By Victoire Morier

Before we delve into the downsides of international competitions (pricing of lodging and transport being the most notorious), we’re going to look into the benefits of participating in one.

To begin with the obvious, international competitions tend to be places where you can make new friends from different countries, or perhaps reconnect with those you haven’t had the chance to see for a couple of months (perhaps the last international competition).

As a related and fun side effect, international competition venues tend to become melting pots of culture and language, where English, Mandarin and Malay can be heard alongside Indonesian Bahasa and the occasional Burmese and Cambodian tongues.

Much experience can also be gained, by competing against other players in either poomsae (pattern) or kyurugi (sparring).

For instance, in poomsae, hand and foot placements in the movement of a poom might have slight variations compared to what may be observed in other countries. Competitors in kyurugi would also have the chance to come up against different styles of fighting never come across before .

But win or lose, international competitions are the perfect places to make new friends and gain valuable experience to be used in the next competition.

Now, for the downsides. As mentioned before, pricing, and exchange rates by extension, are perhaps the most well-known.

But there are others, such as giving up a weekend that could be spent with family, in a foreign country with only your teammates and coaches for company. While this can translate into a lesson in independence for some athletes, others might instead find it traumatic , if the trip is undertaken when young, and without parents around as security blankets.

There is also the issue of cuisine. Although some might take this an opportunity to try new foods, less adventurous mouths might find searching for the right food torturous.

But even all these are teaching moments – pricing and exchange rates can teach visiting athletes how to budget. Traveling alone imparts independence and the skill of thinking on your feet when things don’t go your way. Most importantly, trying new foods might end with you find that you like something completely unexpected, such as chendol, a uniquely Singaporean dessert.

So, of course, international competitions are more fun!