU and WKF it's that realisticly they are 85% grab and reverse punch. OH which by the way reminds me of another gripe. When the two corner judges see and call a point the center referee with his power calls torimasen and waves them off. What happened to two out of three = point. I just remember the good ole' days (the 80's ) where if the technique if landed and not stopped would have caused damage it was a point. also tournaments seemed friendlier and happier. I understand that with the human element added in, there is no 100% fair way of scoring. It just seems that what is being accepted now was thought up by an athletic comission consisting of no one who really has a clue. I guess now that I am a coach, If my students don't place in the events high enough, I should make them run laps around the gym.
Thanks for agreeing about the kata thing though. When I first saw that I realized how bad that sucked. Somebody else thought it was a good idea though and somebody else said yes it is, let's do it!. Geez.

I left the USA-NKF about 2001. I saw the quality of refereeing improve but the rules are strictly to play to the audience. Essentially, to compete w/ TKD & get into the Olympics.

In the '70's, we didn't even use hand protection &contact wasn't an accident. Funny that I never received or gave a cheap shot just because I could.

John,it's not whining or griping. There IS a problem when karate-ka become athletes & sensei become coaches, when a hook-kick counts more than a good 1-2 combination & you can rack up point after point after point.

It's not all bad because I do like the addition of seizing, sweeping & throwing techniques.

Hey H

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In the '70's, we didn't even use hand protection &contact wasn't an accident. Funny that I never received or gave a cheap shot just because I could.

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It's interesting, but I still spar with minimal protection (Small or no mitts, gumsheild and cup) and I would rather my opponents do the same.

Despite the odd accident I have found that with the introduction of all the protection that people use now, it's an excuse for a lack of control.

I maintain that I can spar safely with people due not to the protection worn, but to my own control.