Competition Results

I couldn't sleep on Friday night. I came back from our second and final team demo practice around 10 PM and couldn't fall asleep until 2 AM and had to wake up at 6 AM to get ready for the competition.

On Saturday morning I had planned to make myself a high protein breakfast, stretch and to meditate, but that did not happen.

My nerves got to the best of me. I couldn't even eat and had to force myself to eat half a protein bar in the car.

I arrived at the competition tired, yet strangely alert. I thought I was going to throw up a few times. The butterflies in my stomach made me queasy. However, as soon as I walked into the gymnasium and saw my Master and a few of my classmates from my Taekwondo school I felt relieved.

At 8:30 AM we would start Team Demonstrations. The night before we had our last practice, but the entire demonstration was changed last minute due to a few people dropping out, so technically it was our first and last practice. My position moved to be in the front of the entire team. I was so worried I was going to forget what I had to do. When the music started, I had a rush over me and just let my hands and feet do what they needed to do without a second thought. Our team did an amazing job, we had people do some amazing flips and then end with a break, we had a few members do a nunchuck and sword routine, and we all did choreographed form and dance in front of the judges and audience.

There were a few other teams after us. Those teams only had a small group of black belts performing. They executed some amazing kicks off ladders blindfolded and other neat things I had never seen before, but they all lacked enthusiasm and many missed breaks.

The Team Demonstrations were finished by 10 AM and the winners were announced. My team won!

Children began competing shortly after, next would be Junior (11 - 17 years old) and then Adults (18+) would go after.

We were supposed to start at 2:30 PM, but we didn't start until 4:30 PM. The adults grew tired and restless as the day went on.

I was worried that by the time I would go on the mats in front of the judges I would be too tired to perform. 

Around 4:45 PM I was called to go in front of three judges to perform my Form. One judge would watch my lower body, the second judge my upper body, and the last judge (a master) would judge overall.

As I predicted there wasn't many women competitors.
I bowed in front of the judges and waited for for the Korean command to begin. I took my time and made sure to show the details in my hands and feet position and also show snap in my punches in kicks. I won gold in form.

Next, in front of the same three judges  I competed in breaking. I performed four breaks:

1. Spinning knife hand on an inch board
2. A jumping hammer first on an inch and half board
3. A spinning round house kick on an inch board
4. A jumping front kick on a half inch board

Most women broke only half inch boards, so I knew I would have an edge if I broke an inch or higher board and I was right because I won gold in wood breaking.

I went home with two gold medals. I was so happy, yet I was disappointed that there was not many women were competing. There were no adult women who were competing in sparring, only a handful in form, and maybe 2 handfuls in breaking.

I have a few goals for next year's competition.

1. Improve on my breaking. I would like to break more boards. My goal will be to break two one inch boards and to all add some fun jumps and spins.

2. To encourage and recruit more women in competing. Even though I was competing with a handful or two, all the women were very supportive of each other. We all cheered each other on, hugged, shook hands and bowed to each other.