Tiger Challenge

The Tiger Challenge was a great success as always, the I Ho Chuan team did a great job organizing. I am amazed as always with Sifu Wonsiak and her ability to organize and co ordinate every kid in that place and with a smile on her face too (plus she knows every kids name!!)
It was scary competing this year, I felt like I was in a category I didn't belong in with the other black belts. It was fun though and practice is never wasted. Holy cow though- watch out for Sifu Beckett, I had no idea she was such a fierce opponent in sparring! Really inspiring to see everyone out there.
I think the best part of the day was watching all of the faces through my camera. From the beginning with the lion dance right to the end with the trophy for black belt champion, it was awesome. Some of the best pictures are not the competitors faces but the faces of the spectators- they shine through despite my sad photography skills.
I was so so so proud of our advanced black dragons. I am honored to be a part of their training. I don't often  get to appreciate how far they have come since they came to us, but seeing the comparison on Saturday was striking. Not only in skill but the guts they showed competing, it's hard to get out there.
I was also busting at the seams proud of my two girls- especially my older daughter who is in the adult classes now and was the only young competitor (relatively young anyway-I'm not saying anyone's old!). Facing down an adult in a sparring match when your a 70 pound 12 year old girl takes some pluck, I know she wishes she had done better- but I couldn't have hoped for better. I can't wait to see where her training takes her. My younger daughter is at times hard to motivate lets say... But she set a goal for the tournament and really put it all out there, she did sleep with the trophy, but I drew the line at drinking out of it!
Congrats to all of our competitors and the spectators that helped make it a great event.