J Pat Burleson Martial Arts studios works in partnership with Legends Martial Arts to conduct all tournaments. All students are encouraged to attend the tournaments, but they are not manditory. Tournaments are designed to test your skills in several different areas. Below you will find a short description of the events that you can participate in at our tournaments.

Field Day

This is a NON- contact event designed to build confidence AND skill level. Although there are no losers (non-trophy winners) it is still a competition, and there are go give aways!. There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards based on performance level and attitude. The Field Day will be judged by five of the Black Belt instructors.

Continuous Sparring Competition

• Competitors will be matched by size.
• No one under brown belt will be able to continuous spar
• Competitors will spar for 1 minute.
• At the end of the round, judges will “point” to select the best fighter.
• No one under brown belt will be able to continuous spar
• Winner will be chosen for speed, timing, footwork, accuracy and control
• No one under brown belt will be able to continuous spar
• No excessive contact, not kidding, no really, seriously absolutely none will be
tolerated…really!
• No one under brown belt will be able to continuous spar

Creative/Specialty/Weapons Kata

This is your opportunity to show off your flashy side. Any type of form is allowed. As long as it remotely resembles karate in even the vaguest way, you can perform it. Of course, the better the martial arts techniques are, the better you will score. You may perform anything from musical to weapons to just a made-up form, or any combination of these. Competitors will be scored on stances, folds, blocks, chambers, kicking and punching technique, etc. Well done forms are well done forms. Regardless of style, all the forms will be graded on the same criteria.

Contact Point Sparring

Points sparring allows two competitors to fight each other to gain points by quick and accurate strikes. There are certian "strike zones" that must be hit and other areas that are illegal targets and will incure a penalty if struck more than three times. The object of point sparring is to out smart your competitor and anticipate his/her moves like a game of chess. This event challenges your mental and physical abilities.

Non - Contact Point Sparring

This competition is scored EXACTLY like contact point sparring. The difference is – competitors will wear ONLY hand and foot pads. The points they earn will be awarded for striking 2” to 4” from the target area – WITHOUT TOUCHING! If the technique is more than 4” away… no points are awarded. If the technique is blocked… no points are awarded. If any contact is made, however light, then a point is awarded to the other person.

Traditional Kata

If you do not know what a kata or form is, then you don’t need to compete in this event. That being said – only traditional types of katas are allowed. All other types of forms will be done in the Creative/Specialty/Weapons division. The form you do in Traditional Kata must be from a recognized system of martial arts.