09/12/2026
Today I stepped back onto the competition mat at AKJU tournament
It had been about 10 years since my last tournament. I planned on kumite, sport jujitsu/randori, and grappling, but only got to compete in the last two. I got a few matches in each division against guys that were much younger than me and finished second in both.
I wanted gold. Didn’t get it. But I had a blast. It was great seeing some old friends & familiar faces.
More importantly, it reminded me of something my first instructor, George Annarino who I used to go with to these tournaments, and my other instructors taught me : sometimes you need to put yourself back into the uncomfortable.
Competition is one way to do that. People are watching. You’re being judged and scored. What worked years ago might not work today. You find out where you really are not where you remember being.
As instructors and black belts, it’s easy to live on what we did 10, 20, or 30 years ago while telling our students to push themselves.
Every once in a while, we need to step back out there too.
I appreciate the younger guys who welcomed this old guy onto the mat today. Good competitors, good sportsmanship, and a lot of fun.
Now I know what needs work & Back to work.
- Coach Dave
