the two days of competitions involving 1400 participants from around the world started, Nicholas and I joined different training groups with instructors from different countries. These specialised clinics gave him in-depth training in weapons, ‘flow’ in TSD, and competition preparation. Grace arrived on the first day of competition, just in time to watch Nicholas carry in the PNG flag, and Nicholas was very pleased to have someone else to speak to in Tok Pisin. He momentarily felt like he was back at home conversing with an old friend. They walked around together to watch the black belts compete while I judged one of the 28 competition rings on the first day. It was very lucky to have a third person in our PNG group. Since I had ring assignments to judge the whole time, I unfortunately missed most of Nicholas’s competition. His
division was called near the end of the second day. As soon as my ring was over and I had no more responsibilities, I ran over to where he was competing. I couldn’t get very close to see clearly. They had already finished weapons forms and were near the end of open-hand forms; Nicholas had already competed in both. Thankfully, Grace had recorded both of these events so I could see them and Nicholas could re-live them. When the ring started setting up for sparring, I saw Nicholas stand up to put on his gear. He was the third match in his ring, and his opponent was from Great Britain. I could see Nicholas’s signature high kicks multiple times, barely blocked by his opponent who followed up with multiple quick punches or responding kicks. After the captivating fast-paced match ended, the British opponent had won and moved on to spar another match. Disappointed,
Nicholas practises some basic sword movements in a class at US studio Legacy Martial Arts in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
North Carolina, where I immediately saw friends and teachers I had trained with when I lived in Chicago, and who gave Nicholas a very warm welcome and congratulations. Before
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