Can you enter martial arts tournaments without being in a martial arts class?

Answer 1

Some tournaments are labeled as "open" which means that anyone from any system of Martial Art may enter. If you have no experience, you might be permitted to enter as a white belt or novice. However, in many open events, there is often no way to verify what rank or level a competitor might be, so it is up to the individual to be honest or face the possibility of getting hurt (tournament rules usually require signed liability waivers for adults, and parent's permission for children under 18). Most sanctioned tournaments require some proof of rank and affiliation with a legitimate school so that a student is not mismatched with someone of much greater skill, which could result in serious injury.