ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY

 

A CHANGING OF THE GUARD
AT TOURNAMENTS

    Nothing has happened to prompt or motivate this article. It is something I planned to do at the end of our regular tournament season.  There have coincidently been recent situations that may appear to be connected with this article. That is a coincidence.

 

    The world has turned many times since most of us were spending time inside of the tournament ring as a competitor, rather than a referee or judge. During those times, we were all urged to demonstrate our competitive natures by “Mr. Competitor”, Harold Long. His fire brand leadership style and our natural competitive fires, sometimes set off maximum combustion. There was a lot of give and take among us and he enjoyed it the most. He singled out people in other styles and associations that he wanted us to give a “Harold Long Isshin-ryu” lesson to. As we had a world of talented fighters, it was dutifully done to his satisfaction. Once he came down on me for not paying attention to one of my students fighting. What he didn’t know was the guy I had just fought and I, were making plans to meet each other outside the gym after the competition was over. Now here’s a history lesson for you. He said, Denny!!! Get the hell over here and protect your student. He’s getting some s--- calls. This meant to move in front of the side judge not making calls and give him hell over it. Yep, it was how the game was played. He did it often. Once when I was getting hosed by a USKA official he charged into the ring and did a war dance. He was smoking at the time, so he crushed out the cigarette in the ring with his bare foot. All this was not unusual and didn’t even get much notice, Mr. Long wasn’t the only one who did it. He was just the best at it. Was it right? In its day it was. This is making a point you’ll hear about later. He also knocked people out of his ring who challenged his point calling. He once named me chief tournament referee. He usually appointed himself, but this day he didn’t want to fool with it. About half the day had gone by and the kumite was starting. I noticed one leather lung parent, screaming at the officials. That was pretty unusual so I walked over. By the time I got there, leather lung was all over me about the officiating. I told him to go sit down. Remember, this was then not now. I then told him to shut his mouth and stop yelling at me. In to my chest goes his index finger. So I put him on his knees with his finger almost touching his wrist. I allowed him to walk with me to the door. Out he went. Mr. Long came running up and asked me what he did. Before answering, I got a lecture on diplomacy as a chief referee. Finally I said, Mr. Long, he put his finger in my chest. What would you have done? He looked away and then with his big broad grin said “I’d have jammed it up……” (I’ll let you finish the rest)” har, har, har, ok, good job”. There were a lot of wild things by today’s standards that went on. In the day of bare fist and open tournaments, some of the best fights were outside the ring. They were huge tournaments, with packed stands of spectators; and they loved it. In those days we were not responsible for what the kids would think. But as I say, the world has turned many times since; and times, rules and expectations have changed. If you look close the change hasn’t been 100%.  I doubt that it ever will. As idealistic as we have become; realistically, tournaments are not Mary Kay parties. They are a competitive environment. The culture can not be denied. Too many game old and young roosters and tough little hens.  I have separated Masters at least five tournaments in the last three years that I can remember. I have been involved in three myself. At no time do I believe anyone wanted to hurt the other. Just old warriors blowing off steam and getting caught up in their own juice. Here’s my personal code. Don’t make a personal comment to me or my students. Tell me I’m missing a call but don’t call me a cheat. If I am in the ring have your say, but don’t be walking toward me when you do. I am responsible to my students and no one else’s. I’ll answer for my behavior to them, their parents and the tournament director. Do I think it is a good thing to have altercations in front of the kids. Certainly not!!! It’s not good in front of the adults. Do I think it is good to be verbally or physically pushed around by someone in front of my students. It’s not gong to happen. When I came to tournaments as a competitor I came to compete and win. Not to make friends, or be a role model. I expect my students to do the same. I also expect them to show good manners, discipline, respect, sportsmanship and Isshin-ryu spirit. I think I can safely say they do all these things at every event. So with this competitive attitude, how have I built two schools of superior fighters that are also well liked, along with my well documented history of a combative attitude and temper? (No false modesty here). And, how have I been blessed with so many close friends? Basically I think you could say “the birds of a feather” philosophy. Our closest friends are sort of flawed characters themselves, who have been through the course and have some fire left in the belly. I also have a very good relationship with people who are not comfortable with my aggressiveness, nor I with their passivity. But we respect each others outlook and try not to judge.

 

    The basic differences in people standing around the ring watching their students compete is either; their own basic nature, or their “investment” in their students. Some peoples nature is just not of the fire brand emotional type. That doesn’t make them a better or worse coach. What their student is doing in the ring demonstrates that. Also I know of some sensei’s that have a big physical and emotional investment in their students. They work both emotionally and physically hard with them. By the time the student enters the ring, they are a living, breathing extension of their sensei’s emotional makeup. So I think it is fair to say, that someone who works only occasionally, to not at all with their students in the aforementioned manner, is far less likely to get worked up over the out come. When I watch my students, I am 100% involved. I am a coach!! and I coach to win. I still believe that you should be able to coach your students. It would keep down on some of the frustration of being muzzled. It is the only competitive event that forbids coaching. I feel that one coach and one only, should be permitted at ring side. . He or she should identify themselves to the head ref. Any other coaching or comments from anyone else, could result in a penalty point. You give one warning to the coach to control the people coaching, before a penalty point is given. Anyone saying, that if they aren’t ready by now, coaching won’t help, doesn’t understand the value of coaching. Anyone who works with their people in the dojo knows that’s bunk. That’s what you do is coach them in their approach. I wonder how basketball coaches would like to watch a player being repeatedly scored on and not be able to say anything. I have coached a student from a loss to a win many times. We have to resort to hand signals. Some just scream it out then run off. Others send some kyu to the ring to yell and then get yelled at. Man, old habits and rules die hard.

 

    I am not a civics or religion teacher. I don’t advertise or pretend to be. I am not running a moral self improvement program. I’ll leave that to the people who are better suited than I. I teach people to knock other people on their butt. We have values and a code of honor. If that rubs off and people buy into it along the way, then that’s going to keep them well grounded. Aside from that, the rest is what parents and ministers are supposed to do. I have kids and grand kids. I have never asked someone else to take them and straighten them out, or make them do their home work. If you agree to do all that, then you are dealing in an area you aren’t anymore qualified to do, than child behavior specialist are qualified in teaching martial arts. My dojo is a positive environment but not a rehab center.

 

    So what does this have to do with conduct at tournaments? Just maybe we have begun to take ourselves and our “image” a little too seriously. Lets not get caught up in the “keeper of the flame of civility” and “the great American way”. I don’t care what guys do around me, or in front of my students, as long as they watch the language, don’t get personal and keep their hands off me. If one of them is a repeat trouble maker that creates far more than his fair share of distractions, that’s when my students get a first hand demonstration of how to handle a perpetual trouble maker. I’m not going to play the victim roll. The price of trouble making for him just went up. Why should I teach that in class and pretend there is something wrong with it at a tournament. All I want them to understand is that you must be ready at all times to accept the consequences of your actions. I admire the people who can walk away. I have done that, but most of the time I can’t. Twice it has been expensive. A well know master once told me; my dad always encouraged me to take up for myself and not to run from a fight. Now that I can kick the crap out of anyone who messes with me, why should I change? Maybe that philosophy sends you running circles around your moral compass. Just think about it. Think about this. At one time most all of us were friends or at least friendly. What has changed? We are older and supposedly wiser. Here’s a theory. At one time what you said was often settled in the ring or the dojo. So you had to think about what you were saying. Now we point political fingers, wear rank like the high potentate of kazoo and are confident that you can get on a site, say anything and get away with it. I think a good fight now and then would be good for relationships. Some people depend on the passing of time dulling peoples memory. Then shazzam!! They portray themselves to have been; bad, bad, Leroy Brown. I think a punch or two in the head would be a good memory lesson for them. It would also force a few big mouths into permanent retirement. . . .  where they belong.

 

    Of coarse this is the ravings of a disturbed individual. . . . me. The code of the old west has been replaced with our AARP cards. Kids dominate the scene and the culture has changed. It is unacceptable to create a distraction or set a bad example for the kyu and young Dan’s. That is just!!!! I wish they weren’t so impressionable and were more like us old mallet heads. But kids now are assigned all manner of medical terms to explain away unruly behavior. Younger people are more interested in Ipods and telephone gadgets, than learning anything that requires effort and standing on your feet for an hour or more. We struggle to take a group of people young and old and teach them anything that doesn’t fascinate or entertain them. You get brown belt transfers from other styles only to find that they haven’t even matched, or certainly were not made to listen. So, now the kids think that they are in martial arts hell and you have to protect them from your yellow belts. If you run a dojo today, it makes you wonder why you didn’t listen to your mother and get a nice hobby. I have two comments to leave you with: first and foremost, I love every minute of it and wouldn’t trade a day of it for what anyone else does with their spare time. Neither would you old war horse masters. Lastly, Isshin-ryu and its people are who they are. Let’s just let it be…..and let each of us contribute in our own personal way. Without forced conformity…………!  As always, history will record who did it right and who just played the system.