What a great turnout! Not only did many of our own students come out and compete, but we had students from other schools that took home trophies as well.
It began with a Black Belt huddle, where the judges and our Black Belt guests finalized the details regarding the rules of the tournament. Then began what was to be about five hours of excitement! In every division, the contestants poured out their heart and competed for first place. It was a full day of judging for me and I was very happy to see such good performances.
As a female judge, I’d have to say I’m proud of all the girls that came out and competed. Everyone did their best and that’s what really matters in the end. We just have to improve on our skills and continue to work hard and then we can come out and compete again. I know one student in particular who had spent some time away from class and had to review all her patterns up to Green belt and sharpen her techniques. Within a few months she was right back where she should be and took first place in her division for Kata! This is a great example for us and shows that if we put our mind (and body) to it, we can do anything, God-willing.
Thanks to the parents that handled our food sales, they donated their time and attention so that we could provide food for us and our guests, rather than watching most of the excitement. Without them we would have been hungry 
Thank you to other parents who helped keep the kiddos organized and ready to go for their division. On the ladies’ side it was sometimes difficult to locate younger contestants and we didn’t want anyone to miss out on the fun, so we’re grateful to have had help from these parent volunteers.
Finally, congratulations to all the participants for coming out and putting on great performances! Let’s get ourselves into gear and prepare even better for our next tournament in October!
