Brackets

In drag racing, two vehicles in different classes (different size, shape, horsepower, etc.) may race against each other on relatively equal footing by the use brackets. In this type of racing, to make the race more equal, the more powerful car starts a few milliseconds after the slower car, thus giving the slower car a head start. Why can’t we do the same thing for senior citizens in martial art competitions? For example, for every year older a competitor is than the opponent, the competitor is spotted ½ a point; i.e. if the competitor is 10 years older than the opponent, the competitor starts the match with 5 points. No matter the fitness or skill levels of competitors, age is a major factor in how well a competitor will perform.