almost like i remember

i went to a karate tournament this past weekend. haven't been to one in over 13 years. it was allot of fun. i did not compete but i did get an opportunity to judge. that is where some of the fun happened. First off they did forms or Kata(a pattern of movements kind of like a dace). after relearning the judging process that was kind of neat. i did find it humerus though when one of the kids dads came question the scores and where his son was placed. as 4th through 7th place all had the same score we had to use a tie break system. the score keepers had got it wrong, his son was 6th not 7th. we corrected the error and he still didn't get a trophy. then during fighting, a instructor that was standing behind me(i was a corner judge) got mad when i did not give a point to his student(an advanced rank student). the kid had pretty much inadvertently hit the other in the head. he asked me in a huffy tone "You know you saw his hand make contact, why didn't you give him the point?" at which point i turned around and said "if you can name the technique he used i will gladly give him the point." he stomped off and looked quite disgruntled. not exactly the reaction i was expecting. but i had forgotten that i have changed in the years sense i had been to a tournament. i am no longer a skinny teen aged black belt. the last time i went to a tournament i would have been about 18 or 19 and would have weighed about 165 pounds. now I'm 34 and go about 245. i guess I'm a bit more imposing a figure than i used to be. i would like to compete again soon, but i am going to need to find some decent sparing partners. don't want to get my face caved in.