Once martial arts competitors and trainers decide to follow one of the big karate circuits like NASKA or NBL, they will soon realize that participation in this sport can be very expensive. Many years ago I attended a seminar given by Charlie Lee and he said that the only main difference between many national and local competitors is that the nationals have the funds to travel. I have been on the NBL and NASKA circuits. I’ve also dabbled in international competition overseas, so I’ve learned a few tricks over the years to help save some overhead costs related to competition.
competition fees
Most karate tournaments offer some savings through pre-registration. With many promoters adding online registration capabilities recently, pre-registration is a piece of cake. Of course, there is a risk of losing the entire fee if for any reason you do not show up for the event. Even if you have committed to attending certain tournaments, other circumstances may prevent you from attending. For example, I have missed tournaments due to flight cancellations due to bad weather. Flights may also be delayed or missed for reasons beyond your control. Of course, unforeseen emergencies at home can always cause trip cancellations. So while one can save good money over the course of a year by pre-registering for all the events, it’s a risk.
Hotels
Most tournament promoters also set special room rates at designated tournament hotels. These special rates usually range from $100 to $125, which is pretty good considering most event hotels are major chains like Hyatt, Sheraton, Hilton, etc. However, I’ve found that if you’re willing to do a little research, even more significant savings can be realized with retrofits. I almost never stay in hotels for events anymore. Instead, I’ll do some research to find hotels that are close by. Yahoo’s sitemaps facility is wonderful for this. Just go to Yahoo and click on ‘maps’. Then enter the address and city of the tournament hotel. Do a search for other nearby hotels and the site will show you where they are on a map and how far they are from the event hotel. I also use travel websites like Travelocity and Expedia to check other nearby hotels. Many hotels tend to be much less expensive, especially those that are lower in quality. In addition to travel websites, I would also check room rates directly with Choice Hotels (Comfort Inn, Econolodge, Quality Inn), Holiday Inn, Days Inn, and Motel 6 through their websites. Rooms at these chains are not as luxurious as those at major hotels, but they are clean and comfortable. They are not the bottom of the barrel like some independent motels are. Rates can even be 50% lower than tournament rates at event hotels. My average rate for rooms has been around $50 and that often includes free breakfasts that event hotels rarely offer.
Many lower priced hotels are within walking distance of the tournaments. Even if a hotel isn’t within walking distance, a small taxi fare is usually worth it to save on a room. I have even stayed in hotels located in airports and then used the free hotel transfers from both the place I was staying at and the event hotel to get around. Of course, all of this isn’t quite as convenient as staying at the event hotel, but if you’re willing to plan ahead a bit, some serious savings are possible. Of course, for events where I am extending my stay for vacation purposes, a rental car will allow me to stay wherever I want.
Another way to cut hotel costs in half is to leave right after the competition ends. You’ll miss the nightly shows, but if you don’t mind, you’ll have to spend the night only one night instead of two. Over the course of a year, overnight trips can result in significant savings.
flights
Driving would be the cheapest way to travel to tournaments, but if the venues are too far away, flying would be the most realistic way to get there. Trains could also be explored. As for the flights, you could wait for the sale of seats to buy the tickets. Another strategy is to fly to or from different airports near the event city. There could be significant savings on flight prices if you are willing to use alternative airports. Some cities have more than one major airport in the region. Alternative airports can reduce travel costs for competitors who also have to cross the US-Canadian border. Canadians driving to US airports across the border could save up to 50% sometimes for flights. Travelers should join all frequent flyer programs, but try to stick with one or two major airlines if possible. Points add up, which can result in future free flights. Of course, points from hotel stays, car rentals, and credit card use also help.
Transfers
As mentioned above, I try to use the hotel’s free shuttle services whenever I can. If my hotel doesn’t have a free shuttle and it’s close to the event hotel, sometimes I would take the event hotel’s free shuttle and then walk to my hotel. I often use the event hotel shuttle to take a ride back to the airport as well. Just hang out in the event hotel lobbies to look like a guest and no one should question your use of the shuttle.
Many cities where major tournaments are held have very efficient and safe transit systems from the airport. For example, instead of paying for taxis or airport transfers that they charge, taking the local bus or subway for around $1.50 will get me to the tournament just as easily.
So, as you can see, there are different ways to reduce the overhead of traveling to the karate tournament. You just have to do your research for each trip. As for food, you can always gorge yourself for a very reasonable price at those Chinese buffets that are found almost everywhere.