For 2024 Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship – An Auspicious Weekend, click here.
Last year, our return after the pandemic got off to a rough start. Waking the TCEC leviathan up again after a few years of sleep teetered on disaster. TCEC woke up grumpy and hungry. There were several moments when I thought we might lose it, but in each case, tragedy was narrowly averted. To quote Kambei Shimada from THE SEVEN SAMURAI “Once more, we have survived.”
Smooth as Wushu Silk
This year, TCEC went smooth as wushu silk. The reduction of the number of rings on the main floor was a Shaolin stroke of brilliance. This was prompted by the move of the Shaolin Kung Fu Games (a.k.a. the division formerly known as Songshan Shaolin) to Sunday which opened space up on many fronts.
Previously, eight rings got tight. Dropping down to six rings felt luxuriously spacious. On top of that, there were less competitors on Saturday because all the Shaolin contestants shifted. That’s like one third less competitors on Saturday. Even some of the First Timers went to Sunday, so everything was much less stressful. Why didn’t we think of this earlier? Overall, Saturday seemed more relaxed than it’s been in a very long time.
We had about 600 competitors on the KungFuMagazine.com side, with about 180 judges and volunteers. On the Taekwondo side, once again overseen by Master Bae, they also had around 600 competitors with 40 volunteers and55 referees. There were around 500 spectators over the weekend too.
As always, I rocked my three-piece, accessorized by a Jerry Garcia tie. I’ve been donning this garb for TCEC for years now. This year, Tiger Claw President Jonny Oh busted out a brand-new suit, and I confess, I was jealous. I may have to upgrade next year.
The thing about wearing a suit at a martial arts tournament – it invites complaints. Anyone unhappy with what was happening at the tournament complains to Jonny and me. We absorb a lot. Fortunately, our power suits are absorbent. Absorb what is useful. And we do listen. We are always striving to improve TCEC, and some complaints are genuine.
With that congestion abated, the tone of Saturday was far less tense, so overall, I got less complaints. But no tournament is complaint free. There’s always some tension because it’s a tournament. Competitors and their families are nervous. Parents need to vent. I get that. I was a competitor in Kung Fu tournaments back in the late 80s and early 90s. I’ve been there, not with my parents holding my hand, but I do get what that’s like having been the parent of a competitive gymnast. On top of that, I was an NCAA competitor, and as anyone who’s competed on that level knows, collegiate competition is ferocious. What’s more, my collegiate coach was Maestro Michael D’Asaro (if you’re in the fencing community, you might understand how it shaped my attitude towards competition; if not, see the documentary on my coach that our TCEC videographer, Greg Lynch Jr., made - STRO: THE MICHAEL D’ASARO STORY). I respect genuine complaints, but I have a low tolerance for whiners. It’s a tournament. Someone must lose. In fact, most participants must lose. When a parent complains to me that the venue is too loud and it’s ruining their smartphone video, it gets tiresome. Martial arts tournaments are loud.
The Olympics are in Paris; TCEC is in San Jose
I’m the first to admit Chinese martial arts competitions are basic. On both the national and international level, we aren’t unified behind any single set of competition rules beyond sport Wushu. Having personally participated in those other competitive sports of NCAA fencing and being a parent at my daughter’s gymnastic meets, the shortcomings of Chinese martial arts competitions are glaringly obvious. Fencing and gymnastics are Olympic sports, so the comparison is unfair. But we must start somewhere.
And it’s been a long start. After several decades of Chinese martial arts tournaments, we remain a grassroots movement. The Shaolin Kung Fu Games aspires to change this. It’s hoping to focus on traditional Shaolin. More on this to come in the next installment of this 2024 TCEC trilogy.
Taekwondo is also an Olympic sport, and I spent more time on the Taekwondo side than ever before. This was because 2024 marked the first year that Rock Medicine wasn’t present. As my loyal readers know, Rock Med is part of my karma work. I spend much of my free time volunteering for them providing medical support at concerts, sports events, and festivals. Hence, Rock Med has supported TCEC for years, through a division of my Dragon Crew. Over the years, I’ve staffed my Rock Med Dragon Crew with ER nurses, responders and even a dedicated sports therapist. However, our post-pandemic contract obligated us to use medical provided by the venue and for liability issues, I get this too. This was true last year as well, but Rock Med was present anyway. This year, the venue provided TCEC with one EMT each day (at a considerable charge, especially in juxtaposition to my volunteer Rock Med Dragon crew.) Again, for liability reasons, we let go of Rock Med this year. Having two providers just doesn’t work here. Rock Med used to be stationed at my Dragon Crew table, adjacent to the Bad Ass Bunny video crew table (both are under the Dragon Crew banner). The venue EMT was stationed on the Taekwondo side because they had sparring. I had to make some runs over there to get the medic – nothing serious, only band aids – which brought me over to the TKD side several times over the weekend.
Master Bae runs the Tiger Claw Elite Taekwondo Championship with an emphasis on official Olympic-style Taekwondo. This year marked the 10th anniversary of Tiger Claw Elite Taekwondo Championship. It’s been a great cooperative effort and it’s always a pleasure to work alongside their crew. I always encourage people from our KungFuMagazine side to look at what the TKD side is doing. They run an amazing event. Their level of professionalism is commendable, especially with their judging. I never realized how much Jonny is over there too. As the President of Tiger Claw, he must show face there too. I suppose I could’ve assumed that had I thought about it, but it was probably denial on my part.
On the TKD side, my power suit was powerless. All the TKD judges were a suit jacket and tie. While our KungFuMagazine side outfits our judges with nice mandarin-collared shirts, it’s no suit and tie. That wouldn’t even work for our side. But it is a testament to how more formal Olympic-style Taekwondo is. The TKD ties were monochromatic mauve – no match for my Jerry tie – but their sheer numbers diluted Jerry’s tie-fighter psychedelic blast of color that was so powerful on the KungFuMagazine side.
When on the KFM side, there are competitors warming up between the rings. You’ve got to be alert because weapons are spinning, striking, and stabbing in every direction. This is one reason why we only allow staff and competitors on the floor. I can’t begin to count the Whip Chain wielding kids I’ve had to shut down. “Don’t injure anyone,” I say, “not only will you hurt someone, you’ll shame your school.”
On the TKD side, it’s bare feet. I was met by bare feet everywhere I turned on my trips to the EMT. So many kicking bare feet. And all at face level, or higher. Sharp, crisp and strong, there’s nothing like TKD legs when it comes to high kicks.
The Year of the Dragon
It rained on Saturday. I’m told there was a major downpour but by the time I got out, it had subsided to a light drizzle. An unfortunate aspect of South Hall is that there’s no plumbing inside the canopy. The restrooms are outside in long trailer-like building. Anyone who had to go the bathroom had to brave the storm. I saw many people come in soaked.
We’ve had rainy TCECs before. In fact, our last TCEC before the pandemic shut us down was really wet. I said it then, and I’ll say it again: “In Chinese mythology, rain is governed by dragons. When it rains, it’s a dragon’s blessing.” Just be glad that we weren’t outside in the park, the Plaza de Cesar Chavez, where we first staged our Kung Fu Tai Chi days.
It got cold too. That wet cold. The floor of South Hall is cold cement, and the canopy provides no insulation. I had so many people complain to me about the temperature and ask me to close the vents. My three-piece suit is wool, so I was cozy, but I did sympathize. I wish there was something I could’ve done but the venue has its rules about who touches the vents (not that it would’ve helped either way). But for me, competitions should be challenging, and the cold was just one more element to test everyone’s skills.
Another new post-pandemic venue rule was about A/V. We were contractually obligated to use the venue’s A/V. If we used our own A/V, we were required pay for a permit for each individual A/V person. This extended to banning any non-permitted professional cameras, which is typically defined as a camera with a 2-inch or greater detachable lens. It’s akin to restrictions upheld at concerts. But it was a bother. We love for people to take photos. We endeavor to provide plenty of scenic backdrops that are IGworthy. Share them on your socials. It helps us keep TCEC alive. But not this year.
It broke my heart to have to compose a message telling people about this new policy in advance. We were ready to invest in passes for our soundman extraordinaire Ervic Aquino, our videographer Greg Lynch Jr., and our photographers, Kevin Ho (the lone survivor of TC Media), Sandy Ku, and Simon Xiao. We posted posters at the entrances warning attendees about the camera policy. However, at the very last minute, the venue informed us that they could not provide their A/V, which negated the whole deal. We weren’t charged and there were no restrictions enforced on amateur photographers with professional rigs. I didn’t find out until Saturday afternoon. Another bother.
But beyond these minor mishaps (and there’s always something), Saturday went well overall. The Modern Wushu and Traditional Shaolin divisions ran smoothly and quickly. Above and beyond the occasional complaints (my favorite was ‘My kid got a lower score than last year!’), the only thing that was slightly edgy was my latest showcase championship. Every year, I endeavor to create something fresh to spotlight, something temporal and spicy. This year, I launched my most out-of-the-box showcase division yet. It came from a galaxy far, far away…
The May the Fourth LED Saber Championship
There was a third suit beyond Jonny’s and mine. There was Mason.
Our longstanding MC, Shifu Bryant Fong’s disciple, Mason Tong, stepped up to replace him. I’ve known Mason for years through his work with U.C. Berkeley’s Chinese Martial Arts Tournament. Gigi and I were honored to be witnesses at his discipleship ceremony.
But Mason and I truly bonded last year at Fan Expo SF over our mutual love of Star Wars. I’m always happy to nerd out with any fan of Kung Fu or Star Wars, but when we share both fandoms, that’s something special. This being May the Fourth, as well as the debut of our May the Fourth LED Saber Championship, I felt the Force was strong with Mason, and had no doubt that he’d be able to serve the MC tasks with his own panache. What’s more, he planned to compete in the LED Saber Championship, and I promised to cover for him if needed.
So, in addition to the sequined satins of the Wushu competitors, the school-labelled temple robes, and the occasional austere-by-contrast school shirt and plain Kung Fu pants, there were Jedi robes. And they fit right in perfectly.
The greatest delight of the martial world is making new Wulin friends. That was our motto at our 10 Year Anniversary, ‘Use Martial Arts to Make Friends (Yi Wu Hui You 一武會友). Meeting Chad Eisner, the President and Founder of Terra Prime Light Armory in person was such a delight. Like Mason, anyone that deep into Kung Fu and Star Wars is going to be a friend of mine.
What’s more, my dear Kung Fu brother and veteran Dragon Crew member, Hoel Ranier and his son Toch were also at that Fan Expo SF with Mason and me. Like Mason, they had complete Jedi robes and serious lightsabers. Chad was travelling on his own, so I lent him Hoel and Toch to support his table. I texted Hoel beforehand to say I had a very special mission for him and his son, and it was “Jedi biz.” Without hesitation, he texted back “Alright – we like special Jedi secret missions.”
This was Toch’s first TCEC. He was supposed to come last year but he qualified in track and the competition date conflicted. It was sort of a Dragon Crew Jedi hazing.
I should mention that Hoel also does volunteer medical work with me. Our specialty is managing intense psychedelic reactions, which is a fancy way of saying we resolve bad drug trips at concerts and music festivals. I’ve been called the ‘hippie wrangler’ which I’m considering adding to my business card right under Publisher of KungFuMagazine.com. For Hoel and I, this has been a major part of our martial frontier – we’ve had many extreme combat situations in real life, such as having to disarm trippers with knives, beer bottles, even a hatchet once. Within the festival circles, our psychiatric responder group is dubbed the ‘Jedi Nite Krew.’ I’ve been doing this since 1987. Hoel joined me over a quarter century ago. And now Toch is learning the way. Accordingly, the Jedi thing is more than fandom for us. It’s how we’re known in the festival world, distinct from the default world.
But back to the Wulin world, not only did Chad, Hoel and Toch bust out their Jedi robes, the LED Saber competitors cosplayed too. Mason donned his Jedi robes, and he never had the chance to change back into his suit for the rest of Saturday. He ended up presenting awards in his Jedi robes, which captured the special moment that May the Fourth was at TCEC for me. I regret not robing up too, but it would’ve clashed with my Jerry tie.
Our judges took the event very seriously but understood the fun of it. Chad was the Head Judge. Being a showcase division, we stacked our most senior judges on the panel to accompany him: Grandmaster Liang Shou-yu, Grandmaster Grace Wu-Monnat, Grandmaster Bryant Fong, and Master Jeff Lin. I wish I got a photo of Chad’s face when I lined up the judging panel he was heading. His background is in Chinese martial arts and knew exactly who these people are in the Wulin. He felt so honored, if not blown away.
The LED Saber Championship went spectacularly well. There were both Wushu and traditional Kung Fu contestants. Several of the competitors had difficulties keeping their lightsabers lit which became the prevalent deduction. Everyone was a great sport. What’s more, every TCEC attendee was able to handle and feel combat lightsabers, as well as pose with them. Who can resist lofting a lit lightsaber? I confess that crossing lightsabers with Grace Wu-Monnat was an odd and now fulfilled fantasy that I didn’t know I had.
The lightsaber prize that Chad had made was gorgeous. Adorned with the Tiger Claw and TPLA logos etched in the steel handle, it said “May the 4th 2024.” Chad had shared some developmental photos with me as it was being created, but none gave the finished product its due. It had to be one of the most spectacular trophies I’ve ever seen – a fully functional combat lightsaber. What tournament has offered that as a prize?
When I was sharing some early photos of the lightsaber trophy, I said it was the from the forge of Lah Zhima. If you don’t know who Lah Zhima is, that’s just me showing off my geeky fandom (for those who do know – VISIONS rocks – amirite?) However, it was a great disservice of me not to credit the real maker, Darth Alice Sabers. Take a peek at the impressive custom sabers they make.
Will we do another LED Saber Championship? Perhaps. If we hold the 2025 TCEC around the same time next year, May the Fourth lands on a Sunday, so it would be totally doable (but as any fan knows, there are so many Star Wars dates celebrated in May that we say ‘This is the May’). We shall see.
The Afterparty
It was an astonishingly mellow afterparty. Saturday’s event ended early, which allowed everyone to freshen up. There was ample food and drink (the pizzas were inhaled) and plenty of opportunity for everyone to review, decompress and share experiences.
My favorite discussion was about the LED Saber Championship. One competitor came in dressed as the Mandalorian, complete with helmet, dark saber, and Grogu (Baby Yoda – do I really have to define that?) Before he began, he set the Grogu doll down at the front of the stage but was unable to make him sit upright. The discussion was whether that constituted a deduction or not, and the discussion tone was quite serious. When it comes to tournament rules, there was a lot of wisdom in the room, and everyone agreed that a deduction should have been made. In hindsight, it didn’t really matter. That competitor (and I honestly don’t know who it was because he wore that Mandalorian helmet) had trouble keeping the Dark Saber lit, so there were enough deductions already to knock him out of the running for the lightsaber trophy. Mason had mentioned the problem beforehand. He knew that model of Dark Saber had a poorly positioned power switch so that it was easy to switch off by accident. That Mason - the man knows his lightsabers.
I was fearing midnight. At midnight, it became Cinco de Mayo, and tequila is my kryptonite. Every time I drink tequila, bad things happen, bad things like Karaoke. There were a few bottles of tequila at the party, but at the stroke of midnight, we all called it a night.
“Once more, we have survived.”
How did the Shaolin Kung Fu Games (the division formerly known as Songshan Shaolin) go? Stay tuned for our next installment: 2024 Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship – Shaolin Kung Fu Games
