zDom
Senior Master
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2006
- Messages
- 3,081
- Reaction score
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In support of Mr. Slinkard's trying out a new tournament format (for us, well, for over the last 20 years anyway) and having black belt sparring immediately follow the opening events (black belt form, black belt board breaking) rather than being the last event of the day,
I came out of retirement from tournament competition for one last go.
I am the guy on the left at start in the black chest protector on each of these three fights.
It doesn't look like it on video, but it was obvious at ringside (heh.. and in the ring) that contact was pretty heavy.
But nobody got split open so it was all good.
Don't know if these young bucks are just getting better or if I am really just that much slower at age 45
But I thought all three of my opponents did a pretty good job. My opponents in the first and third fights are in their 20s I believe while the second fighter is age 41, I learned that day. I thought he was younger than that, like early 30s.
I probably won't ever do this again but it was fun to have to bring it up to that level again. I spar with my students to get them ready for competitions but haven't sparred a black belt since the last tournament I fought in, I think, a couple of years ago
I came out of retirement from tournament competition for one last go.
I am the guy on the left at start in the black chest protector on each of these three fights.
It doesn't look like it on video, but it was obvious at ringside (heh.. and in the ring) that contact was pretty heavy.
But nobody got split open so it was all good.
Don't know if these young bucks are just getting better or if I am really just that much slower at age 45
But I thought all three of my opponents did a pretty good job. My opponents in the first and third fights are in their 20s I believe while the second fighter is age 41, I learned that day. I thought he was younger than that, like early 30s.
I probably won't ever do this again but it was fun to have to bring it up to that level again. I spar with my students to get them ready for competitions but haven't sparred a black belt since the last tournament I fought in, I think, a couple of years ago
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