The competition was intense at Martial Arts Expo 5, held Sunday March 9 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Gardnerville, NV. The annual event is a fundraiser for local charities, with many martial arts schools from northern Nevada participating. It is co-hosted by Douglas County Parks & Recreation Department, High Desert Martial Arts and Sierra Dojo. This year's proceeds were donated to Douglas County Sheriff's Search & Rescue team.
The Expo is patterned off of the OI's shiai. There are no trophies, the cost is inexpensive, and the emphasis is on good attitudes and learning. The last 4 expos were attended by several of the traditional martial arts schools, about 10 in total, with about 40 competitors. For Expo 5, we had 16 schools represented, 80 competitors, and over 100 spectators.
Competitions in basics and kata were held first, followed by half-time demonstrations presented by several area master instructors, including Louis Lawson (Choy Li Fut), Glenn Ristine (Kyusho Jitsu) John Chatwood (Shinto Yoshin Ryu Jujitsu), Bill Regan (Tai Chi Chuan), Sonny Weathers (Tae Kwon Do), Ron Taniguchi and Brandi Gibson (Iaido) and Sean Morey (Koden Ryu).
Sparring competitions followed, with point matches by age and skill level. New for this Expo was the Jujitsu division, which drew many competitors and spectators. We had two local jujitsu instructors run the ring, and their referee job was excellent. Competitors were divided by weight and skill level, then had to get their opponent to tap out. The referees could stop the action at any time and award the win to one or the other opponent. No punching, fishhooking or eye-gouging was allowed, so it kept the competitors focused on the grappling aspect of the sport.
The idea for the Expo came about because 1) there are not many opportunities for my students to attend tournaments; 2) They cannot travel to Maryland for every shiai we hold; 3) they needed people other than each other to fight with. It has definitely served that purpose, as well as being excellent PR for the dojo. Another side benefit are the new friendships we have made with other quality senseis and their students.
Many thanks to the members of Sierra Dojo, who always arrive early, stay late, and help with all the details.
Our OI brothers and sisters have a permanent invitation to come participate every year!
