Good Old Days

One of the things I liked about Karate in the old days was the slightly foreign formality.

For example, when fighting in a tournament you extended courtesy to your opponent with a bow before and after the match. The bow was exchanged when the competitors were at their start locations, 3 meters apart.

Things have changed a lot. Now, after the bow, competitors often step forward to shake hands, or to do the shake-hands-shoulder-hug. In the old days, any move forward before the referee's command to commence was considered a potential premature attack and would garner a warning, or even a loss of points for a foul. It could also be cause for disqualification. No more, although the rules haven't changed.

Sometimes, after the match starts the fighters do the one-handed touch gloves common in MMA. In a way they are ignoring the referee's command to start fighting.

Before, during and after competition it used to be considered bad form to leave one's poker face.

There is now a lot of hooting, self-cheering, and even taunting. It used to be that such behaviour would annoy the referee, and he would tell competitor to stop. Failure to obey would earn the miscreant disqualification.

This doesn't even begin to take into account the amount of away-from-the-ring hugging that happens. Students hug instructors, and competitors hug each other. This did happen in the old days, but it was extremely rare, and therefore extremely special when it happened. In several decades of Karate, I was never hugged at a tournament. I saw my own instructor hugged exactly one time. That hug was a big deal, and the result of his student winning a Silver Medal at the Provincial level.

Competition in Karate did not have the feel of other sports. It was special. It was formal. It was always on the edge of violence, but controlled.

It was Karate.