Happy Tournament Day!

Every year I celebrate tournament day as if it's a holiday.   I get excited every tournament weekend.  This year I noticed that a few of my colleagues don't share my sentiment on the weekend, so I want to take a few moments to explain why this day is so special to me.

First of all, I do want to thank everyone who works so hard to make tournament weekend possible.  There's a lot of work that goes into putting on the school tournament, and it requires the concerted effort of a lot of volunteers.   This year things were particularly special for me (See my personal blog for more details).

Some black belts view the tournament as a purely competitive venture, and are turned off by it.   I don't see things the same way.  There is a certain amount of nostalgia to the event.   Although a lot has changed since my first tournament... most of it remains the same.   I also know how much participating in these tournaments has helped to shape my life experience.  But this is so much more than just a competitive event.   Let me explain what the tournament means to me by recapping my weekend.   And I know from talking to my fellow black belts that a lot of them have similar experiences.

Saturday morning:  I wake up early knowing that the tournament will start later in the day with black belt kata and weapons competition.   I get Jane ready for her last class before she'll be competing and we head into the dojo.   After getting Jane situated and into class, I socialize with the black belts... some of whom have taken time off of work, or traveled back to the school for the weekend just to be part of the festivities.   There are dozens of black belts present - most of whom have been with the school for more than a decade.  This is a type of homecoming for the school.

This year I was extremely happy that Shihan Horosewski was able to join us and help judge.  I've known her for 30 years.

Saturday afternoon: Then a team of hard-working, caring senior black belts start a tournament where we get to see a group of very skilled and talented martial artists put forth their best efforts.   While this is going on, another team of senior black belts is hard at work making sure that all of our bases are covered for the main competition taking place the following day.

The competition ends, and we dismiss for the day.

Saturday evening:  Our annual traditional black belt dinner.  This started years ago as a small affair where my wife and I made arrangements to have dinner with two black belts who were going to be center referees for the first time (Shihan Marsh and Sensei Giovinazzo).   The first time it was a way to answer questions about judging and make sure that they were ready for the challenge ahead.   Now it has evolved to a dinner for a couple of dozen black belts, and spouses.  

It's a nice tradition that has evolved over time, and I look forward to it every year. It's not really about gearing the judges up for the big event... now it's a social activity where we get caught up and have an opportunity to visit with people who we don't get to see as often. It's relaxing, and fun.   A lot of the attendees are adults now, some with their own kids.  We have our share of college students, and quite a few teenagers.

Then it's off to bed. Tomorrow is tournament day.

Sunday morning: It's off to the tournament venue.   It's now Bishop Guertin High School.   In the past it's been in Merrimack, but lately we've cultivated a really great relationship with BG, and are excited to have the tournament there.   I get their around 7:30... but I'm a relative latecomer.   A group of black belts have been hard at work getting things ready, and even though I'm there more than an hour before the tournament is ready to start almost all of the physical setup is complete.

I spend the early part of the morning greeting more people who I haven't seen in a long time.  Some are former students who have recently rejoined the school. Parents of students who have moved away, but stay connected with the school.

I also get a chance to talk with some of the senior black belts who for various reasons aren't as involved with the day to day operations of the school as they used to be (Shihan Scali, Shihan Susalka and the like).

As we get closer to the opening ceremony, I have the good fortune of running the black belt meeting.  The main focus has always remained the same:  how to make this event a positive experience for our students.  Our goal is to make positive memories for lots of kids. It is not about who has the best form or who can break the most boards.  It's about giving our students an experience that will help them grow - building up confidence and helping them to not be afraid of taking risks and performing in front of a crowd.   It's about participation.

The black belts in the school know how important this is because we all went through it.

After the meeting we start the events of the day.   The senior black belts are introduced.  We are treated to a few demos (this year was a really nice Enshudo demo).   We cap off the opening ceremony by presenting a $10,000 scholarship to a deserving black belt.  (This year was Kelly Ethier who has been with the school for a long time and has grown tremendously as a person over the years. We're all very proud of her)

Since Craig Hutchinson died in 1992, our school has presented more than $102,000 to 25 different recipients. It's pretty amazing really.

And all of this has happened before we've even bowed the tournament in to get things started.

From that point on, things just get better.  We watch students get the experience of performing in front of a crowd.   See them gain confidence as they break wood. Learn the joy of competition as they spar with one another. Some will win, some will lose...   and they learn how to deal with it.   It's a microcosm of reality, and a good experience for the students.

Sunday Afternoon: Then the black belts finish up the competition.  Self-defense demonstrations to showcase their skills, and put them on the spot.  They need to prove that they can think on their feet and react to an attacker.  Breaking to show thier technique and strength.   (Some of these breaks are truly amazing).   And we conclude the competition with kumite.  By now, most of the crowd has dispersed, and the black belts who remain are physically exhausted.

Sunday Evening: We clean up the gym and head out to dinner.   A nice relaxing conclusion to a wonderful weekend.

A special thank you to everyone who made it possible.