Martial Arts Nomad

Time of year again for the awesome two day martial arts tournament, Tiger Balm International. This year will feature nine sparring categories, including SKIL point fighting, SKIL & WKC continuous sparring, padded weapons sparring, San Shou fighting, Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Free Style Grappling & Modified Pankration. There will also be some great Demonstration forms that cant be missed.

Tiger Balm is one of the two largest martial arts tournaments in the greater Vancouver area along with the WCMAC held in October at BCIT. Tiger Balm fills the Capilano University Gym with participants from a large number of disciplines, with men and women participating at all ages.

San Shou Fight at Tiger Balm 2009

And moi, the Martial Arts Nomad, is going to be there fighting in my first tournament. Who wouldn’t want to beat up on guys half their age? Been training hard, cutting weight, so lets see how it goes! See you there!

Date: Saturday, & Sunday, March 27/28, 2010

Where: Capilano University Sportsplex 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada

More info http://www.mantiskungfu.com/TigerBalmInternationals.htm

Link to a few photos from last year

Friday night for the 2009 Western Canadian Martial Arts Championships was well attended, with lots of action. I’m still getting to know my new D90 and shooting action photography is a good place to give a new camera a real workout. Its also a good chance for me to watch fighters up close and seeing what really works. You can bet that its always things like good combinations, staying on your opponent, speed, aggression, and conditioning that work here just like anywhere else.So while I am there to shoot photos, I am also there for a bit of an education.

I would also mention that the Modified Muay Thai event was also paired with Kung Fu on the North side of the arena. While the crowd was focused on the fights, there were Kung Fu demonstrations, with Tai-chi, and competitors performing routines with staff, sword, and other weapons. Although I dont focus much on those events in this photoset, I have always found the art of Kung Fu remarkable to watch.

Enjoy the photos below, or dive into the whole photo set at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superwebdeveloper/sets/72157622650374528/

The stands were packed for fight night at BCIT

Kung Fu demonstration

As I mentioned above, This full photoset is available on my flickr site

2009 Western Canadian Martial Arts Championships

October is coming soon and that means its time for the 2009 Western Canadian Martial Arts Championships. Its a great place to several different disciplines of martial arts, different classes and different age groups all together at one place. I attended last year’s event and blogged it, since a fellow martial artist and occasional sparring partner, Adam Blanchette, competed in kickboxing.

This year promises an exiting tournament with two days of action with new and expanded divisions in Karate, Kung Fu, Grappling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Modified Muay Thai. Dont forget that besides fighting or just watching, this is a community event that needs volunteers for setup, registration tables, timekeeping and other tasks. Volunteering gets you the best seats in the house and a sweet T-shirt if you register before October 9th.

There is also the event Facebook page.

See you there!

Here are my select shots from Tiger Balm 2009.

MORE INFO Here: http://www.mantiskungfu.com/TigerBalmInternationals.htm

HOST TOURNAMENT FOR THE 2009 CANADIAN ISJA SPORT JUJITSU CHAMPIONSHIPS

SEE: Karate vs Kung Fu vs Tae Kwon Do vs Kenpo vs Jujitsu vs Kickboxing
See black belt contact fighting, including throws, and ground fighting
submission holds with the best competing for ISJA Canadian Sport Jujitsu
Championship gold medals.

NINE SPARRING CATEGORIES

SKIL point fighting, SKIL & WKC continuous sparring, Sport Jujitsu, padded weapons sparring,
San Shou fighting, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Free Style Grappling & Modified Pankration.

LOCATION:
Capilano College Sportsplex 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada

WORLD MARTIAL ART GAMES:
The Tiger Balm Internationals is a W.O.M.A.A. sanctioned, qualifying event to help pick members for TEAM CANADA for The W.O.M.A.A. World Martial Games.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS MANDATORY:
Includes: Hand/foot pads, mouthpiece, and headgear. Protective equipment will be available for sale on site. Gloves will be provided for the WKC Continuous, and Sanshu sparring divisions.

NINE SPARRING CATEGORIES:
SKIL point sparring, SKIL & WKC continuous sparring, Sport Jujitsu, padded weapons sparring, Sanshu sparring, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Free Style Grappling, and Modified Pankration.

PADDED WEAPON’S POINT FIGHTING:

Padded weapon’s point sparring combatants are required to have the following:
Martial arts uniform, mouthpiece, athletic cup (male combatants), fingernails and toenails trimmed, and protective hand pads. Recommended equipment: Knee and shin pads (optional but highly recommended), shoes (non-marking soles), elbow pads (optional but highly recommended), and any safety pads a combatant feels are necessary to prevent injury without restriction of motion.

Supplied equipment by the event:
Weapon of choice (tomfa, nunchucks, three section staff, katana, staff, and arnis sticks), headgear (re-enforced steel wire cages and full faced head), and chest protectors.

MORE INFO Here: http://www.mantiskungfu.com/TigerBalmInternationals.htm

Here is a great interview with Bruce Lee by Pierre Burton in three parts. Its clear that Bruce Lee was really ahead of his time in his philosophy on life and the way martial arts has influenced his life. He talks about his acting, his time training famous actors like James Garner, Steve McQueen, and Roman Polanski. He talks also about the evolution of martial arts beyond style, ideas that MMA fans understand well today.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Yes, he did, that is exactly what he did, and he was so incredibly skilled and talented, and he makes it look easy, almost nonchalant. Then he beats 2 guys at once. Just insane. Man, did this guy ever have good Kung-Fu.

kung fu girl and a duck

The Martial Arts Nomad just had to try a bottle of Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2007 at a recent stop at the local wine boutique. Its a wine made for Charles Smith Wines’ ‘Modernist Project’. Columbia Valley is already well known for making fine wines, and I was sure it was going to be worth trying out, despite the fact that Kung Fu Girl is sold with a simple and wrinkled paper label and twist top cap.

A visit to the Charles Smith website leaves no doubt that he is a maverick among winemakers. But the break from tradition is in truth a return to its roots. Drop the pretence. Everything in the wine is in the bottle. Never mind about silly labels and corks, show your spirit and enjoy the wine. Wine, as it should be made. Open it and drink it.

kung fu girl back label, beside a plate of scrambled eggs with onions and fried dace paste

This Reisling already has some very favourable reviews on the web as well as tasting notes from wine black belts.

While we’ll agree with Ku Fu Girl winemaker Charles Smith that both riesling and girls kick ass, the reason we love this wine actually has much more to do with another aspect of Kung Fu: balance. This comes from a single vineyard comprised of fragmented basalt and caliche soils. Great acidity, minerality and girl-next-door kiss of sweetness. Plus, at this price, you won’t feel like you’re being thrown to the mat. Source: http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1040843

kung fu girl with roast duck stuffed with rice and fruits, and a side dish of sauteed portobello mushrooms

So why the Kung Fu Girl, Charles? “Single vineyard, fragmented basalt, and caliche…classic Riesling, sublime minerality. WHY? BECAUSE, RIESLING AND GIRLS KICK ASS!”

We washed down our Kung Fu Girl with roast duck stuffed with brown rice, plums, figs, raisins, cranberries, and walnuts, and a side dish of Portobello mushrooms sautéed in duck broth.

Tasting notes and links
http://charlessmithwines.com/tasting_notes/07_Kung_Fu_Girl.pdf

http://charlessmithwines.com

wine reviews (links)
2006
http://corkd.com/wine/view/37822-Charles_Smith_Kung_Fu_Girl_Riesling_2006

2007
http://corkd.com/wine/view/58442-Kung_Fu_Girl
http://manoavino.typepad.com/mano_a_vino_montclair/2008/10/kung-fu-girl-riesling.html
http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1040843