My First Tournament and/or Kumite
Just over two years after the fact, I’ve gotten my hands on footage of my first match in a BJJ tournament as a white belt. It holds a special place in my heart for many reasons, most of them hilarious.
Points of interest:
My hilariously sloppy guard pull. My hilariously sloppy armbar. My hilariously sloppy popping of his elbow as he screams KAI! and kicks me in the back. The referee stoppage of a white belt match.
When the ref stopped the match, I was worried that I had been too psyched up and hadn’t felt the tap. I was really concerned, which is why I stayed kneeling to check on my opponent, and when the ref had us hug, I apologized since I felt bad about hurting his arm.
As I walked off the mat, the first thing I hear is Raspado yelling “That fucker kicked you!” I hadn’t even felt it, but everyone swore they saw it clearly and heard the smack. He and several others ran off to talk to the event organizers.
Then I find out that my opponent is trying is trying to get me disqualified because I “didn’t let go” when he tapped.
But it comes out that he didn’t tap at all (which explains why I was worried I didn’t feel it) and he’s getting disqualified for kicking me.
After winning the second (and final) match in my division, I left the competition area to go up to the spectating level of the complex. After congratulating me, my sister tells me that the guy was a karate instructor. I couldn’t believe her, but she insisted, saying he had such embroidered on his jacket, and told me to look down at the mats.
Sure enough, he was sitting in a chair next to a line of very uncomfortable looking students who were all standing in some form of karate parade rest. You can see them in these photos which capture my match from the opposite side.
So my first tournament involved popping a karate instructor’s arm in front of his students, getting kicked the back and not realizing it, having a disgruntled sensei try to get my DQ’d for not letting go when he yelled “Kai!”, and finally having my opponent disqualified.
You can see why I’d remember my first tournament for mainly the hilarious reasons.
One last note. The karateka also looked like Rick Moranis, so I kept making “Honey, I Popped My Elbow” jokes.
November 20th, 2006 at 11:45 am
Wow you’re like a twig man. :-) Good job at the tournament. I wish my first competition went that well. That karate guy really didn’t know what he was doing.
Many karate guys got to realize that just because they are good at karate doesn’t mean they are good at grappling. I see it all the time here as well… Oh well he probably didn’t learn anything either.
November 21st, 2006 at 9:19 am
You forgot to mention that before your match the karate instructor had all of his students lined up, hands on their hips threateningly, glaring across the mat to intimidate the other competitors. Which makes his pouting in a folding chair for the rest of the tournament, popped elbow cradled in his lap with his embarassed students avoiding looking at him, all the better.