Novice competitions

Does anyone know of any competitions in Europe that have Novice categories? I live in Belgium and have been unable to find any..

I am thinking of travelling to the US to compete in some local competitions that have Novice categories, it's just that I am not sure if it's possible for someone that's not affiliated with one of the big three NGBs. But maybe there is a way to do it?

I believe if you're current with your NGB, you're generally eligible here.

Overseas, I'd ask your sensei which tournaments have novice divisions. Most tournaments here are not novice only, and the novice divisions are pretty standard at most shiai. Of course, there are usually not enough novices to divide into Olympic weights, so they usually divide into light and heavy or light medium and heavy.


Can't imagine there'd be a dearth of novice divisions in EU competitions. I'd start slow and small - local and regional. Ask your sensei. Ask your training partners. See what's coming up and whether they have a novice division.

Then, when you feel like it, please feel free to come over to the US, get some training in, and compete when/where you want to. Just realize, unless you want to spend a ton of time in an airport, you're not going to compete in FL one day, CA the next, and NY the following. I'd stick with one geographical area, preferably with a dojo you want to visit (with the approval of your sensei), and maybe a camp or clinic scheduled around the time of your shiai - get the most of the experience.

If you're female, I'd highly recommend Deb Fergus' All Womens Judo Championships - you'll get a ton of matches and she always schedules some great clinics before and after the shiai.

Hi Stacey, thanks for the info! I am going to keep on looking for local competitions that have adult Novice divisions, though in my current dojo only the brown and black belts (rarely) compete. In my previous club in Brussels nobody was doing any competitions, since the sensei was against it..

I am dreaming of a Judo vacation in the US, like you suggested, picking one region, in a month where there are a lot of competitions, and going to a few of them and ideally combining it with a camp/clinic. But what would happen if I were to show up, registration in hand, at a local shiai wanting to compete in one of the Novice categories? Would I need to show that I am affiliated with one of the three US NGBs? What about the non-black belt waiver? Would it be acceptable if my sensei signed it even though he's not affiliated with any of the US NGBs?

Javalina wrote:Does anyone know of any competitions in Europe that have Novice categories? I live in Belgium and have been unable to find any..

I am thinking of travelling to the US to compete in some local competitions that have Novice categories, it's just that I am not sure if it's possible for someone that's not affiliated with one of the big three NGBs. But maybe there is a way to do it?

Hiya,

What do you mean by "Novice"?

Thanks,

Mike

I mean all grades below 1st kyu.

Unlike in the US, I am not finding many competitions in Belgium, or elsewhere in Europe, that have an adult Novice division.

Javalina wrote:I mean all grades below 1st kyu.

Unlike in the US, I am not finding many competitions in Belgium, or elsewhere in Europe, that have an adult Novice division.

France has novice (kyu rank) competitions all over the country every week end of the year. No need to travel that far to find a bash. Holland also Germany much the same thing. Did you want to specifically visit the USA? If you did I am certain there are posters here who will offer you sound advice.

Best wishes,

Mike

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the reply. Do you happen to have any links for kyu rank competitions in either France, Holland, or Germany? I found some for kids, but for beginner adults like myself I have not had much luck.

Thanks!

Javalina wrote:Hi Mike,

Thanks for the reply. Do you happen to have any links for kyu rank competitions in either France, Holland, or Germany? I found some for kids, but for beginner adults like myself I have not had much luck.

Thanks!

Most competitions will divide you into 1st kyu+ and 2nd kyu- anyway. Or even more divisions, maybe 4th kyu-.

I just competed, two weeks ago, in a competition which had had a Novice-6th Kyu category (in the UK).
There are quite a few comps for lower grades. However, most are Novice-3rd Kyu and 2nd-1st Kyu. Have a look here http://www.britishjudo.org.uk/events-calendar

this is the first time I've ever heard of someone wanting to take a judo vacation in the US. and it's definitely the first time I've ever heard of someone doing it for the sake of finding more competitions. I am willing to bet there's more around you than you realize. but if you're in a non competition oriented club, and your only source of info are those you talk to on the mat at that non competition oriented club, it can seem like slim pickings.

my advice is to do a google search. also look and see if your NGB's website has an event calendar, and then see if those events have a novice division. novice-only shiai aren't common anywhere, but novice divisions in shiai aren't rare.

also, say you go to a regular tournament, and there's not enough players to make a novice division, and you end up playing more advanced judoka, worst case scenario you'll get some good ukemi practice. and hey, maybe you'll even surprise yourself with your performance.

Thanks for all the replies!

I found a competition, in neighboring Netherlands, that also has a novice division: http://dutch-masters-open.webklik.nl/page/home. It takes place at the end of April.

cool! Make sure your sensei knows you're preparing for this competition, and keep us informed about how it goes. Good luck with your prep and your shiai