...for the Battle of Columbus.
I spent a couple of hours at the Arnold Martial Arts Festival. Only the bigger names on the martial arts convention circuit were there. I missed Arnold, but Wesley Snipes was there. I got within spitting distance of Don Wilson (again) and Jason David Frank aka the former Power Ranger about the same age as me who thinks he's good enough to start his own system.
I joked with E that I'd go to the Arnold and "start some sh!+ with someone" as my last big hurrah before marriage. Of course I was joking, and thus was extremely apologetic when a crowd of people caused my shoulder to brush against that of Cung Le (I'm about half an inch taller than him, BTW).
I passed close enough to Bill Wallace to tap him on the back of the head, but didn't, seeing as I didn't want him to kick mine off. I could've intruded on Kathy Long's moment to herself out in a hallway, but didn't. The best find of all was former WWF wrestler "The Iron Sheikh." I thought he died. He actually looks pretty much the same as he did 20 years ago.
The event was rather thin on vendors, a lot thinner than I would've expected on a Saturday afternoon. The most interesting were the people from CAS, the ones who run ads with Guro Rick Tucci and various Filipino blades. It was funny watching people flock to the katana displays while leaving the South East Asian weaponry virtually untouched.
Speaking of other Filipino MAs, I spent the majority of the time watching a demo and sparring matches by the Balintawak Escrima Cuerda World Team. Hey, I give 'em props for throwing in kicks with their stick work. What I couldn't stand was watching all the wasted techniques. With all that body armor, why not try to throw ten abanikos in a row and nothing else, even if you're getting pelted in the (lower point-scoring) ribs?
I should've waited until next week. Well, I'll know better for next year if I can make it back to these parts.
I spent a couple of hours at the Arnold Martial Arts Festival. Only the bigger names on the martial arts convention circuit were there. I missed Arnold, but Wesley Snipes was there. I got within spitting distance of Don Wilson (again) and Jason David Frank aka the former Power Ranger about the same age as me who thinks he's good enough to start his own system.
I joked with E that I'd go to the Arnold and "start some sh!+ with someone" as my last big hurrah before marriage. Of course I was joking, and thus was extremely apologetic when a crowd of people caused my shoulder to brush against that of Cung Le (I'm about half an inch taller than him, BTW).
I passed close enough to Bill Wallace to tap him on the back of the head, but didn't, seeing as I didn't want him to kick mine off. I could've intruded on Kathy Long's moment to herself out in a hallway, but didn't. The best find of all was former WWF wrestler "The Iron Sheikh." I thought he died. He actually looks pretty much the same as he did 20 years ago.
The event was rather thin on vendors, a lot thinner than I would've expected on a Saturday afternoon. The most interesting were the people from CAS, the ones who run ads with Guro Rick Tucci and various Filipino blades. It was funny watching people flock to the katana displays while leaving the South East Asian weaponry virtually untouched.
Speaking of other Filipino MAs, I spent the majority of the time watching a demo and sparring matches by the Balintawak Escrima Cuerda World Team. Hey, I give 'em props for throwing in kicks with their stick work. What I couldn't stand was watching all the wasted techniques. With all that body armor, why not try to throw ten abanikos in a row and nothing else, even if you're getting pelted in the (lower point-scoring) ribs?
I should've waited until next week. Well, I'll know better for next year if I can make it back to these parts.
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