So, here I am again.  The hip and happening, cosmopolitan metropolis known as Hunt Valley, Maryland.  Huh?  The first time I came to the United States Kuo Shu Federation's annual tournament at the Hunt Valley Marriott ...a long-ass time ago (like 10 years), they weren't even called the USKSF back then.  Yeah, really.  It was like the USCKSF or something like that.  It was crazy.  I was young, I was green, I was starry-eyed...but I was ready to compete in this internationally renowned, high caliber kung fu field of cutthroat martial artists.  That was a looooong time ago...

Now that I'm semi-retired, I find coming to this tournament year after year, as coach, manager, team leader, weapons holder, camera person, cheerleader, whatever, well...and I'll just come right out and say it...a tad bit disappointing.  Well, maybe disappointing is not quite the right word, but I'll attempt to explain.

You see...this tournament holds very special memories for me and now that I'm *gasp* old, like any old fart, I start to ruminate on the good ol' days.  When *I* competed at Kuoshu, we had open ceremonies performances by such far-off and exotically talented members of the Taiwanese wushu team.  Now, this year the final performance of the opening ceremonies was the fighting weapon set of 2 brothers whom I've actually competed with in years past...and they messed up too!  Oh man...this is actually not a criticism of them.  I've failed *plenty* of times in public...trust me...so I'm not saying I'm anything special.  I'm just doing what old people do...complain that the present isn't as good as in the past.

It's not all bad though...just ignore my cantankerous complaints.  There's also plenty of good things in the here and now.  The best for sure is the energy and inspiration I get from those awesome kids at the Malden school.  Those kids just live and breathe kung fu.  They practice all the time and their constant presence at the medal presentations is proof of their hard work.

Even with those endearing, highly motivated children who spin and twirl and can do butterfly kicks and kip-ups all around me, there was the all-time most disappointing moment...that which made me realize that the biggest failure at this whole entire tournament (and believe me...there was plenty) was *someone* who didn't even compete...ME! 

Prior to coming to Maryland, I had already known that my grandmaster, my Sigung, teacher of my teacher, kung fu charisma personified...Grandmaster Pui Chan, was performing a very rare and special tai chi set for this tournament's Masters Demonstration.  I was thrilled.  The last time I had watched Sigung perform was over 3 years ago.  He is truly a master whose public demonstrations are becoming extremely few and very much far between.  Those people in the audience didn't realize how lucky they were with what they were about to be privileged to view...*although* with the standing ovation that Master Chan got...they *did* know how lucky they were.

So, there I was again.  I know this ballroom like the back of my bruised and scarred hand.  I'm positioned at the best possible place where Grandmaster will face the podium and head tables.  I have my camera ready on video mode with *just* enough memory on the SD card to capture this glorious moment.  So, he launches himself onto the lei tai, in such a way that not even 20-year-olds could leap up with such deft and grace...and he's going to be 70!  The hem of his white tai chi jacket starts slowly waving in the wind as he gathers up his battle aura.  The tassel hanging from his gleaming gim also begins to move with an inextricable force.  Just as when he's about to begin his tai chi set...HE STARTS TALKING!  Oh it was stupendous.  Everyone in that ballroom is hanging on his every word.  He starts going on and on about how he was doing this special performance just for Master Huang, the head master of this Kuoshu event and how long they go back...blah, blah, blah.  I love listening to his Chinglish.  You can barely understand him.  I'm totally ROFLMAO. 

Then, the horror starts rising to my throat, suffocating me.  I had been recording his whole speech and as he started his tai chi form, I just *knew* I was going to run out of memory.  Oh, I'm ready to choke on my own ineptitude.  I did have a spare in my bag...however, you CAN'T change it out when you are already taping!  I run out of memory like 10 seconds before he finished his set and it was the most AWESOME ending ever...a killer side-to-side stance and cat stance that NO ONE, NO ONE...I don't care how young, flexible and all kinds of bendy you are...NO ONE can do better....and I COMPLETELY MISSED TAPING IT!  Oh I watched witnessed his kung fu artistry in all its glory, but I had the perfect vantage spot, unobstructed, no annoying persons walking by to block my camera...and I FAILED in recording his awesomeness in its entirety.

Yes...ladies and gentlemen, there was no bigger disappointment.  I suck...

technorati tags: Kuoshu, championship, kung, fu, tournament, competition, Hunt, Valley, Maryland, Pui, Chan

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