| Sake Sipper, I have to disagree. Consolation prizes do not ruin the whole point of a martial arts competition because the main idea is not to see who is better, but rather to give students a tangible reason to improve over time. If a young student's spirit is crushed in a competition and they decide to quit, who does that benefit? The rules of competitions clearly indicate this intent. Why else would you divide people up based on weight, age, gender and rank? If the purpose was to just see who is better, then why bother with these separations at all?
Sensei Tom, I think one of the factors that may be preventing your students from going to competitions is they don't see it the same way you do. Now, cards on the table full disclosure, neither do I. Where as you may see glory for the school and a chance to showcase skills, they may see an expensive way to stroke their ego. So, maybe you will need to convince them to see it your way on a one-to-one basis. |