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2008 Kelly’s Heroes Karate
Classic
Steel
Hand Dojo entered eleven competitors and took twenty-two trophies in
Rogersville on April 26. Half were first place with eight second places
coming home. Master Kelly Markham and his Heroes always bend over backwards
with their hospitality. We felt very welcome. The tournament ran smoothly
and the atmosphere was relaxed.
Turnout
was light. I think I remember Kelly telling me there were 109 competitors.
Trophies ate most of that up and not much money, if any, could’ve been
made. There has been talk of better coordinating events. Some people have
just one paycheck to last them for half a month if not longer and attending
two tournaments out of it stretches things thin, especially with the high
gas prices.
It’s
called a Karate Classic for a reason. It’s going to continue whether it
makes money or not. The same is true with the Harold Long Memorial because
the meaning is too important not to continue. That’s what makes it so
important for there to be communication and planning for the mutual success
of all events. I think significant progress is being made in that direction.
Next
stop is Middle Tennessee Isshinryu Games in Lebanon followed by the Don
Bohan/Rick Niemira Memorial Tournament, Isshinryu Hall of Fame, and
finishing off the year with Wheeler’s in October. It’s a long season.
I
remember when Isshinryu tournaments were considered to be some of the more
physically demanding. Now most open tournaments allow more contact than we
do. That’s not a good sign. The no face contact rule is a prime example of
how soft it’s getting. We’ve been to a lot of open tournaments in the last
five years over a large geographic area and it’s always been allowed. In
most of them actual contact (not just focused technique) is required in
black belt divisions for a point to be scored. It was allowed at the Harold
Long Memorial both in point kumite and continuous sparring.
Insurance has been blamed as the reason for banning face contact, but ever
wonder where all those open tournaments get their insurance? Some get it
through the same company I do. It’s available and not hard to find and no
more expensive. If you don’t think somebody on the street isn’t going to try
to hit you in the face, you’ve never been in a street fight. Not allowing
face contact allows for complacency in protecting it. The worse part is it
encourages whining by competitors in order to get a penalty point. There was
a time when getting hit was a bad thing.
We’re
looking forward to continuing to expand our Isshinryu horizons by
participating in more realistic types of events. There is significant
interest in better preparing our martial arts skills to more than what point
kumite allows. Training for that exclusively will only prepare you for an
ambulance ride. Our system deserves to adapt and improve. It’s not a new
concept. Master Shimabuku had the very same idea in the mid-fifties. He saw
a better way and modified to it. Old video shows him executing throws and
grabbing (grappling). I wish I knew how many times Mr. Long grabbed a hold
of me to demonstrate a grappling technique. It was anything but pleasant.
The odds of somebody trying to tackle you in a street fight are high.
Nothing prepares you better for avoiding it than to train to understand it.
That means doing it.
On May
6, Nancy Anderson was promoted to San Dan. She originally came to me from
another dojo about the same time as another black belt from the same place.
Both were put through the mill and they understood what it would take to
wear that belt in my dojo. The other black belt didn’t have it. He came in
and turned in his dojo patches saying he didn’t have what it took. I agreed.
Too bad he didn’t come to that conclusion many stitches and broken bones
earlier and didn't waste my time. We've all been down that road and it won't
be the last time.
Nancy
has what it takes in the dojo and in real life with her job with Child
Protective Services. She’s a fierce competitor and is no stranger to street
encounters. She’s also no stranger to stitches and broken bones but
perseveres instead of quitting. The latter is not in her vocabulary.
Congratulations to Nancy.
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