THE POWELL PUNCH OUT

 

**Please see the correction in red below
   As most who read this site knows by now, we don’t go to purely point tournaments. So we were happy to hear that visionary Chuck Reynolds, was adding a continuous division to his tournament. We were just hoping for an activity that would break up our training a bit and give our new people a look at competition. We got that and more. Chuck had it all set up with organization, a “clear” understanding of the rules, and Master Ben Kiker to enforce them. I took a turn as a ref, but the mood and atmosphere had been set, so there were no incidences and less bloody noses, than the points divisions. Continuous fighting seems to be a bug-a-boo to some. To me points are far harder to control. The fighters come across full stream for one big shot. In continuous, you can’t afford to put all you eggs in one basket. Just my personal take after teaching, coaching and participating in all of them for 45 years.
 

   I referred to Chuck as a visionary, because of his willingness to branch out not only in his teaching and training, his events also. Others are now following suite and we will be supporting all, as best we can. Next Spring, Chuck and Master Brad Hatcher, are having a tournament that is Continuous, point sparring, and Jujitsu competition. No kata of any kind. I hope all the people who have been asking for this, will support these two guys. They have been offering these options to their students for a long time and are now willing to put it out to everyone for competition. We have been to Brads Jujitsu tournament and now Chucks Continuous. I am positive it will be well run and as fair as it can possible be.
 

   During this tournament, several styles and several methods of competition, went smoothly sailing along all working separately together. With several different events, we were out by 3:00. It wasn’t because of a small crowd either. It was a big attendance. I was asked on a few occasions the old question ,”why don’t we all get along.” Two reasons: Some people you can work “with”, and some you can only work “for” to get along with them. The other is back stabbing. If every body was as nice to you after the tournament, as they are during the tournament when you are face to face, it would not be a problem. But our problems with that are no different than places of business, worship, recreation or anywhere people gather. It has nothing to do with Isshin-ryu differences. It is the people who find reasons not to want to get along. And there are others of us, that don’t like each other and don’t want to spend our whole Saturday avoiding or looking at each other. Some dislikes run more deeply than others. Luckily there are enough events where we can pick and choose where to spend our time and students money.
 

   I feel we did well. There were only two medal places for the continuous, so our medal count was meager. We were only interested in the first place medal anyhow and medals are not my way of evaluating a successful tournament for my students. Our last two have been ultra successful in exposing my students to good people and a learning process.
 

   We won first place in the women and junior men’s division, first in the middle weight, and first and second in the heavy weight. Leon Scott Light heavy, and Woody Woods Light, were a little heavy handed and knocked their opponents out. This was an instant disqualification. I feel that both guys would have medaled, as Leon was well on his way to first and Woody is always a contender. Darrin Motes won his second straight heavy weight tournament, but bowed out to give two of his morning class students, Hot Matt Buchannan and Barry Magilla Phillips a chance to medal. They took advantage of the opportunity and fought well. Barry won first with an excellent performance. Darrin is not the name Leon, Woody and Austin are unless you have fought him. If I had to go into a room with someone on a win or lose basis, Darrin would be the last guy I’d want to be in there with. He is an authentic street fighter that loves to fight. He has a killer instinct and it is a shame he is 39 years old. He has first places in the last two continuous and his last Jujitsu tourney. My fifty year old dynamo Anthony Dumit, is a fighters fighter. His conditioning is going to take longer to come around and then watch out. He will hit you a ton. Barry, Chad Small, and Matt, are all kyu’s with less than a year in training.
 

   (Free)Chad Free, ran into Tony Williams. His fighting was excellent as a new brown belt against Tony. Tony caught him looking and delivered a decisive side kick to the face. It hurt Chad just enough. Chad gave Tony a fit and was leading at one point. Any time you are a new comer and can stand in against Tony, you have a future. Austin McAdams was just Austin, what can I say. He dominated. Now it was left up to Tony to beat Austin. Tony had just fought not only Chad, but a very rough and tough Danny Potts. Danny matched Tony with skill, great combinations, and a series of techniques that scored most of the time. I still don’t know how to call that one, as they just stood in the middle of the ring and brought their A game and guts with them. The judges had clickers they scored with. From watching, I couldn’t call the winner. It was just a great fight.  One of Austin's toughest matches was Curt Markham. Curt is a brawler and wouldn’t let Austin breathe. It was a very physical fight. Austin did his usual thing, but Curt made him work for it. In the finals, Austin just had too much for Curt. The middle weights were a show unto themselves. **There was a correction in this paragraph. Originally we had Austin fighting Tony in the finals, when in fact it was Curt and Austin fighting in the finals**
 

   The most impressive of my students to me after Austin, (just by a hair) was Zac MacDougal. He had to beat Jack Roney who fought Woody so well in the continuous in Nashville and only lost in overtime. After a very tough two rounds with Jack, Zac had to fight a very good opponent. It may have been the best match of the day with Zac winning by a slim margin. But win he did and he earned it.
 

   Over in the ladies division Zac’s sister Alicia MacDougal, was pounding people on her way to first place women’s. Alicia only has men to fight at the dojo and it shows. As a 15 year old she has been better than any woman I have put her in with. She has also become a very good ground fighter. Alicia had to best the equally hard fighter and super athlete Myrtle Ferguson,(Laney’s). Myrtle had had a pier 6 brawl with Lebanon’s Jill Roney. Jill was actually ahead the first round but had her back shut down her kicks. When I told Jill that Myrtle had been a track and field star at the University Of Tennessee and that she squatted over 300 pounds, Jill thanked me for not telling her before the match. After watching these two petite women and mothers, duke it out, I guess I really know why women and lots of men stay in the point divisions.
 

   Below are some pictures of my students as well as some pictures of the fighting. Some of them are taken by Professional photographer and martial artist. Russell Hatcher He has a Photography service and this is one of his specialties. His Business is called; HARD SHOTS PHOTOGRAPHS. His page is: http://www.hardshotzphoto.com/
 

   On a very personal note I decided to share something. I looked at my pictures and I had a big stomach bulging out in some. Well my stomach does not bulge out normally like that. Not that much. I have C.O.P.D. Cardio Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It is treatable but not curable. It involves the inability to expel all the air in your lunges. This means that the less you can expel, the less you can take back in. As it progresses expelling oxygen from the lungs will be impossible therefore no new air can enter. It is progressive and it goes through a process. I am now in the Adult asthma stage. Emphysema is next and then who knows. I was a smoker year ago and some heredity is there also I guess. The large stomach is the result of air being trapped in my abdominal cavity. Because I am in such good shape muscle skeletal wise, my doctor became suspicious of my protruding stomach. As you can see below I have abs. On a poor breathing day I have a lot of abs… He had me tested and found the C.O.P.D. The good news is I am in great shape and work hard to stay that way. The C.O.P.D. doesn’t make it easy but nothing is easy at my age anyhow. I also found out in time to do positive things to minimize it. When I first saw the pictures I said, oh Lord, I have to get them off there. Then I decided to tell you in case you want to have yourself checked. If you have ever smoked, worked in a bad breathing environment, or have a stomach that are inconsistent with you level of fitness, you should be checked. Other than telling you I have decided to do two other things; lose 15 pounds, and never wear that blasted rash shirt again. At best I look like a blivit> A blivit is, 40 pounds of , you know what, in a ten pound bag. This should also give you some Shaffer jokes about being full of hot air... I’ve heard them, but go ahead anyhow. The other good news is Sen-I Jutsu has an estimated 45 second street fight time. I can hold my breath that long. So if I can’t breathe for long I’m going to make sure my opponent has the same duration or less. In my training I train for such a situation. That is why it is called, ”situational combat.”

   Hope to see you at the ICA Jam here in Greenville, the 30^th of October. Details are on this site.

 

BELOW ARE COURTESY OF HARD SHOTZ PHOTOGRAPHY http://www.hardshotzphoto.com/