Redding Shotokan Karate

Yesterday I participated in the NorCal SKA Jiyu-kumite Tournament.

There were 3 classes: Brown Belts, Women's, and Black Belts. Thus women had the option of competing in two classes. Hiroko might be able to shed more light on the specifics, but there were perhaps 6 women, 30 or so brown belts, and about 12 black belts.

To come right out with it, I lost my first bout. It was a good match, cleanly fought (I think) on both sides. Joe from Cal State Long Beach got the first 1/2 point, I returned the favor, and then the round came to a close. The referee called for a decision, the corner judges declared a draw, and we went to a "sudden death" 2-minute round. In our second engagement (I think - time dilation CAN occur), Joe scored with a nice gyakuzuki.

Andre Miller from SoCal somewhere, after winning his first bout, was kind enough to volunteer to fight latecomer Tim Makuta. Although he lost the match, his selfless willingness to experience kumite with Tim (one of the best, I think) earned him the "Best Competitor" trophy.

Curt Wvong from Saratoga was the final winner in the Black Belt Division. To me, this was not a surprise. Curt is a very serious, intelligent, traditional student of martial arts and is at a level I can only hope to someday attain.

Thanks go to Mark Kohagura and his wife and son for putting up with us at the post-tournament potluck!

Here are some random thoughts, in no particular order:

• The level of jiyu-kumite has risen in these tournaments in recent years. This year, no significant blood was shed (a cut toe and a bloody nose in the women's division [again, no surprise]). Previous years' tournaments were frequently marred by excessive contact.
• I was happy to see so many brown belts competing. Our dojo could have mustered a couple!
• Of course, I wanted the guy who beat me to win. However, his next match was against my old Special Training buddy Nick (whose last name I won't even try to spell), so I was conflicted. Nick came out the eventual winner of that match.
• I was not so thrilled at the low turnout of black belts. The visitors from SoCal made up a significant percentage of the participants. Where are all the NorCal black belts?
• I loved getting a chance to be a corner judge for the brown belts. Thanks, Mark!
• The officiating was awesome! The focus our seniors have been applying in that area is obviously paying off. On a personal note, I think Godan James Uyeda was our referee, and I swear I have no memory of his presence, except to say (strongly) "Yame!" and "Hajime!" and to announce the scoring. Never saw him during the bout. Sometimes officials can be in the way or at least distract you. Not so in this case! Wow!
• I wasn't nervous. I kept waiting for the "butterflies". Never happened. I think the quality of the competition and officiating as well as my continuing development had something to do with it. Fear of getting hurt was not an issue.
• I need more practice. Again, no surprise. Although I did better than I have in the past, I could use more experience!