Vegas Junior International Cup

Photo curtesy of www.teamusa.org

Recently I went to vegas for the 4th year in a row. In Vegas there is two tournaments going on in the time span of five days. First, was the Junior International Cup a fairly large tournament but mostly American competitors. That tournament lasts two days with kata on the first day and kumite on the second. So on the first day I woke up at 8:30 and walked over to the Paris where the venue was. Which was very convenient that we were only staying seven minutes away. Yeah but not in the fancy, bright casino, put a small mint on your pillow type Vegas hotel. No, we stay at the Jockey Club. Never heard of it? Don't worry no one else has either. The Jockey Club was built in 1974 one of the oldest hotels built on the strip. It's main customers are old people from the south that come to Vegas to gamble and smoke all day long. I'm not saying the Jockey Club is a horrible place, I mean the beds are comfortable, there's a full kitchen, and enough room for my family of seven so really it's the perfect place for us when we come for the tournament. But for your weekend getaway I wouldn't recommend it. 

So anyway first day we walk over to the Paris. First up is my brother, he's in the 10-11 year old boys division and it is stacked. There is about 30 kids in his division and they all look fierce. A couple hours later my sister goes up in the 12-13 year old girls division. Then shortly after I get called to staging (where you go to wait to be assignment a mat) for the 14-15 year old girls division. Surprisingly I only have to wait for about 15 minutes to go out. A lot of the girls I recognize from regional tournaments or Vegas last year. So I start warming up and getting my mind ready. Then it's time, we walk out in a single file line, bags stuffed with equipment, snacks, water, headphones slung over our shoulders. We sit next to a mat and wait for a boys division to end. Then we bow to the United States flag bow to the referees and start. I go third against a girl that I've never seen before. I win the match 4-1, next match against a girl I remember from last year, I win again 3-2, next match the semi-finals I go up and stumble slightly and scream to myself on the inside but I go on and finish strong, praying that the judges happen to be blinking. I walk back out and wait for the flags I win again and now I'm put into the finals.

But I'm going against my good friend from Florida, she doesn't favor kata but is still naturally good at it. So her dad makes her do it. She goes first and does an amazing kushanku then it's my turn I decided to do my newest kata that hasn't been out on the mat very often it has a 360 jump that is very difficult to land perfectly. I stuck the jump and won the vote. Now with the first day out of the way the stress levels go way down. Now it was time for more pasta, showers, and bed time.

Now onto day two, kumite. I started off good and won my first two matches and got to the semi-final round but then lost. Then I lost again going for 3rd place. The girls were all really great fighters and I feel lucky to meet and compete with them.