Tournament tips?

[mystic_kendoka]

I'll be entering my first kendo tournament on the 23rd november...
Could somebody please help me out a bit by giving me a few tips that i could remember?
Could someone also explain the basic rules of a tournament for me?

[Will]

Just do your best and have fun. Remember everything your sensei said and you should be fine.

[moocow65]

Take one step into the court and bow. Then walk 3 steps and do sonkyo. You have a certain amount of time, usually 3 or 4 minutes to get 2 points. If time runs out, whoever has 1 point will win. If time runs out and no one has scored, then it will go into encho, or overtime. Depending on the tournament, encho can have unlimited time. Whoever gets the first point wins. Sometimes encho will only last a few minutes, then the judges decide who wins. That's called a hantei[I]. Tournament tip #1. Just swing really big like your gonna hit men, and instead hit do. It gets them every time.

[moocow65]

oh yah. after the shiai is over, you do osame-to. then you stand up, and walk 5 steps back and bow. then take another step back to make sure you're out of the court, and bow again. that's what i do. well that's what they do in japan. calls for like YAME and WAKARE, your sensei should teach you. or maybe he already has. Anyways good luck!