Tournament madness
I have been preparing for more time than I can count. The big tournament is upon me, and I am without a hint of fear or doubt. I have done 10 hours of training before getting to the stadium, and I am so hungry that nothing else is registering. As I walk in the huge double doors and walk through the massive corridors lined with trophies and pictures from sporting events, my mind is focused on victory. To me, these tour-naments are more fun than they are hard.
I arrive at the front desk and sign in. The lady gives me a name tag so the judges will know my name. Every competitor knows those stickers don’t stick well to the uniforms. The second I get into the open gym, I run straight to the food stand.
The ladies who are running the stand say in unison, “Hello, sir!”
I buy the first of fifteen hot dogs I am about to consume before my first match.
One of them asks me about my martial arts, “How long have you been doing this?”
“Since I can remember,” I respond. “How are you doing today, miss?”
“Quite well. I hope to see plenty of good matches,” she says back.
I walk back to the stands and engulf my hot dog in about ten seconds flat.
After I go back and forth on the brown hardwood floor fourteen more times, I am finally full and begin chatting with my friend and sparring partner at the dojo, Lucas Zamora. We talk about what we watch on TV.
“Have you been watching Dragon Ball Z Abridged and keeping up?” I ask.
“For the most part, but I’ve missed a few with all this homework,” he says.
We check to see if anyone is worth watching on the stadium floor. After checking, we discuss the plot line of Dragon Ball Z.
“What if, while we pretend to use the Kamehameha, we actually use it and accidentally destroy the roof?” I ask.
“Then you and I are just going to dip out and pretend like we have no idea what happened. No way can we pay for that damage,” Lucas says with great emphasis.
He and I laugh and then get on the ground to warm up a little bit. I stretch everything from my head to my toes. After I fully stretch, I practice my kata for 30 minutes.
By Brandon Ampel
13
Brandon at his first tournament in high school, with his aunt.