When to Start Competing for Martial Artists

More and more people today, start training in martial arts so as to fight or compete in competitions, and one of the most asked questions is when to start actually competing.

This is one of them questions where there really is not an answer. You could wait for a few months or years before beginning or you could start even before your first martial art class. If you start straight away, your fighting techniques will obviously be minimal but you shall soon gain the experience and adrenalin rush of competing in an event with other people, and this WILL benefit you. This type of experience can only be gained once you start competing, irrelevant of how many years you have been training.

What martial art style you train in could depend on when you start competing. There is less chance of injuries occurring at grappling tournaments than there would be at a Mauy Thai fight or Karate tournament. If you are caught in a joint lock or choke hold you can tap out, and leave the competition unharmed, where as in a ring/cage fight or striking competition, if you have no defence training, you could be easily hurt or knocked out. So maybe training for a while in striking arts may be a good idea before starting to compete

Also stamina is an issue. You can be a great fighter with lots of skills or an average Joe who has never done a days training, but when out of breath, it would be nearly impossible to tell which is which. For this reason, building cardiovascular endurance maybe should be achieved before stepping foot in the ring or on the mat. Having said that, you could compete, and win a fight within a few seconds, without needing to use up much energy.

As said, there is no time limit that should be passed before competing. It is always the decision of the individual wanting to compete. You shall always gain experience in fights and tournaments, regardless of your skill level, so it is up to you to make the decision.

Marks

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