To have a safe environment
where you can fight, go to
your limits yell and cry,
then calm down and try again
is one of the most valuable
experience I see in youth
development.

I had the opportunity
over the weekend to
help with a local
martial art competition.
This year there were 4
schools, including our
small dojo and 2 students.

The event ranged from kata
competition, to sparing and
speed kicking. It is in the
tradition of Tae Kwon Do and
although our dojo is Karate
in the shotokan lineage, we
like to go and help and get
our students to see how other
school and even other martial
art does it.

Since I am brown belt I
didn't have the chance to
judge for the kata, which
was mostly reserved for
black belt. I ended up helping
around where I could and had
the chance to be one of the
corner judge for fighting.

The fighters ranged from 8
years old to 40+ years old,
and every fight had so much
to teach me. I see fighting as
a form of yoga, there isn't
anything else you can do to
replace that type of experience.

It is similar to music and
meditation, it helps develop
into a full fledged human
being. And when you can
spend a few hours seeing
everything that is happening
in the matches, the tension,
the relaxation, the crying,
the yelling, the hurt and
the joy, all the human
experiences condensed in
a few minutes, then I can
fully realize how powerful
martial-art is for one's
development.

When you are a corner judge, you
have to watch carefully
every action and interactions,
which heighten the experience
even more. I cried when the
fighter cried, I can't wait
for a fight to be done, but
can't wait to start again.
It's such a smorgasbord of
emotions! 

Every time, I come out of
these events so inspired
and so refreshed. I sometime
judge my mid-life, chubby
martial-art side of myself,
but deep down I know it's
one of the most important
practice that I've done
over the last 30 years.