Well last year I competed four times. I only did the first of 3 in Spring which was in March 2007. I then competed in the 3 in fall; August, September, and October of 2007. I ended up gaining a lot of experience in the ring, competing in just weapons and forms.
After competing I ended up fracturing my two little right toes in a board breaking testimony / demonstration as well as in January of 2008 I began treatment with the chriorpactor and finally was able to get back to training with my shoes off.
I went in March of 2008 to pick up my state championship jacket from fall of 2007.
I had met a guy at work, who is a green stripe in Shotokan from four yeasr ago, and has just promoted to orange belt with our system. He and I competed on August 16th, 2008 with me. He had to compete with his highest rank, and placed 1st in forms against all green belt men. He placed 2nd in weapons being beat by a purple belt, but the ranges of belts were from yellow to purple. He ended up earning a 2nd place there.
I also competed in just two events, forms and weapons.
I met a new young lady in this competition, a Tang Soo Do stylist, black belt, testing for her 2nd dan in January 2009. I performed one of our red belt forms called Jah Un. I earned 1st place in forms. I also went against both men and women in weapons because they didn't divide the men from the women, I placed fourth. I had checked the scores, 5th place 19.0, 4th place 19.4, 3rd place 19.5 (with dropping his weapon), 2nd place 19.8 and 1st place 20.1 so even though we went against the men, we actually did well.
I will next time speak up, because as long as I am respectful, and they have more than one lady competing, they will divide the division. I felt speaking up would have been rude. But even with that, neither one of us knew that it was going to be the same, even black belt judges from nearby rings said we were both robbed, and tried to contest it, but it was too late.
Well Mike will have to wait in the mail for a 1st place plaque with his name on it, because they ran out of trophies. Ha ha, to him, because the trophies were a pretty blue; and blue is my favorite color.
All prayers for those that knew we were competing were greatly appreciated.
We hope to make September 13th for the next competition.
