Tournament Time

This morning I filled out the registration forms for the 30th Annual All Tang Soo Do Connecticut State Championships, which will take place on May 5 in West Haven, CT. I was not originally intending to attend this tournament. Instead, I was going to enter the 2007 Greenwich Tang Soo Do Karate Championship in March. I’ve participated in this tournament before, and I thought it was better suited to my level of skill and experience.

But as usual, life got in the way. Right before the Greenwich tournament I was involved in a collision that totaled my car and shook me up a bit, so I took it easy for a couple of weeks. I did participate in the monthly testing, but I didn’t feel I was ready for promotion, and neither did my instructors. I received a stripe, but not the promotion to red belt that I was hoping for.

I was disappointed, but it turned out for the best. Now I can compete in the West Haven tournament as a high-level green belt rather than a brand-new red belt, which gives me a much better chance of succeeding against younger opponents.

I’ve brought home trophies before (see photo) but usually there are so few competitors in my division that in order to win all I really have to do is show up. Given the prestige of the West Haven event, there should be enough intermediate women students over 35 so that if I do place in the top three it will really mean something.

What has been your tournament experience? Post a comment or send me an e-mail - I’d love to hear about it.

(By the way, the trophies in the photo are not all mine. About half of them are my grandson's.)