Karate Tournament Results

Today was the May Karate Tournament for the National Karate schools in Chicago. As usual Derrick and I both competed and this time we did better that we have in many of our past tournaments. We came home with 5 third-place trophies.

We were both entered in three events -- Sparing, Form and Self-defense. Derrick took third in Sparing and Self-Defense, and I took third in all three. Of course, we were both in classes of 4 for sparing, and they don't have you spar for third place, so both people who loose in the semi-finals get third place. Also, there were only three in my self-defense class, but the score there were very close, so I'm still happy with how I did. The other classes were all larger, and there were several finalists -- people who entered and got below third place.

It has been a few years since either of us this well, although we both have first-place trophies. Derrick got one in his second tournament (November 2004, if I recall correctly) when he could still only compete in basics, and I earned one in 2005 as a gold belt when there were no other competitors in my classes. (I could have taken three that day, but I felt strange doing so when there were no other competitors).

Perhaps in November we'll do even better -- although we both should be brown belts by then.