As I'm sure you all know, the Dojo will be closed tomorrow because we'll all be at Soka University for the 2011 USSD Winter Grand Championship Tournament! Make sure you eat your vegetables, get a good night's sleep, and have a healthy breakfast before you go for gold to make sure you're at your best!
Here's a checklist of things you MUST remember to bring with you tomorrow in order to compete:
- Full Gi (uniform)
- Belt
- ALL Sparring Gear - Head gear, gloves, shin guards, a FORMED MOUTHGUARD, and sports cup for the dudes.
- Competitor and Spectator tickets - You can print out multiple sets of these and keep one set in the car and one in your sparring bag
- Camera!
- Fighting spirit!
The Tournament begins at 8:00 am but you do not have to be there until the time your event is scheduled to start (Click here for Directions). Plan on arriving at least 30 minutes to one hour before the start of your event to make sure you can find good parking and have a chance to warm up and stretch before go-time. Getting there early will also help you or your child to become more familiar and comfortable with the competition area which can help anyone who might be feeling a little nervous or anxious. Feel free to find any open ring or space that is not in use to practice a few more times. If you need any help, all of the Instructors will be there from start to finish to help you out and cheer you on!
As Instructors, we couldn't be more proud of the effort, positive attitude, friendly compeptitive spirit, and overall improvement we've seen from the sudents in the last several weeks. At the risk of sounding corny, I'd like to remind all students and parents that these events are about having fun and becoming better martial artists. The place you finish in isn't as important as the experience of preparing for the tournament (coming to classes consistently, putting in extra practice time at home, coming together as a team), which is, in the end, what gets people closer to becoming a great Black Belt.
So like I tell the kids, if there's no blood gushing or broken bones sticking out, then we don't want to see any tears (I seriously doubt we'll see anything as cool as gushing blood tomorrow)! Try your best, have fun competing, don't forget to breathe, keep a smile on your face while you spar (and a ninja face when you do your form), show good sportsmanship in victory and defeat, and CHEER for your teammates! Seriously, get crazy... It's more fun!
Can't wait to see everyone tomorrow! GO TEAM SAN CLEMENTE!!!
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