The coolest place around is Austin Texas. Its probably one of my favorite cities to hang out in. The average age is twenty five. There are several top national colleges located in Austin. This combined with many thriving high tech industries, draw a distinctly large young and educated population.
With so many young people what do you do. Well you go to 6th street. Yes 6th street downtown near the capital complex. Why 6th street! Because every Friday and Saturday night they close off twenty three blocks of 6th street and party down. There’s something for everybody and any adult age category. New Orleans got nothing on 6th street, I promise. Just imagine yourself in heaven where the most beautiful people in the world are, and you’d be there. Also the absolute baddest clubs and restaurants in the country all crammed into a place where a hundred thousand young people are having fun.
Austin has a corner on the market for friendly people. No one ever seems upset, only laid back and with a mission in life…fun. Now having a karate tournament in this kind of environment is distracting, but somehow we all managed to contain ourselves and focus on the task at hand.
Oh, about the tournament, Nelda and Tommy Edwards have been having this tournament every year for 13 seasons. Having led a sheltered life, I was ignorant to the presence of this illustrious event. But I was quickly educated by the gravity of the situation. I liked it. The tournament started off with top Texas competition and divisions bristling with the best competitors around. This was no cow town cake walk.
The Texas AOK competitors represent the best in the country. NBL, NASKA, USKA and other top national organization champions were their and they were focused. I knew I would have my work cut out for me. Close to four hundred competitors and twice as many spectators packed the dual gym of the Hutto Middle School which is located in Round Rock Texas just on the outskirts of Austin, Texas. Nelda Edwards said this years May 5th tournament was one her biggest events yet.
Competition started off with Black belt forms, weapons and specialty. Large divisions accented the floor with every style represented.
David Johnson, Eric Cantu and Johnnie Murphy were multiple divisional winners in weapons, specialty and forms with Keri Spann, Terese Pandolph, Manual Serrano, Courtney Allen and Jacob Lockhart pulling out top spots in black belt divisions.
Junior Black belt weapons and forms champions were Murphy Tuck who pulled out a big win in 11 and under specialty/weapons division, followed by Raul Ruz champion in the 12-17 specialty/weapons. Other forms champions were Conception DeLeon, Prudencio Duran, Danica Garcia and Natalia Johnson who took first in 10-11 forms. A mention of Under black belt winners is called for because many of those divisional champions had vast numbers of competitors who could have pulled it out in black belt competition.
Junior sparring competition was intense. Raul Ruz, fresh off his win in black belt specialty/weapons pulled out an impressive win against stiff competition in the 12-13 boys sparring and showing his skill by hard fighting to take home his championship. By the way Raul also crowned off his day with an impressive win in the black junior specialty/weapons grand championships. As the day progressed the heated competition drew loud response from spectators as excitement rose to a roar in the gym. Selena Peters, Alyssa Guillen, Jason Hoosier, Jersan Kannady and Peter Chartouni were among the junior sparring divisional champions. Ashley Woods had her hands full in the girls 14-17 girls sparring against tough competition for her win in that division.
Adult black belt fighters were another story. What some people will do for a crystal statue of a dragon and a couple of hundred bucks is beyond me but these guys were after it. You’d think it was the world games.
By the way all this action can be seen in full on video at www.texassportkarate.com. A detail of this event is chronicled there.
In all weight division intense matches were the norm of the day. I guess these guys all ate a whole box of Wheaties each before coming, because they were getting down to business. Normally you go to a tournament and guys just don’t always give a world class performance, but these fighters put up outstanding efforts for the championship.
Some of the best competition was in the men’s light, middle and heavy weight divisions with Jecobie Gilder, Jason Chartouni and Ben Esch battling it out for their victories. As of late, the old guys divisions have been some of the largest and this event was no exception.
Anthony Allen, D.E Chambers and Mike Hill won in executive sparring groups and went on to the men’s sparring grand championships. Kari Spann and Terese Pandolph ended up battling it out in the women’s sparring grand championships. Terese Pandolph won the women’s sparring grand championship.
The black belt forms grand championships came down to David Johnson, Johnnie Murphy, Eric Cantu and Jacob Lockhart with David Johnson emerging victorious and going home with a crystal dragon and cash. Under black belt grand champions were, Thad Fuller – advanced men’s sparring, Danica Farias – under belt junior specialty and Michael Cardona – advanced junior specialty.
In the men’s sparring grand championship Jecobie Gilder ended up top fighter in as series of memorable matches to bring conclusion to a fun day of martial arts competition. I was heading to 6th street because my day was not over yet.
