Another tough day

It was a tough day for both team GSX and the Dungans. Yesterday's matches were in forms, weapons and breaking. These are not areas where our team particularly focuses. As I have said before the team is all about sparring. So, in this sense, it is not surprising that we tend dominate in sparring. However, in the past we have usually done pretty well in forms as well.

Yesterday, however, was another story. I watched everyone's forms and can tell you that our kids performed very well. In fact, most were performing the same forms that many of them have dominated with all year long. Strangely though nearly everyone was knocked out of the competition fairly early. There was something about the style with which our kids were doing forms that the judges here did not like. To us, they looked crisp and clean while the competition looked, in our opinions, loose and somewhat sloppy.

We can't say too much though. After all, they won. We also had some issues with the forms that we competed with. We had selected to do the more difficult of the two form choices we had. Unfortunately, almost unanimously, the winners had performed the simpler of the two forms.

It was strange and the judging was almost a complete opposite of the judging that we had seen in previous competitions. I don't know what they were looking for but, whatever it was, we did not have it.

The good news is that our kids did pretty well. Sydney was spectacular. She lost back to back to the silver medalist and the bronze medalist but she had did better than I have ever seen her do. Competition was stiff in her age group. I honestly can't say that she was the best but I can say that there was a very fine line separating the winners. She did an incredible job and I was very proud.

Graham was a bit of a different story. Poor boy. Out of the shoot, Graham added a kick to the opening sequence. Why he did it, I have no idea. Other than that his form was perfect. Unfortunately, a glaring mistake such as that cost him his first match. His second match was as perfect as I have ever seen him do. I don't know how he lost. In fact, there was an audible gasp from the crowd when he did lose. He was one of those that fell victim to losing to someone performing the simpler form. I am not a professional but I can tell you that his form was very clean. I simply don't know why he lost. I wish I had an answer for him. He, too, lost to the silver medalist.

Today is the Dungan clans last official day of competition. Sydney will be sparring today along with another 6 members of the team. Sydney has a tough bracket and will need to fight her way through several matches to medal.

It won't be easy.

But, again, I find myself just hoping she gives it her all. As long as she does I will be proud.

I want to see her overcome her demons and fight with purpose.