Houston Tournament Next Month

The headquarters of the World Kuk Sool Association is just outside Houston, TX.  Our Grandmaster lives there, and there are many other Kuk Sool schools in the area.  Every fall, they hold a tournament in the Houston area.  There are other tournaments in different locations throughout the year, but the Houston tournament tends to be the biggest.

This year’s Houston tournament will be held on Saturday October 10th (one month from the time I’m writing this).  The tournament entry form includes more information on the exact location and schedule.  The WKSA events page may also have more information.

I’ll be going to the Houston tournament this year, and I encourage students to join me.  There are several reasons I recommend going to Kuk Sool tournaments:

1. Meeting other Kuk Sool students. When practicing at our regular school close to home, it’s easy to forget that we’re part of a world-wide community of martial artists.  Tournaments are a great opportunity to connect with your fellow Kuk Sool students that you might otherwise never meet.  I’ve been going to tournaments for years, and there are people I look forward to seeing again each time I go.
2. The Master’s Demonstration. There will be a big demonstration in the evening after the end of competition.  Kuk Sool Masters, instructors, and students from across the USA and around the world will perform live demonstrations of many of the things you can learn in Kuk Sool Won.  It’s a great opportunity to see some spectacular martial arts.
3. Competition. Of course if you make the trip, you should enter the competition.  It’s a chance to both test your skills relative to those of your fellow martial artists and to observe differences and the range of abilities.  People are often nervous about competing, but it really is an experience you shouldn’t miss.  It’s worth noting that out of all the events, only sparring involves direct competition.  The others are simply a matter of begin graded on how well you execute your forms, self defense techniques, or board breaking.

I always come back from a tournament feeling a renewed desire to train harder, improve my technique, and strive for excellence.  Competition with my peers inspires me to do better where I am right now.  The master’s demonstration reminds me what I’m striving for in the long run.

If you’d like to go, please post a response or contact me so we can coordinate travel plans.