Inviting Seniors to this New Jersey Championship

An exciting new tournament is just around the corner, and, yes, there are separate divisions for Taekwondo seniors.  The First Annual New Jersey President's Cup Championship will take place on Sunday, April 19th, at South Plainfield High School.  And this could easily become one of the most important annual events on the New Jersey martial-arts calendar.
   One reason is that the tournament director is Master Kevin Vigneri, who is president of the New Jersey State Taekwondo Association.  If the name sounds familiar, that's because he's the same person who has successfully run the annual USA Taekwondo New Jersey State Championships.  In other words, we have here someone who knows how to organize a major event.
   Another reason is that the President's Cup will also serve as the official team trials for the New Jersey State Taekwondo Team.  Team members will represent the State in other 2015 tournaments.
   And finally, the President's Cup has made room for seniors.  In addition to all the usual younger age groups, the tournament features 41-50, 51-60, and 61+ divisions for older competitors.  And that's why I'm excited about this new event.  I'm tired of tournament directors limiting competition to the kids, so I will do all I can to support tournaments that acknowledge the value of keeping our most veteran Taekwondo athletes in the game.

                                                                     

   The President's Cup will feature competition in four areas:
          -- WTF forms (for competitors affiliated with the World Taekwondo Federation)
          -- Open forms (for all non-WTF athletes)
          -- Sparring
          -- Breaking
   Competitors will be grouped by age as well as belt color, from white to black.  And although the tournament will begin at 8:30 a.m., adult athletes won't have to check in until 3:00 p.m.  This, by the way, is a really big deal.  I'm sure that many of you have had the experience of showing up in the early morning, as required, and then not being called for your event until 5:30 p.m.  Thanks, Master Vigneri, for devising a better system.
   For more information about the First Annual New Jersey President's Cup Championship, you can click over to President's Cup online or email "MasterVigneri at aol.com."  [Use the @ symbol when emailing.  We don't show it here in order to deter spammers.]
   Hope to see you on April 19th!  Good luck, and good training.

On March 28th, a Senior-Friendly Major Tournament

One of my favorite all-styles tournaments of the year is the Mercer County National Karate Championship, held every March at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.  And to celebrate the event's 20th year, Master Ivan Mendez has put together an outstanding program that includes special touches for seniors. 
   Black belts 60 and over compete for free and will be able to contend for Grand Champion belts, cash prizes, and a special crystal trophy for the Outstanding Senior Athlete.  But no matter what your age, this is a tournament you should not miss if you live anywhere close to Central New Jersey.  Rider University is easily accessible from all N.J. points as well as Metro New York, Philly, and almost any location with access to I-95. 
   For more information, including a list of ring assignments by age and belt color -- yes, ring assignments posted nearly a month before the event! -- please click over to The Mercer County Nationals.
   In case you missed it, I'm reprinting below an earlier message about the Mercer County Nationals.  Hope to see you at this exciting and important event.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Senior black belts compete for free

You just ran out of excuses.  If you're a black belt and are at least 60 years old, you can compete for free in the 20th annual Mercer County National Karate Championship, to be held on Saturday, March 28th, at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J.  This is an outstanding event that offers a total of 145 separate divisions covering forms, weapons, and sparring.  And you should be part of it.
   While it seems that many, perhaps most, tournaments are pushing older athletes to the sidelines, Master Ivan Mendez is determined to make the Mercer County Nationals a comfortable home for the 60+ crowd.  And, yes, this is a really big deal. I'm 69, and I would like to compete well into my seventies.  But I have to say that the thrill of competing loses something when the top age group is, let's say, 35 or 40.  Competing against someone half your age just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
   Tournament director Mendez has been working hard for several years to attract seniors to the Mercer County Nationals.  His was one of the first tournaments in the area to raise the top age bracket to 60+, and his is the only tournament I know of that waives registration fees for black belt seniors.  "We're encouraging our most seasoned martial artists to come out, compete, and enjoy each other's fine talent," he says.

         

                            Above: some of the trophies awarded at the

                            Mercer County Nationals in recent years.

   By the way, a portion of the tournament proceeds will benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, widely known for its pioneering work in saving children with cancer and other catastrophic medical conditions.  Last year's tournament attracted nearly 450 competitors and 725 spectators, so this is an event that can do a lot of good for a fine charity while treating participants to a first-rate martial-arts experience.
   The Mercer County Nationals will feature competitors from a wide variety of styles, so whatever black belt you hold is your free ticket in, as long as you're at least 60 years old.  But it gets better.  The Ancient Warrior Society, an organization that honors an elite group of Taekwondo masters and grandmasters over the age of 50, will be providing an impressive crystal trophy to the 60+ athlete who is voted Outstanding Senior Athlete by the tournament's staff.
   If you're 60+ and still competing, circle the date and find your way to Rider University for this important tournament.  But what if you've already stopped competing because you got tired of being matched with 30-year-olds in every tournament you attended?  Well, you have three months to work on your technique, and that's plenty of time for a veteran black belt.  Ease back into training, and by the end of March you'll be ready to show your stuff against other athletes your age.
   Have questions about the event?  You can post them here, if you'd like, or you can contact Master Mendez directly at karatetour@msn.com.  But whatever you do, plan to attend!

Get serious, Taekwondo seniors!

If you're over 50 and wondering whether there's a place for you in Taekwondo, listen up.  Yes, there's a place.  It's called USA Taekwondo, an outstanding organization which the U.S. Olympic Committee recognizes as the National Governing Body for the sport of Taekwondo in America.  And, no, you don't need to be an Olympian to benefit from joining.  So if someone has suggested to you that Taekwondo is only for the young, please read on.
   One of USA Taekwondo's primary missions is to provide first-rate tournaments at both the state and national level, and this is where USAT really sets itself apart from the crowd.  In many, perhaps most, tournaments I attend, the top age group for competitors is often 30 -- and sometimes younger.  And, yes, there's a message in this: if you're "old," don't bother showing up.
   But USAT takes a radically different approach.  I compete in what's known as poomsae, also known as forms.  And USAT's top age group is 66+.  That's not a typo.  The top age group is 66+.  So if, like me, you happen to be 69, you don't have to compete against athletes who are 18, or 28, or even 58.  You can compete against athletes your own age.  And that's a really big deal, because most of us don't get faster or more flexible as we get older.  
   There are numerous USAT poomsae age divisions -- covering all belt ranks as well as both male and female competitors -- but those of primary interest to readers of this blog are the following:
         41-50
         51-60
         61-65
         66 and over
    Notice that at the upper end of the age groups there's a bit of compression -- 61-65 and 66+.  This makes perfect sense, since the older you get, the more difficult it is to compete against younger athletes.  I look forward to the day when USAT offers an age division for athletes over 70.  This would reinforce USAT's loud, clear message to the entire martial-arts community: seniors are most definitely welcome here!
   By the way, if poomsae isn't your thing, you will also find age divisions for USAT sparring.  In this case, however, the top age group is 51 and over.  I haven't asked why this is so, but I suspect it's a reflection of the number of interested competitors.  While a great many senior athletes still compete in poomsae, most of us have retired from sparring.
   So what should you do?  Join USA Taekwondo, of course.  Here's an organization that is highly senior-friendly, sponsors annual state tournaments from coast to coast, and runs an impressive National Championship every July in order to select our country's international competitors.  Annual membership is only $35, and you can get all the info you need at USA Taekwondo Membership.

   AN IMPORTANT REMINDER:  For senior martial artists who live in or near New Jersey, don't forget about the upcoming 20th Annual Mercer County Nationals, to be held on March 28th at Rider University.  Thanks to tournament director Master Ivan Mendez, this has become an important senior-friendly event over the past several years.  And this year he has taken the friendliness a step further: all black belts 60 and older pay no registration fee.  How much more of an invitation do you need?  
             

                                        Outstanding Senior Athlete trophy   

   Also new at the tournament this year will be a crystal Outstanding Senior Athlete trophy sponsored by The Ancient Warrior Society, a non-profit organization that honors some of the country's most respected Taekwondo masters and grandmasters for their lifelong achievements.  Tournament director Mendez and his staff will be selecting the recipient from among the day's top senior performers.
   For more information on the tournament, please click over to Mercer County Nationals.
  
   The martial arts belong to all of us!  No matter what your age, it's time to get in the game.  I wish you much success in your training.                                               
        
  

Building a championship attitude

Let's begin today's discussion with two key facts: 1) not all champions have a championship attitude; and 2) you don't need to be a champion in order to possess a championship attitude.  If you're even moderately puzzled by these two statements, read on.

   Have you ever encountered or read about a champion who lacked a championship attitude?  Of course.  We all have.  In all sports and at all ages you can find gifted athletes who capture gold medals without ever living up to their potential.  They do just enough to get by, and they never seem to learn how to spell team.  And, yes, some of them even make it to the professional level, where they become frequently traded malcontents who blame their shortcomings on those around them.  You find these guys in the NBA, the NFL, and just about every pro team under the sun.  They're the woulda-coulda-shoulda crowd.  They would have, could have, and should have been great if only they had nurtured a championship attitude and pushed themselves to the limit.  But they didn't, and for that they blame everyone but the guy in the mirror.

    Fortunately there's another side to this coin.  We've all met or read about someone who was born without great athletic abilities yet whose accomplishments reflect an outsized championship attitude. A year ago I attended a New Jersey martial-arts tournament and had the incredible experience of watching a 50-something guy compete in both forms and weapons while sporting an artificial leg.  It gets better: at one point in his form, he removed the prosthesis, tossed it to the side, and did the rest of the form on one leg.  He would have been a champion in my book even if he hadn't captured two gold medals -- which, by the way, he did.
   But there are champions, many of them, who never win medals.  Some of them compete in tournaments, and some don't.  Yet they share some important championship characteristics.
     1.  They measure success not by medals or trophies but by personal achievement.   You know when, let's say, you've done your best form ever.  When everything comes together and you've done the best you've ever done, you're a winner.  You don't need a gold medal to feel like a champion.  You've done the best you could possibly do, and that's enough.  You then set the next goal and move on.  This is the mark of a championship attitude.
     2.  They applaud the success of others.  Honestly feeling good about the accomplishments of other competitors is more than just good sportsmanship.  It's a reflection of a championship attitude.  By respecting the hard work and talent of others, you acknowledge that all martial artists are part of something larger than themselves.  Another person's success doesn't diminish your achievements; it reinforces your commitment to your training and your personal goals.
     3.  They willingly share what they know.  When a competitor is willing to help you improve a technique -- perhaps showing you a more effective way to execute a particular form -- he or she is demonstrating a championship attitude.  The message is loud and clear: helping others master a martial art matters more to me than the risk of being outpointed.  Selflessness is the mark of a true champion.
   The secret to success in Taekwondo or other martial arts is really no secret.  Do the best you can.  Always.  You may never win a medal, but you can be widely recognized as a man or woman who always maintains a championship attitude.
   Here's to your success.




 





   
     

Senior black belts compete for free

You just ran out of excuses.  If you're a black belt and are at least 60 years old, you can compete for free in the 20th annual Mercer County National Karate Championship, to be held on Saturday, March 28th, at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J.  This is an outstanding event that offers a total of 145 separate divisions covering forms, weapons, and sparring.  And you should be part of it.
   While it seems that many, perhaps most, tournaments are pushing older athletes to the sidelines, Master Ivan Mendez is determined to make the Mercer County Nationals a comfortable home for the 60+ crowd.  And, yes, this is a really big deal.  I turn 69 next year, and I would like to compete well into my seventies.  But I have to say that the thrill of competing loses something when the top age group is, let's say, 35 or 40.  Competing against someone half your age just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
   Tournament director Mendez has been working hard for several years to attract seniors to the Mercer County Nationals.  His was one of the first tournaments in the area to raise the top age bracket to 60+, and his is the only tournament I know of that waives registration fees for black belt seniors.  "We're encouraging our most seasoned martial artists to come out, compete, and enjoy each other's fine talent," he says.

         

                             Above: some of the trophies awarded at the

                            Mercer County Nationals in recent years.

   By the way, a portion of the tournament proceeds will benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, widely known for its pioneering work in saving children with cancer and other catastrophic medical conditions.  Last year's tournament attracted nearly 450 competitors and 725 spectators, so this is an event that can do a lot of good for a fine charity while treating participants to a first-rate martial-arts experience.
   The Mercer County Nationals will feature competitors from a wide variety of styles, so whatever black belt you hold is your free ticket in, as long as you're at least 60 years old.  But it gets better.  The Ancient Warrior Society, an organization that honors an elite group of Taekwondo masters and grandmasters over the age of 50, will be providing an impressive crystal trophy to the 60+ athlete who is voted Outstanding Senior Athlete by the tournament's staff.
   If you're 60+ and still competing, circle the date and find your way to Rider University for this important tournament.  But what if you've already stopped competing because you got tired of being matched with 30-year-olds in every tournament you attended?  Well, you have three months to work on your technique, and that's plenty of time for a veteran black belt.  Ease back into training, and by the end of March you'll be ready to show your stuff against other athletes your age.
   Have questions about the event?  You can post them here, if you'd like, or you can contact Master Mendez directly at karatetour@msn.com.  But whatever you do, plan on attending the 2015 Mercer County Nationals.  Our presence will let tournament directors know that the 60+ crowd isn't ready to be put out to pasture.
   Best wishes for your successful training, and best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a bright New Year.
 

Staying Young With Taekwondo

I recently had the honor of competing in the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships as a member of the U.S. National Team.  Since I'm 68, I competed in what's known as the Master 4 Division, for athletes 66 and older.  And although I was fortunate enough to come home with a bronze medal, I marveled at the abilities of athletes my age and older whose talents were very much off the chart.  I'm talking about performances that would make your average 25-year-old jealous.
   A case in point in Grandmaster Lee Moon Ho of France, who took the silver medal in the Master 4 Division, finishing just one one-hundredth of a point out of first place.  A 9th-degree black belt, Grandmaster Lee has been a dominant force in Taekwondo for most of his life.  Early in his career he won 12 national titles in his native Korea; he served as coach of the Korean National Team at the 1st World Championships in 1973; and he was coach of the French National Team at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.
   Grandmaster Lee's Taekwondo resume is long and impressive, but what's most important to readers of this blog is that he remains an active and world-class competitor.  At a time when most people his age have retired to the couch and a TV remote, he maintains a level of fitness that goes hand in hand with the Taekwondo Life.  As evidence, I offer this snapshot taken outside the competition hall at the recent World Championships held in Aguascalientes, Mexico.  Grandmaster Lee was just loosening up a bit . . . with jaw-dropping sidekicks that you might expect only of athletes 40 or 50 years his junior.
  

   Grandmaster Lee Moon Ho practices his sidekick during an outdoor session at the recent World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

   Now ask yourself what accounts for Grandmaster Lee's exceptional capabilities.  Is it luck?  Is it wishful thinking?  Is it a side benefit of getting older?  No, no, and no.  The secret to this athlete's success is no secret: hard work that never stops.  Taekwondo consistently challenges the mind and the body, and if you are faithful to the art, you discover that Taekwondo quite simply helps keep you young.  Yes, exercise in general will help keep you feeling better; but the powerful mind/body connection that Taekwondo emphasizes can have a remarkable influence on senior health.
   By the way, Grandmaster Lee wasn't the only star performer at the recent World Championships.  Numerous athletes aged 50 and older turned in world-class performances.  Some athletes won medals; most did not.  But everyone in attendance was a champion in terms of dedication to Taekwondo, and every senior athlete at the World Championships could serve as an inspiration to you whether you're just beginning to study Taekwondo or are wondering how long you can continue training.
   You should consider hanging Grandmaster Lee's photo where you train.  Let it serve as a reminder that when the mind and body work together, as they do in Taekwondo, you can be far younger than your years.
   You're not too old to begin studying Taekwondo, and it's not too late to "unretire."  Put the power of Taekwondo on your side.
   Good luck, and good training.

Taekwondo seniors and balance training

For most of our lives we take the great gift of balance for granted.  We learn to walk, run, jump, ride bikes, climb rocks, and successfully complete the millions of other activities that engage the body's ability to keep us steady and upright.  Of course, when we were younger and just beginning to learn Taekwondo, we continually had our balancing ability challenged in the dojang.  The master instructor expected us to spend quite a lot of time balancing on one foot, generally for kicking but also for blocking and striking. 
     I remember one of my first instructors telling the class that "a martial arts student should have better balance on one foot than everyone else has on two."  For the record, I thought that his claim was a bit overstated.  But I certainly agree that martial artists should be extremely competent at balancing on one foot.
   Ah, but then along comes age, and this balance thing can get a little tricky.  Our ability to balance tends to degrade as we grow older, even if we're still training seriously.  For many seniors, a decline in the ability to balance is often related to diminished leg strength.  But for those of us who still train and compete the problem can be more complicated and related to health issues or inner-ear changes.  Your overall level of fitness may be wonderful, and yet you may find yourself struggling with balance for the first time in your life.
   Yes, I'm in the same boat.  I'm 68 and a frequent competitor.  But my ability to balance on one foot is not quite what it was 40 years ago.  So I have a choice: live with it or do my best to overcome the natural decline.  My choice, of course, is to do whatever I can to maintain my ability to balance under sometimes extreme conditions and body positions.  If that's your choice as well, then here are a few tips on how to work on balance as part of your regular training.  I'm not a physician or physical therapist, so I can't comment on your particular balance issues.  But I can tell you what works for me.
     Working on leg strength.  It's such a simple word: leg.  But there are countless moving parts that need attention if you're having balance issues.  Your quadriceps and hamstring muscles need to be strong, of course, and you can work on them in a variety of ways: knee bends, wall-sitting, and long-count Taekwondo stances are among the more obvious methods.  Working on the thigh muscles isn't enough, though.  The muscles that comprise your ankle are critical, especially if you're holding a one-legged stance for any length of time.  You need to strengthen all the muscles from the calf on down, especially those alongside the Achilles tendon.  One technique that I find helpful is to raise yourself up on the toes of both feet . . . and then lower yourself with just one foot.  When you do this, you're executing what is known as an "eccentric contraction" -- meaning the muscle is getting longer as you lower your heel to the floor.  
     Adjusting floor surfaces.  Standing on one foot is easier on a hard surface -- a wooden or tile floor, let's say -- than on a soft surface.  So make sure when you practice balancing on one foot you don't just take the easy route.  In fact, begin on the softer surface -- a thick carpet, for instance.  Plant one foot; raise the opposite foot to the knee of the balancing leg; and hold the position for 10 seconds or so.  Then switch.  The soft surface is unstable, naturally, so you continually need to adjust your foot and ankle in order to maintain your balance.  Once you can hold your balance on a carpet, consider buying a couple of foam pads that are made just for this purpose.  You can buy the pads in varying degrees of softness.  The firmer the pad, the easier it is to balance; the softer the surface, the more difficult it is to balance.  After you've done your balance exercises on a soft surface, move to the hard surface.  You should feel much more stable and in control.
     Closing your eyes.  If you've ever had a really thorough physical exam, you probably had a doctor ask you to close your eyes and hold both arms out in front of you.  Even on two feet you can have a problem maintaining your balance.  So try this.  Stand near a solid support that you can easily reach out and hold.  [Make sure there are no surrounding objects that could injure you if you fall.]  Without holding the support, balance on one leg with your eyes closed.   If you feel as though you're about to lose control, grab the support.  Try again.  Switch legs.  Yes, this is an exceedingly difficult exercise.  But if you do it safely, it can really help you balance better when your eyes are open.
     Training every day.  Some exercises aren't meant to be done every day.  Weight training, for instance, requires rest.  But working on balance is something you can and must work on every day if you're attempting to overcome an age-related decline.  If for any reason you suspect that your balance issues are excessive or have come on too suddenly, see your doctor to make sure that the problem isn't something that requires medical attention
     If you're serious about Taekwondo, consider yourself a work in progress.  You never learn everything, and you never stop needing to train your mind and body.  Working on balance is one highly effective way to improve your confidence and performance.