Yeah, I should have stated number 2 differently. I think that dislike of competitions is very fair. Believe it or not, I dislike competitions to a certain extent myself.

The problem I have with competition is that it tends to make the competition the focus, instead of the training. Your training can often become about winning the competitions and not about training to become a better person. I think this is a pretty valid argument.

For me, sparring doesn't have to be about competition. In our school, everyone works against each other when we spar, but with the ultimate goal of helping to make everyone stronger. It's not just about winning a trite victory, it's about overcoming adversity. I'm not an advocate of Aikido being a sport martial art. I like sport martial arts quite a bit, and when one encounters the right teacher of a sport martial art system, they are in for a real treat. But I think sports can over complicate the real issue of training. We train to become stronger, better adjusted people, not collect trophies.

So for myself, I don't confuse sparing and competition. Sparring is done without concern for who the winner is, or the loser, but instead provides a challenge to be met and overcome. I believe this is what is really at the heart of martial arts training; meeting, overcoming and sometimes being humbled by challenge.

Thanks Dave!