Disney Martial Arts Festival

[pstarr]

All I can say is that the entire weekend was absolutely incredible! As most of you know, I’m no fan of “Sport Karate” or “Xtreme Martial Arts” but the traditional martial arts competition and demonstrations were certainly world-class! And being able to spend time with Allegra and Terri really made the whole event that much more special!

The festival brought in nearly 2,000 competitors from all over the nation (in fact, many competitors came from various foreign countries) in varied martial disciplines - from jujutsu to karate, kung-fu, savate, arnis, and many others. The level of competition was extremely high - after all, the Tiger Claw Elite competitors are considered “the best of the best.”

The whole weekend was a blur, but some of the top athletes stand out in my mind. Ms. Jessica Brew, a karate stylist, performed a flawless kata; one of the best I’ve seen in 30 years. Really. Watching her execute her set took my breath away. Now THAT’S karate! I told her that she’s GOT to continue training because she, and others like her, must carry on the tradition of the martial arts after the old-timers (like me) are gone.

Another young Vietnamese woman was competing in the Kung-Fu Quest portion of the tournament. She was called to perform in the Broadsword category and her hands were shaking. She told me that she wanted to withdraw from the event because she was just too nervous. I told her to keep her eyes on me when she entered the ring and told her my secret for calming down and performing well in competitive events.

As she entered the ring she looked at me and I gave her the signal - and she did a truly magnificent form - took first place with it!!! I got lots of hugs after that-

Another young woman performed in several kung-fu categories, executing very powerful Choy-Li Fut sets. From Brazil, she teaches with her husband. I told her that we need more traditional teachers and that she must keep up her training!

It was an incredible experience - and I enjoyed seeing old friends (like Andy Ching, Tat-Mau Wong, and Tony Brown) and making many new ones. And several well-respected instructors are very interested in writing books! We talked a lot about that process and I’ll be behind the scenes, helping them get their manuscripts put together…

 

[terryl965]

Glad it was a fantastic time.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Actaully I wish I could have been there.

Thanks for posting this

 

[pstarr]

We need more Chinese stylists represented there from a variety of disciplines... Plan to go next year!!!:ultracool

 

[Xue Sheng]

We need more Chinese stylists represented there from a variety of disciplines... Plan to go next year!!!:ultracool

ahhh... if it were that easy.... you forget.... I am not allowed to make such decisions.... I have a wife

 

[Jai]

I'm no fan of XMA myself, but from reading this it sounds like it was a blast, I would love to just go and watch just from the excitement I'm feeling from your words.

 

[tshadowchaser]

wow
sounds like some great things where seen wish I could have been there
i am jealous

 

[Kacey]

Sounds like a lot of fun - thanks so much for telling us about it!

 

[pstarr]

It was truly a great adventure...I got to see some old friends and make many new ones - the level of competition was excellent with no serious injuries whatsoever (that I know of).

Even as recently as ten years ago I could never have even imagined that something like a martial arts festival would be held at Disney World. It’s a dream come true; a chance to present the martial arts—their values as well as their myriad techniques—to the world. This year the festival attracted about 2,000 competitors and I feel certain that the event will continue to grow.

The developers of this remarkable event did it right. They started small so they could work out the bugs. As it continues to grow, more glitches will be found and smoothed out.

Like many traditionalists, I feel that martial arts were never intended for competition. However, it’s obvious that competition is here to stay and I believe it’s possible to develop rules that will allow traditional martial arts practitioners to compete without compromising the integrity of their arts. In Japanese, the word used for this kind of competition is shiai, which infers a testing of oneself against others of equal skill.

In any case, I tell my students that it isn’t the winning or losing that’s important; it’s seeing so many other arts and styles firsthand, meeting other martial arts enthusiasts, comparing notes, swapping war stories, and making friends. It’s seeing what else is out there. I also tell them that, “A fish only grows according to the size of the container in which it lives.” If it stays in a small fish bowl it will never get very large.

I encourage them to swim outside their tiny fish bowl as I did so many years ago. Venture out into the open sea and see what’s out there.
I was encouraged and dismayed at what I saw and that’s a good thing. It lets me know where I stand, where my students stand, where the martial arts stand, and where they need improvement.

One young girl of about 14 performed a remarkable wushu broadsword form. She competed in several other events as well, taking first place in each of them. Her postures and techniques were very precise. Her free hand - which is usually the left hand because the right hand holds the weapon - was always in the correct position (this is a good way to judge how well the performer knows the form and handles the weapon). When she made a cut the blade hissed. My teacher used to tell me that if the blade makes a sound “like a bird’s wings”; a kind of flapping sound, the blade is not striking with the cutting edge and the technique is wrong.
On the other end of the spectrum was a young man who came out dressed in a hakama (traditional Japanese wide-legged trousers worn in aikido and iaido) carrying a wakazashi. The feudal warriors of medieval Japan, the samurai, carried two swords, the katana and the wakazashi. The katana was the long sword that was wielded with two hands and was regarded as the primary weapon of the samurai. The wakazashi is a much shorter blade. When a samurai entered the home of his lord or another warrior, he would remove the katana from his obi (belt) and it would be placed in a special receptacle. However, he would keep his wakazashi with him at all times.

Modern iaido (the art of drawing and cutting with the Japanese sword) was developed around the katana. Having trained in traditional iaido, I have a deep respect for this beautiful art. Naturally, I watched the young competitor very closely. Rather than using the traditional katana he wielded a wakazashi and to put it bluntly, everything he did - from kneeling down on the floor to gripping his weapon to footwork, stance, cutting…EVERYTHING - was wrong. Not just a little “off”, but totally incorrect. As one highly respected karate and iaido instructor put it, “In the world of martial arts you’ll often see practitioners who don’t have a clue. Then there are those who don’t even suspect…” This youngster was one of the latter.

However, I don’t necessarily view this in a completely negative light. It is, as one of my teachers put it, “an opportunity.” We can make corrections only after we first identify the problem.

I remember one small girl who looked to be about six years old. With her pretty blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, she approached the judges and announced her name, her style of karate, and the form she was about to demonstrate. She sounded like a cute little chipmunk. Then she exploded into a flurry of punches and kicks that would put many adult karateka (karate practitioners) to shame. Her punches were crisp and the snap of her kicks was clearly audible as she moved powerfully and gracefully through her set.

I recall an eight year old girl (with cute little freckles and glasses) who looked so cute and cuddly until she blazed her way through a complex Choy-Lay Fut Kung-Fu form. I’d hate to be the first boy to ask her for a date, when she’s all grown up and even more powerful.

It was truly a remarkable event that was topped off by the Saturday night “Martial Arts Showcase” that featured an 85 year-old Choy-Lay Fut master! Still very spry despite his advanced years, he executed a flawless form and drew cheers from the huge crowd.

And next year promises to be even better!