Mercer County Nationals: Two Thumbs Up

Here's a well-deserved tip of the hat to Sensei Ivan Mendez for the outstanding job he did with this year's Mercer County Nationals martial-arts tournament.  The event was held on March 16th at Rider University, and this year Sensei Mendez had arranged for the use of two gyms instead of the usual one.  The second gym really helped, because once again the tournament attracted hundreds of competitors as well as serious crowds in the stands.
   I had the pleasurable task of spending the entire morning as a judge for one of the kids' rings -- intermediate girls ranging in age from 10-12 -- and I was extremely impressed with the level of skill they exhibited in both forms and point sparring.  In addition to a high level of competitiveness, the girls showed a strong sense of camaraderie, and that's an essential ingredient of life in the martial arts.  In every tournament a few people go home with medals or trophies while most don't.  But everyone wins by trying his or her best, by learning new skills, by meeting new friends, and by showing respect for the discipline that lies at the heart of all martial arts.
   When not judging, I had time to catch some action in the other rings -- from kids 6 and under to folks over 60 -- and found the level of competition to be exceptionally high.  My only disappointment was in not seeing more seniors in the tournament.  I had alerted this blog's readers to the fact that Sensei Mendez had created a senior-friendly tournament by offering both 50+ and 60+ divisions -- something you don't often find in large tournaments -- but too few seniors donned their uniforms this year.  If you weren't there, you missed a golden opportunity to participate in friendly as well as spirited competition. 
   So now you have to wait until next year.  But that gives you plenty of time to get active in the martial arts or perhaps to dust off the uniform you haven't worn in a few years.  If you're 50+ and reading this blog, I hope to see you at the Mercer County Nationals in 2014.  If you join me for this major event, you'll look forward to it each year.
   Congratulations to Sensei Ivan Mendez on the highly successful 18th Annual Mercer County Nationals.  Let's all be on hand for the 19th Annual version next March.