NINE SPARRING CATEGORIES

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

DATE:  Saturday, & Sunday, March 19/20, 2011

SCHEDULE:

Friday night registration 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Capilano University Sportsplex 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Registration (& weight in) begins Saturday & Sunday at 8:00 a.m. Competitors may registeer right up until their division begins
Referee’s meeting Saturday & Sunday at 9:15 a.m. sharp
Eliminations begin Saturday & Sunday with divisions being called at 9:15 and the competition starting at 9:30 a.m. sharp.

Info: http://www.mantiskungfu.com/TigerBalmInternationals.htm

Premiered in 1979 as the First Annual West Coast Can-Am Championships, this tournament has developed into one of the most prestigious and longest-running annual tournaments in Canada, as it enters the 31^st year in 2010.

The goal of this event remained the same throughout the 31 years, to provide a safe, fair and fun competition event for Martial Artists of all styles. The Can-Am is known for its quality 5 ft and 6 ft trophy awards for both forms and fighting competitions, as well as handsome awards for judging officials.

Over the years, many world-famous Martial Artists from all styles such as Karate, Kung Fu, Wushu, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Tang Soo Do, Tai Chi, Jiu-Jitsu, Kenpo, have competed and performed in the Can-Am.  The Can-Am has indeed become a showcase of Martial Arts.

There are over 700 divisions to compete in, such as hand forms (Kata/Pattern), weapons forms, Karate Style point-fighting, Continuous Fighting, Sanshou fighting, Pankration, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Each category is further divided by gender, age, and ranking.

In this year’s 31^st Annual, we are again anticipating top competitors coming from China, the United States, and other parts of the world, and of course, our own excellent Martial Artists of Canada. To more accurately reflect the international level of competition, this tournament will soon be renamed “The International Can-Am Championships”. This historic name change will be announced in the 31^st Annual Awards Banquet, to mark the official entry of this quality event into the international arena.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video is also on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jOGceedfw

A tournament is always a busy scene and participants have to show up well in advance because anything could go down. For example if divisions are too small, they can get combined with other divisions, and suddenly the day goes by faster, or if there are free mats and enough judges a division can get moved to the open mat and the day progresses faster. Injuries, meetings, impomptu debates can also prolong the day.

The schedule for the day would include Kung Fu, Weapons, Kata demonstrations, Pankration, and WKC no face and full contact continuous sparring. I got there at 11:00 and met up with friends from the gym and I shot photos of the action until my division was called to the mat around 5:00 PM.

Jon Funk

Jon Funk, Sifu instructor of Mantis Kung Fu and Organizer of Tiger Balm International 2010, stopped and talked with me during his busy day just after addressing competitors for a Pankration division. We talked briefly about what busy events tournaments are, and that things were proceeding to plan with the usual concerns that happen during the event. A two day martial arts tournament takes months of planning and preparation and the end result is a gymnasium full of people and the action goes on all day long. I asked him briefly about other attempts to present martial arts events in Greater Vancouver such as the recently announced cancellation of MMA Expo. Jon understood how such an event could have its difficulties not understanding how to work with all the different stakeholders in the community and various levels of government, all who could have an impact on the future of holding such events. Its something that takes some skill in knowing how to do. Just as I thought, organizing such events is a black art unto itself.

My fight was the first up in the division. I was put up against a guy from Basi’s Lions Den Kickboxing from Calgary. I started out strong but didn’t figure on what I had to do during a ninety second long fight. So I knew when it was over that I did well; I got in lots of head shots, I listened to Sensei Ali and fought like he told me to, but the judges decision went to the other guy and that was ok. I cant control whether I would win or lose the fight, but I wanted to have a good strong fight and that is what I got.

My training partner Aaron Blanchette did a little better and won his first fight and was 1-1 for the day. Way to go Aaron! Osu.

There are 225 Photos in the Tiger Balm International 2010 Day 2 Photo Set. Here are a few of my favourites.

Link to the full set on Flickr.com:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superwebdeveloper/sets/72157623730470672/

Weapons fight

Kickboxing - best fighter trunks

Young Martial Artists

Jon Funk Adressing Pankration Division

Pankration fight

Kickboxing

Kickboxing

Kickboxing

Link to full set of 225 images on Flickr.com:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superwebdeveloper/sets/72157623730470672/

The day for me started early. I woke up at 7AM and weighed myself to discover that my weight had finally dropped that last pound to 200.2, as a result of a big effort dieting and fasting on the last day, munching on ice cubes overnight. Hungry and parched I made it to the weigh-in at 8:00 at the tournament location at Capilano University, already stirring with people when I arrived. With the official weight ticket in hand, some paperwork completed, I started re-hydrating and putting a few calories back into my system for my Sunday fight.

I came back a little later for photography and to cheer on the competitors from Versus21 where I train. Day one of Tiger Balm was a full day of Kung Fu demonstration forms, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Sanshou, Submission Grappling, and Pankration matches. The stands were packed with fans, coaches, and competitors. Its like a school of fish that meet and come together to form a giant swarm. In the gym, the intensity is palpable and action runs all day long on all the mats. I have posted 321 photos to the flickr photo pool for day one. Here are a few I like more than the others from the pool.

Want to see more? Link to 321 photos in this set on flickr.com:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superwebdeveloper/sets/72157623600791109/

Tiger Balm 2010 view from the stands

Flying Kung Fu Girl

Drunken Swordsman

Power and Grace

Warming Up to Fight

submission grappling

The View from the floor

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

submission grappling

submission grappling

Want to see more? Link to 321 photos set on flickr.com:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superwebdeveloper/sets/72157623600791109/

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