There were eight demonstration teams entered in this year's tournament. Our team captain drew number three for our presentation order. I was really glad we went early in the rotation. We opened with what we called a moving meditation. I've also heard this section of demonstrations called musical forms. It was very realizing music, and we performed low block, middle block, high block, punch and single knife block all in slow motion, all in unison. It was neat. I really liked this section of the demo, but I was disappointed that the audience didn't quiet down when the calm, relaxing music started playing. We performed this demo last week for a different crowd, and the audience was much more generous.
After the slow motion bit, we continued our musical form with some music called Into the Arena. It is the cheer song associated with the South Korean national soccer team. It is really great music, and we had to move very fast during this section of the demonstration. We performed high block chop, reverse chop, middle punch, high block and palm block in rapid succession, in unison. This was the hardest part to learn, but once we learned it, it was easy.
After the musical forms, we did a self defense sequence in which four boys attacked four girls with a punch, The girls blocked the punch and countered with three roundhouse kicks to the body before throwing the boys to the ground. It looked really cool.
Then we went right into breaking. We started with jumping front kick. Four team members performed a regular jumping front kick and then John did a jumping front kick off a chair. Robert did a two kicks off the chair, and Dominic did his triple kick off the chair. I held for John, Robert and Dominic, but I didn't do a very good job. Only Dominic's board broke.
After jumping front kick we performed spinning roundhouse kick. Six of us held while six of us kicked in rapid succession. I held for Claire, and her board broke. I was very pleased about that. After spinning round house kick was flying side kick. Four students stood next to each other side by sidle and bent over double. Robert took a nice long run and jumped up onto a chair and then straight across their backs. He looked really great (and he broke his board)!
We concluded with power breaking. I was set up downstage center with ten boards on blocks. Claire was stage right with five boards and Betty was stage left with five boards. The rest of the team was assembled behind us, each with their own boards in their hands. We counted together to three and then we all broke together. The students behind us broke with their knee: jumping with their left knee and breaking with their right knee, sort of like jumping front kick. Claire, Betty and I broke with hammer fist. I got through all ten of my boards! it was awesome!
The other teams were very good. The team from Seattle was the best. I wonder why they came all the way from Seattle to compete in our little tournament, but it was a lot of fun to see them. They wore brilliant white uniforms with USA embroidered on the back. Their finale was a break 15 feet over head. They built a human tower to hold the board that high over the mat. Predictably, they took home the first place cup. Wilsonville took the second place cup, and all the other teams were awarded third place cups. I was disappointed that we didn't learn our actual scores. I would have like to know if we came in dead last or not, but that is just the way it is. We have plans to perform at the Pow Wow again this summer and at the Christmas party in December.
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