Team Point Sparring

Something new I have added to my Taekwondo training is Point Sparring. The AAU have a wonderful program and event for point sparring which has been upgraded from it's original Karate Kid style of three points win. The regulations for gears, techniques valid to use, time usage, and rules structure have been upgraded in a fantastic event.

I have done Olympic style sparring for sixteen years. I was a great Olympic sparring competitor from 13 years old to 18 years old, with the then USTU, now USAT. I won state and regional titles, as well as competed three times at the USAT Junior Olympics. I have sparred Steven Lopez, Steven Lin, Jayson Grant, and countless other names in Olympic sparring. But when I was JUST beginning to become the age for adult competition, my master decided to stop bringing us to competitions. The transition to adult level competition I never had that experience. I years later returned cold turkey. It took a year and a half to "get used" to it.

Olympic sparring has been constantly changing over the years. Every year it seems there is something new with the gear, the rules, and the technology. Honestly, I have not done as well as I used to. Sometimes I get discouraged and think, I missed my chance. Other times I am very motivated. My sparring mentor, Master Peter Bardatsos keeps up with the sparring wonderfully but I wonder what he thinks a lot of the times too.

However, Point Sparring is VERY new to me. NEW is exciting to me. And I feel I can be much better at it than Olympic. However the style is different and I get to use my hands more. So of course, I asked my mentor Master Balon to introduce me to Point Sparring. He is also known to be excellent in Point style. SO a few of our lessons we did drills, and he taught me the rules, and the different strategies, and I even sparred him a little bit. Back in May, I decided to try to do Point Sparring for the very first time ever. I obviously need the experience if I am going to teach it and help my own students. I was happy to win Gold in Pennsylvania.

But I needed the experience. I needed more. With my hectic schedule I wasn't able to travel much for training. But I did do qualify and sign up for it at the AAU Nationals. SO the next time I would do Point sparring would be at the Nationals. It would be the second time I EVER do point sparring.

WELL! There was a new event at the nationals this year called Team Point Sparring. There were teams of five people and the rules were this: two rounds of five minutes, each player had to fight one minute each the first round, the second round was tag team. Well one team was short a player or two, so Master Bobby Stone came over to my ring and asked if anyone wanted to be on the team. AT first I shook me head "nuh uh!" But after a minute, I decided to walk on over to the head table and volunteered to do the Team Point sparring.

I did it for a few reasons. One, I was here to compete and get experience, so here was an opportunity to do so. Two, I wanted to represent New Jersey in every which way I could (I wanted to make Master Balon proud). Three, I wanted to prove to the higher referees that I would do anything they ask. I will go on the mats for anything they asked me to, even if it were to mop them.

So here I was, the second time I would EVER do Point Sparring in my life, at the nationals Team Point Sparring event debut.  It was a lot of fun to watch, and even more fun to do. Apparently I took a nice shot to the face that sent me to the ground. I don't remember, because if that ever happens, I just get back up and keep going on. That's how I have been trained. But I enjoyed it.

I am not all about showcasing. I do not showcase myself, I like to put myself in positions to show my humanity. I am human, I have difficulties, I struggle, I succeed, I fail, I make good decisions, I make mistakes. I am never afraid to put myself in a position to learn, even if it's in front of people. I believe that is something that makes me real. I hope I accomplished that, and I am happy to volunteer anyway I can! (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER A TRENTO