Tournament fighting, as you say, is all about point-scoring and not about breaking things. With that knowledge in mind, you simply choose your approaches and attacks in such a way that will allow you to score without hurting your opponent. For instance, I'm a lightweight guy, which means I would get paired up with high-school age Tae Kwon Do "black belts" and smaller, faster kids from schools like Tang Soo Do and the occasional Wing Chun fight. Against these, mostly my job was to block and evade in such a way as to deny them points and score on counter-strikes, where my opponent overextends, I step into his inner circle and do a simple jab or elbow strike.

On a side note... I have never understood this idea of handing out 1st Dan to kids who've practiced for a year, maybe less, that seems prevalent in Tae Kwon Do in America. What gives? I worked -hard- every weekday afternoon for 4 years to earn my 1st Dan, and the next two years after that for my 2nd Dan, in Hapkido.

Used to do a fair bit but havnt in recent years i have done boxing kick boxing judo and a bit of wrestleing, that was when i was a bit better health at the moment i aint a clue why its all gone down hill i used to be around 13 stone im down to just under 9 now!

Observing the "resurrect a thread before starting a new one" rule..

I just started Kendo two months ago.
Most martial arts are overcrowded with "I just want to beat someone up" kind of people and seem to have lost their way.
I do martial arts not to beat up somebody but to improve dexterity, focus myself and have a better coordination.
Kendo is different, as its real life applications are somewhat limited (who's running around with a Katana all day?).
The Kendo crowd are more nerds (even a few subsimmers) and fans of japanese culture. And our Sensei is actually japanese, something I never encountered in German Judo or Karate.

My favorit marcial art: a shotgun under my jacket...:p Kidding.

I practice Karate,shotokan stile, praticed for 10 years,then left for 7 years and now returned. Did some aikido and kendo, but more for fun and to train with my father since he left karate because was tired how they( our masters) did several things.

AntEater, I once had a few classes (in a probation) with a japonese sensei in karate, was our "senior chief" sensei of the karate association. And a japanese woman that was here in my home town, told me that they have kendo in the schools, in schools sports as we here have soccer and other kinds.

I use to do karate years ago, and in more recent years I've done a bit of fencing and ti-chi, although more for fun than any desire to become brilliant at them. Attacking people with a sword is good fun, although it bloody hurts when someone's sword doesn't bow properly if they get a hit on you, and instead rides up under the neck guard of your face mask and stabs you in the throat!

:D Chock

You'll enjoy it. These days, I do my katas with a bokken in the forests near my sites. Ken and Iai are not concerned with trophys and competitions. It's also good to have a close, Japanese connection to the art.

Books/Movies to reccommend for your library.

Book of Five Rings: Miyamoto Musashi

The Hagakure: Bushido manual

Budo Shoshinshu: Bushido manual

The Sword and the Mind: fencing manual

The Zen Way to the Martial Arts: Taisen Deshimaru

Any of Tosishiro Obata's manuals on batto-jutsu

Budo-The Art of Killing: a good japanese-produced video overview of Kendo, Karate-do, Ju-do, Aikido, Sumo and yabusame(Horse archery)

Hiroshi inagaki's Samurai trilogy about the life of Miyamoto Musashi.

These will do for a start.

Here's a painting of Hotei Ushu, the Zen Sack-and-Stick Priest and embodiment of Zen fullness painted by Musashi. He is who I try to pattern my life after.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/2...ushu001yw2.jpg


You might also consider taking traditional European fencing for the contrast and become a true master of the Sword. Good luck on your Tao.

Martial Arts
 

I used to do some Tae Kwon Do - I got to the level of Black Stripe, actually. That was quite a few years ago though.

Im by no means a practicing martial artist in any field, just know the basics of fighting that i have picked up from experience with *******s and a few bar brawls. Though i do intend to take up systema after having completed my mandatory army service.
Anyway i noticed someone asking for tips, the best advice i could give is keep your eyes open and done focus on just one thing, be aware of what and who surround you, when talking to someone who you dont know just look at his body language and his eyes to see where exactly he is looking, keep your arms out of your pockets, most people who are likely to pick fights dont know how to fight and leave themselves open a lot throwing wide punches and having a stance that leaves their groin open to attack. I realize its is not nice and all, but when it is a fight and i see a chanse, go for the groin, throat or anything else likely to incapacitate your oponent for long ennough for you to either escape or subdoe them to get the authorities involved if you so choose.

woop
 

Curretn holder of the Black belt 5th degree in Karae (Shotokan)! 1of the highest in Scotland! bloddy effort to get it lol

I'm probably more of a submission person. I dont have much experience, but I've been taught how to do some MMA submission holds like a triangle choke.