2014 National Championships - San Jose, CA

This year we were lucky to have the 2014 National Championships in California.  Sort of like being in our "own back yard."  Fortunately it was only a 3 hour drive instead of a 3+ hour flight.  

Being that it was the first Nationals my daughter and I participated in, we weren't totally sure what we were in store for.  From tournaments past we have learned that this sport is highly disorganized.  Although I will give props to the group from Stanford for making their tournament run a bit more efficiently.  Every tournament is the same.. weigh in (for sparring) the night/day before you compete, show up the next morning and wait around for many many hours, then scramble while in holding to warm up before it's your turn.  Nationals is held over an entire week so to make getting through all the events "easier" on everyone.  I think in some instances it causes more stress. 

The venue was the lovely San Jose Convention Center right in the heart of downtown San Jose.  The city itself is pretty neat - they consider themselves the center of Silicon Valley, so lots of Tech based industries are nearby.  It was really cool seeing all the different clubs from all over the county - some traveled from as far away as Hawaii and New York.  

My daughter competed on the first day of the tournament (July 2).  Her division, 6-7 green belt - Middle Weight had a report time of 8:30 am.  I think by the time she got to her ring it was closer to 10 am.  The last tournament we could tell her bravery had begun to fade a bit, and she was sparring much more cautiously.  She's the type of kid who would rush in and just throw kick after kick - but also listen to her Master when he told her to hang back.  I don't know who showed up at Nationals.. her whole first round was spent "stomping cockroaches" as our Master called it.  That fire she's had before just couldn't get stoked this time.  She ended up losing 2-1, so she was done.  Single elimination.  There were 5 girls in her group, and she was the second eliminated, so she ended up in 4th place with the second bronze.  She told me she wants to go back to Nationals (maybe as a do over?), and we told her that she can compete next year, but we need to focus on the next tournament which will be at the end of August.  Not to mention that the JKI (Jimmy Kim Invitational) is just around the corner again!

Once the pressure was off her, we were able to spend Thursday watching some of our fellow team mates compete.  Poomse seemed particularly tough as far as judging was concerned.  That made me a bit nervous since I had to compete the next day.  This time around I actually had competition and I began to psych myself out.  I kept scanning the athletes to see who might be in my competition.  

Friday.  Go time.  

I had to report at 8:30, but by this time we had realized nothing was on time.. ever.  I warmed up - worried about my knee holding up.. still haven't got that issue 100% resolved yet.  I went to holding with two of my fellow Ultra team mates, and the nerves started getting the better of me.  I saw the two ladies who I was to compete against, and saw they were much more in shape than me, and could kick much higher than me.. and they were probably closer to 30 than I am.  Plus I was the last one to compete.. no pressure at all.  

Thankfully one of our girls who is our "expert" on poomse came to give me some last minute advice.  My nerves got the better of me.  When I was called to enter the mat, I felt like I did everything I was supposed to.. bow to the judges, bow, bow, bow, bow (you get the drift).  My biggest problem was I rushed through my poomse.  It didn't feel like I was going that fast, but apparently I whizzed through it.  That brought my score down.  Plus it probably made some of my blocks less accurate, which would have also brought my score down. My knee still isn't 110% healed, and rushing through didn't help Oh, and did I mention, they don't like hot pink nail polish on your toes?  I ended up with a 4.2 score.  Not my best showing, to say the least.  Third place for me.  Now I have a score to settle.  The Jimmy Kim Invitational will be the next tournament I compete in, and I and planning on KILLING IT there.

Nationals was a great experience for us.  I see now it's a whole different level of competition that I wasn't prepared for.  Next year it will be in Austin, TX, and I plan on being the National Champion.. it's possible that I will be a brown belt by then, so new poomse, new competition perhaps!  

Down For the Count

So far I have managed to get my green belt relatively unscathed.  The younger kids inspire me to train harder, and perhaps push myself harder than my body can handle.  

Case in point, last night.  Seeing that we're only a few weeks away from Nationals, everyone has kicked it in to high gear at class.  Our Master's son is quite accomplished himself, and he too will be competing.  Basically class last night was monkey see, monkey do.  Whatever he did, we did.. or tried to do.  Usually I get segregated out and work on my poomse while everyone else works on their sparring technique.  I guess I lucked out and got to work on kicking too.  

The combination we had to do was hammer/double.  How it works is you kick one paddle twice with the same leg (hammer), and then the third kick (double) is done with the opposite leg.  It requires you to turn your hips mid air to get the double in.. the paddle is held higher than the one for the hammer.  Well silly me over did it, and I managed to twist my leg in a not so natural way.  I felt a pop, but whatever popped out when right back in to place.  I have never broken a single bone or pulled any muscles (other than the usual).  My leg cramped up and I could barely make it off the mat.  I sat with my support group and got some ice on it.. it began to feel better, but as soon as I put any weight on it, it felt like my knee was disjointed.  Off to Urgent Care I went.  

Long story short, I was extremely lucky that I didn't tear anything, or pop out my knee cap.  The Doctor told me my injury is quite common among runners (hah!), and all it takes is some good stretching to get it feeling better again.  

Today has been much better as I can sort of walk on my leg and not fear that my leg might give out.  Guess I'm on the injured reserve list for the rest of this week :/

No Pain, No Gain

I figure I should probably get this blog up to current events than make it all about past achievements!  Not that I'm not proud of what I've done, believe me I am! I just figured it was about time to fast forward a bit ;p

I've been competing in poomse since before Christmas 2013.  There have been so many fun tournaments that I have attended.  The largest by far was the Jimmy Kim Invitational held at the Long Beach Pyramid at UCLB.  I think there were close to 1000 competitors there.  I did my yellow belt poomse and came home with gold.. my little warrior princess fought hard and got gold too that day.  Just this past weekend we were fortunate enough to participate in the Stanford Open at Stanford University.  I promoted to green belt a few weeks back, and this has been the hardest poomse for me thus far.  The poomse itself isn't hard, I just get turned around with some of the new blocks I need to do.  This performance was the worst by far.  I still won gold, but that's after I had to stop and start over again because my mind decided to do a system reset.  You'd think that with my background in music I would have it in the bag, so to speak.  Not that day.  Some of my worst scores, and I even cringed a bit in the middle.  My master told me after.. "don't shake your head in the middle of your poomse!"  Apparently I need to work on my poker face. 

 Nationals will be held in San Jose this July and it is the last tournament in the season.  I am going to make darn sure that I am 100% ready and confident with my poomse.  I only have 4 weeks to sharpen it up!  

Ooo shiny! Some of my gold medals...

I have to give a shout out to the other parents that are out there day in and day out with me.  Our token dad, Wayne did tremendously well earning double gold for poomse and sparring!! His sparring match went to sudden death (first to score wins), and he took on a red belt and owned him!  Cheli, our newest poomse mom did her VERY FIRST tournament and came home with gold!!  Her son is a deputy black belt and has been with our dojang for many years.  I like to think that I had something to do with her joining ;p 

Team Ultra!

Competition Mom

After I earned my yellow belt, I was feeling pretty good about my progress.  My oldest daughter had already advanced to green, and we had begun entering her in tournaments. Typically at TKD tournaments, there are two events: Poomse and Sparring. Some kids do both, or one. We learned during her very first tournament that Poomse was NOT her thing.  She got out in front of the judges and completely clammed up.  Sparring seemed to ease her anxiety and she was able to focus much better.  She earned a bronze medal and was so proud of herself!  We were over the moon that there were no tears!  

Her first tournament was at our own Dojang, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.  When tournament season is in full swing, you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be a tournament every weekend.  Every.  Weekend.  Now, that's not to say you have to be at all of them, and many pick and choose which ones to participate in.  We learned quickly that TKD can get kinda expensive, what with hotels and registration fees.  

I don't recall if it was my daughter's second or third tournament when it was brought to my attention that *I* could participate too!  Sparring still frightened me, so I said I would like to try Poomse.  Master and the other instructors showed me the pattern and helped polish it up so it would look sharp.  In Poomse (especially for Black Belts), presentation is crucial.  If you look like you don't care, your scores will reflect that. You are judged from the moment you sit at the edge of the mat until the end of your Poomse.  

Being that it was my first time out, and I was a yellow belt, oh and that I'm a 30 something mom, I think the judges took it easy on me.  There is a protocol to be followed when you enter off and on the mat (I knew enough to bow!), but the judges speak Korean to you, so you have to be mentally prepared for that.  But they were helpful and kind (which can be unusual), and I ended up with a gold medal!  We were on a winning streak as my oldest won her first gold medal against some tough competition.  Before I knew it, a fire had been lit and I wanted more gold.

My big girl won her first gold!

 

Back when I studied music in College/University, I majored in Voice, so that meant a lot of solo singing.  I tend to be shy, and I *really* hate being put on the spot, so when it was time for me to sing, in whatever setting, I would get terribly nervous.  I was always praised for my singing talent as it came naturally, and I felt especially judged when I did it.  My stomach would churn and the butterflies were doing laps.  Like anything, once it was all over I began to feel much better.  Poomse isn't too far off from solo singing.  It's you and what feels like a zillion pair of eyes staring down at you.  Not to mention 3 very intent judges who I swear don't blink ever.  You're being judged on your ability to perform the program/piece, if you will.  Difference with Poomse is that you are given your score immediately, and after your place has been declared, you're ushered off to get your medal at the award booth.  I thought maybe it was like the Olympics where they give you your medal right then and there!  

My second tournament was a biggie.. the Jimmy Kim Invitational in Long Beach, CA.  This tournament has around 1000 kids competing... in ONE day.  Every tournament is the same, Opening Ceremonies (if it's a big enough tournament), Poomse, and then Sparring.  Black belts are always last, and those poor kids sometimes don't get to spar until quite late at night and often past midnight.  But for me with my lowly yellow belt, I was almost literally the first competitor.  The nice thing about TKD tournaments, is they have several mats to help capitalize on the space of the venue, and to help move things along.  Otherwise it would be disaster.


Everything went well for me which was quite unusual.  I had half expected to be crouched down in a corner somewhere waiting for my stomach to quiet down.  I had a few butterflies, but they certainly weren't doing laps and somersaults.  I think because this was something so different for me, I wasn't afraid of not doing well... you aren't born knowing how to do Poomse, it's something learned, and that gave me comfort going in to this competition. Once again I came away with a gold medal, and I felt there was nothing stopping me.  I couldn't wait to get my orange belt and start working on a new Poomse.

Gold for momma!

Warrior Princess

First Belt, Check!

The first couple weeks got easier, and I noticed I could kick a lot higher than before.  Much of my first few months is a blur, but I caught on quickly, and around August it was time for me to test for my next belt!  

I should mention that my husband was the primary TKD parent during our oldest daughter's first try at this sport.  From time to time our youngest daughter and I would come to a class and watch, but it generally turned in to a social time for me.  Our gym is open four days a week, and we would be there all four days, but not on a very consistent schedule.  Once little sister turned 3, and since she still stayed home with me, it made more sense for me to take them to class.  As I mentioned before, one thing led to another, and I was out there too. 

When it's tip testing time, each eligible student must pass 7 "tests."  They include kicking (Bal Cha Ki), Hand Techniques (Son Dong Jak - Kwon Bub), Poomse (Korean Form), Breaking (Kyuk Pa), Self-Defense (Ho Sin Sul), Mental (Jung Shin Tong Il), and lastly, Sparring (Kyoroogi).  For every one mastered, we get a piece of black electrical tape wrapped around the tip of our belt, hence our term "tip test".  For a white belt promoting to yellow, the tests are quite simple.  Mental involves the proper way to enter off and on the mat (you bow, BTW), and making sure you answer your master with "yes sir" or "yes ma'am".  

Sparring scared the crap out of me.  Most of the kids in our dojang have been studying TKD since they were quite small, and although the same height as me (I'm only 5' 3"), they were far more advanced at kicking.  Once the kiddos turn 12, head shots are allowed.  That involves kicking your opponent in the head.  With your foot.  I could barely lift my leg out to belt height!  Lucky for me, Master told my opponent to go easy on me - and NO head shots.  Whew.  Despite being completely terrified, I managed to hold my own. The minute long round felt like an hour and I was completely worn out at the end of the class.  But, I was able to earn my sparring tip and promote to yellow!  

 

Bring On the Pain!

Let me start this post off by saying, I am the furthest thing from an athlete.  My background is Fine Art.. music to be specific.  I played elementary school basketball when I was in grade 5, but that and PE were the most physical I've ever been.  I sang all my life and began piano lessons when I was 6.  I have a music studio that I teach piano from, as well as belong to a state wide music teacher organization.  Sports are not my thing.  At. All.  

My first day of TKD when alright.. I couldn't let it show just how badly out of shape I was, so I sucked it up when it was time to run laps.  Thank God our dojang isn't that big... the three laps we had to do were torture enough.  At least my youngest kept a slower pace that I could handle.  Still... nothing like being lapped by the 8 - 10 year old kids and being dead last.  Story of my life. 

My first class focused primarily on learning the basic kicks for a white belt.  Those included front snap kick and round house.   I felt like I was doing pretty decently.. boy did I work up a sweat!!  The unfortunate thing about our dojang is that there is no air conditioning at all.  The summers here in Central California get VERY hot.. like 105 for 5 months straight.  When it cools down at night, our lows are around 90, so it doesn't make a whole lot of difference.  Our club is downright unbearable in the summer.  And I should mention that summer here begins in May.  Right about the time I started.

The next day when I woke up to get my girls ready for school is when I *really* felt it.  Me jumping in to TKD is what I imagine if feels like to run a half marathon with no training.  Every muscle in my legs ached and I was terribly stiff.  I knew it was a minor setback, so I had to get back out there and try again.    

In The Beginning...

My journey in to tae kwon do began almost two years ago when my husband and I were looking for some kind of martial art to put our oldest daughter in.  She was 4 at the time, and an extremely active child.  Not to say that she's still NOT active, but she's mellowed a bit.  

We had tried soccer with our oldest, but it was the dumbest 8 lessons we ever participated in.  These kids didn't learn a single thing, and all they did was run around the soccer pitch, which I suppose is what happens in MOST preschool soccer clubs.  Nonetheless, it didn't fit the bill of what were were looking for.   My husband had studied Judo as a boy, and had gotten as far as his green belt, but sadly the dojo he belonged to closed quite unexpectedly one day.  This has been quite a common story we have heard time and time again, but I'll save that for another post.  Naturally when we were looking for a place for our daughter, we went with what he knew.  The Judo dojo near our home only accepted children who were 6 years old, so that idea flew out the window fairly quick.  Not to bash on Judo, but my husband was a tad concerned with any sort of future with it.  Martial arts aren't as mainstream as many may like to think, plus you've got a million different subsets within the one discipline.  It can be very hard to keep track of everything, as well as making sure you're taking the "right" version of that sport.   

I don't recall how we found our dojang, as it's on a road we don't travel often at all.  But, they had a sign that said they accept kids ages 3 and up!  Perfect!  Just what we were looking for.  We were in contact with them, and they offer one lesson for free, so we said, OK!  Our oldest had no idea what she was in for, nor did we.  My husband is half Japanese, and in his naivete, he thought tae kwon do was a Japanese martial art >.<  He was promptly educated when we arrived and saw the Korean flag hanging next to Old Glory.  After watching a class and talking to the master and his wife, we signed up our oldest and she started class the next day.  

Watching our oldest day in and day out was her little sister.  As soon as she turned 3, she too signed up for "kae kwon do".  She couldn't wait to get out there with her big sister.  Our oldest had already been going for almost a year, so she was a number of belts higher than her sister, of course.  That was just fine by us.  At least we knew what the littlest had in store for her.


So where do I come in?  Well when our youngest began, she would go out on the mat all alone with her big sister and their classmates.  Our classes always begin the same way:  Master calls time, and everyone goes to the mat with their cards, the kids line up from black belt to white, and then we kneel down to say our student creed.  Once we have recited the creed we run 3 laps around the mat.  This is the point where our oldest would find either a parent who was in class (usually a dad), or an older kid to hold her sister's hand while they ran laps.  We were still fairly new to the dojang and barely knew anyone, so this was a little embarrassing to me.  I had always wanted to take a martial arts class as a teenager, but didn't have the money or the knowledge of the different kinds of martial art to know what to take.  After watching our oldest for a year, I figured I could do it too!  So with some coaxing from my husband, and more apologizing (to the dads) than this Canadian has done in her WHOLE life, I joined TKD.