Martial Arts at the London Olympics

The list of events scheduled at the worldwide summer games changes every four years. Not everyone realises that martial arts are a high-profile game for this competition, but watching the world's sharpest Judo and Taekwondo masters compete for the gold, silver and bronze medals is always thrilling. Anyone with a competitive spirit appreciates the important role that the opponent plays in martial arts. In other sports at the summer games, contestants are often competing against each other's times or techniques, and decisions regarding the winners come down to a stopwatch or a panel of judges. But in martial arts, contestants compete directly with their opponents in hand-to-hand fashion. Serious fans of the sport can make their own competitive contributions in the months leading up to the big games to be held in the UK in 2012.

A popular website in the UK is hosting a "stars" and "spots" competition, in which friendly competitors challenge one another in the real world before reporting the results of their throw-down online. Martial arts including Judo and Taekwondo are perfect for this sort of rivalry, but there's room for any number of peripheral sports. For example, karate is not scheduled to be contested at the London Olympics, but there's no reason that locals can't stage their own karate demonstrations and competitions in order to post the results online. The national buzz created by competitive events like this drive everyone toward to the 2012 games, and they offer an admittedly fun way to get excited for the main event. If you want to follow the official rules for the Judo or Taekwondo while staging a competition, you'll need to consult the summer games rule book. In regard to Judo, the official games committee recognises seven weight classes.

Contestants win the gold of silver medal through a straightforward elimination bracket, but there are two bronze medals awarded in each weight class. Judo has been part of the line-up since 1964 it debuted at the Tokyo games. Taekwondo made it on the events line-up a bit later, in 1988. The medal format is similar, but there are not as many weight classes in competition. In warming up for the 2012 championships, most of the games UK citizens are playing are less intense and more about having a fun and carefree time. However, there is certainly room to put together an elimination bracket and post the results on the website. It would be a good idea to follow the format laid out for the competition, and local martial arts instructional institutes would have to step up to host the tournaments. This is a great way for aspiring martial arts masters to demonstrate their prowess, and it's likely to attract budding athletes to train for future summer games. After all, competing for recognition, with or without real medals involved, can be a catalyst. Young people who see highly trained martial artists at work may be inspired to enroll in their own classes, and if they get started early enough then they'll be ready for the big games in another 8-12 years.