Once martial arts competitors and coaches decide to follow one of the great karate circuits like NASKA or NBL, they will soon realize that participating in the sport can be very expensive. Many years ago, I attended a seminar led by Charlie Lee and he said that the only major difference between many national and local competitors is that the nationals have the funds to travel. I’ve been to the NBL and NASKA circuits. I’ve also dabbled in international competition abroad, so I’ve learned a few tricks over the years to help save on some overhead costs involved in competition.
Competition fees
Most karate tournaments offer some savings through pre-registration. With many promoters adding online registration capabilities recently, pre-registration is a breeze. Of course, there is a risk of losing the full fee if for some reason you do not show up to the event. Even if you have agreed to attend 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 due to reasons beyond your control. Of course, unforeseen emergencies at home can always lead to trip cancellations. So while you can save good money over the course of a year by pre-registering for all events, it is a risk you take.
Hotels
Most tournament promoters also set special room rates at designated tournament hotels. These special rates generally range from $ 100 to $ 125, which is pretty good considering that most event hotels are major major chains like Hyatt, Sheraton, Hilton, etc. However, I have found that if you are willing to do a little research, even more significant savings can be achieved with adaptations. I hardly ever stay in hotels for events anymore. Instead, I’ll do my research to find hotels that are nearby. The maps feature on the Yahoo site 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, as well as 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. The rooms at these chains are not as luxurious as those at the major hotels, but they are clean and comfortable. They are not the bottom of the barrel like some independent motels are. Rates can be 50% lower even than tournament rates at event hotels. My average room rate 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 is not within walking distance, it is usually worth the room savings for a small taxi fare. I have even stayed at hotels located at the airport and then used the hotel’s free shuttle service from both the place I was staying and the event hotel to get around. Of course, all of this is not as convenient as staying at the event hotel, but if you’re willing to do some planning ahead, good savings are possible. Of course, for events where I extend my stay for vacation reasons, a rental car will allow me to stay wherever I want.
Another way to cut hotel expenses in half is to leave right after the competition ends. You will miss the evening shows, but if you don’t mind, you will have to stay overnight for just one night instead of two. Over the course of a year, single-night trips can result in significant savings.
Flights
Driving would be the cheapest way to travel to tournaments, but if the locations are too far away, flying would be the most realistic way to get there. You can also explore the trains. As for flights, you could wait for the sale of seats to buy tickets. Another strategy is to fly in or out of the different airports that are close to the event city. There could be significant savings in 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-Canada border. Canadians driving to US airports just across the border could save up to 50% sometimes on flights. Travelers should join all frequent flyer programs, but try to stick with one or two major airlines if possible. Points are added, which may result in future free flights. Of course, points for hotel stays, car rentals, and credit card use also help.
Transfers
As mentioned above, I try to use the free hotel shuttle whenever I can. If my hotel does not have a free shuttle service and is close to the event hotel, sometimes I take the free event hotel shuttle and then walk to my hotel. I also often use the hotel shuttle for events to take a trip back to the airport. 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 big tournaments are held have very efficient and safe transit systems from the airport. For example, instead of paying for taxis or airport transfers that 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 cut down on travel overhead to karate tournaments. You just have to do your research for each trip. When it comes to meals, you can always fill up on nonsense for a very reasonable price at those Chinese buffets found almost everywhere.