Where are you?

Yesterday I competed in an important New Jersey martial-arts tournament [sponsored by UMARA, the United Martial Arts Referees Association] and was pleased to take home a silver medal for empty hand forms.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that I competed in the 50+ category, which meant that I was giving away as much as 66 years to those who were actually 50.  I was, in fact, the only 60+ competitor who showed up. 
    Instant replay: last March in a large Mercer County, NJ, tournament held at Rider University I was also the only 60+ competitor, so I had to drop down to the 50+ division.  Now a question: given the size of this state, and the likelihood that there are hundreds of 60-something black belts around, why are they not entering competitions?
    Let me say something else about the two recent tournaments.  In both cases I met competitors who were there for the same reason I was: to stay in shape, to challenge themselves, and to honor the commitment that they had made many years ago to their martial art.  I made new friends and experienced the joy of competing with like-minded folks who cared more about the camaraderie -- the spirit, if you will -- of the martial arts than about whether or not they carried home a trophy.
    Here's why I'm writing today.  If more 60+ martial artists don't get in the game, we'll all be out of the game soon.  Did you know that many tournaments now have a top "old guys" division of 35+?  Seriously.  Try giving up 31 years in competition.  Not fun.  Look, I'm not competing because I expect a medal every time out, but it would be nice to be reasonably competitive.  And it's tough to be seriously competitive when you're required to give up 25 or 30 years because of the tournament rules.
   Okay, so what to do?  If you're a New Jersey black belt in any style [or a black belt anywhere in America, for that matter], get back in the game.  Search the Internet for tournaments.  A great place for you to begin your search is http://www.karatetournaments.com/index.asp.  See what's available near you.  Then speak with the tournament director to ask whether there's a 60+ division.  If not, suggest that he or she add one. 
    If I were a tournament director and couldn't find 60+ competitors, I wouldn't bother offering a 60+ division.  What's not to understand?  But if 60+ martial artists are willing to compete, I'm betting that tournament directors will be glad to accommodate us.
    If you're a 60+ black belt who has "retired" to the couch, get back in the game.  And if you're still training but don't attend tournaments, rethink the idea.  The tournaments are fun.  You'll make a few new friends.  And you'll challenge yourself to push just a little harder than usual.  Hey, that's a good thing, isn't it?