Down, but not out!

Today we had a tournament in Jackson, Ohio. Out of our Tae Kwon Do class, we had 11 students compete ranging in age from 12 to 30 yrs old, and myself as well. Overall I was very pleased with the good turnout of students who decided to compete. But, I was even more pleased with their performances today. They represented our school well both in showing respect and how well they did.

Despite my poor performance, the day was a valuable experience.
I enjoyed judging other ranks and divisions in Kata and Kumite immensely. Especially judging black belt kumite. But for me, this tournament was a major mile stone. It wasn’t about how well I did in competition, but that I faced my fear of it, and competed despite overwhelming anxiety and facing my fear of sparring with much more experienced Martial Artists. Even though I totally screwed up in Kata and got stomped in Kumite, never-the-less, I did it, and I learned from it. Preparation is one key ingredient I won't take lightly. The second thing I won’t forget is to always go with my gut feelings regarding matters such as these and not allowing myself to be persuaded otherwise. Trust your feelings and you won’t be sorry if you do.

However, I am extremely proud of all the kids in our school that competed today. I think they all did quite well considering this was their first tournament, which is in my opinion, a good reflection on the teacher. And that, is worth more than any trophy.

I was especially proud of my 16yr. old daughter whom is a green belt. In her division, she got a 1^st place trophy for Kata, and a 2^nd place trophy for Kumite. Makes this dad very proud!!

The experience gained today determines the path for measuring success tomorrow, and for that, I am grateful.