Page 30 - Beyond Basics_Neat

BEYOND BASICS

CHAPTER 2

STRATEGY

My tournament “career” gave me the experiences which
essentially shaped my evolution as a martial artist! Being without
a formal teacher for almost 90% of my years in the martial arts,
tournaments were used to assess my abilities among my peers as
both a testing and proving ground. These are the strategies in no
particular order, of that evolution.

I took the Kata Grand Championship
and lost by 1 point for the Sparring
Grand Championship!

In 1994 while preparing to take my test for 5 Degree, my left leg
began to hurt when walking and kicks weren’t as high anymore.
X-rays showed an arthritic left hip and the only remedy was to
replace the hip! A hip replacement usually last 10-15 years and
could be replaced 3 times. A quick calculation told me that I could
outlive my replacement, so replacement surgery was put off for
12 years! Fast forward to 2006, left hip replaced! 2007, right hip
replaced!
June 1, 2009, I made a bet with a buddy, Fred King! Both of us
weighed he same, about 230 pounds! The bet was to see who could

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