GLKF 23M | Strength Balance Integrity. Real Kung Fu. PERIOD.

The 2023 Great Lakes Kung Fu Tournament

This past Saturday The Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu competed in the Great Lakes Kung Fu Tournament. The competitors were myself, my senior student Miroslava Angelova, and 2 junior students, Anthony Harris and Joy Rodgers.

The event ran much more smoothly than in prior years, and there was a marked decrease in attendance (due to Covid) so there wasn’t a lot of lag time between events.

Unlike other schools, every participant from Black Mountain Spirit participated in the Forms Demonstrations and the Fighting divisions. Of all of the competitors, only about 7% of the competitors that participated in Forms also participated in the Fighting. It’s a very intimidating, and daunting, thing for other people to consider doing. At BMS, I’m very proud to say that it’s the only ways that we do things.

MIROSLAVA ANGELOVA

Miroslava Angelova attended the Great Lakes Kung Fu Tournament and did a remarkable thing. She entered 4 separate divisions and received FOUR FIRST PLACES! She WON EVERY SINGLE DIVISION She Entered!!! She received a:

FIRST PLACE WINNER in Women’s Advanced TaiJiQuan (Tai Chi Chuan) Forms Exhibition

FIRST PLACE WINNER in Women’s Advanced Northern Shaolin Empty Hands Forms Exhibition

FIRST PLACE WINNER in Women’s Advanced Northern Shaolin Short Weapon (Broadsword/Saber) Forms Exhibition

FIRST PLACE WINNER in Women’s Advanced Sparring (Fighting Division)

It needs to be said that in the TaiJi division she Tied with her instructor. His acclaim is quite prodigious, and with over 2 decades More Experience than her, the quality and calibre of her performance literally forced the entire group of judges to spend a lengthy period of time debating and considering whatever differences there may have been between the two, ultimately coming to the conclusion that They Could Not separate the two practitioners performances by quality and instead decided to award Both First Places!

It also needs to be said that women fighting in competition is a rarity in combat sports. And in the Kung Fu community rarer still. So much so that there were only 2 women this year, and both were from the same school. They didn’t come all this way to just fight each other (as they have been the entire time they’ve been training). So what was the solution. Miroslava and her partner requested that they be combined with the men. Yea. They asked their instructor to goto the senior coordinator and -speaking on their behalf – let the tournament’s senior judge and coordinator know that They were Willing to Fight the Men.

The chutzpah! And both evidently, and obviously, well deserved.

Already a very accomplished marathon runner, seeing her transition into Traditional Chinese Martial Arts (TCMA) training was something novel and unique unto itself. To see her excel is another thing entirely.

The impact that TCMA has had on her physical health, on her mental well-being, is nothing short of spell-binding. Her own experience of participation in something so demanding – and fulfilling – is clearly illustrative of the great happiness and satisfaction that successfully climbing that mountain must surely bring.

CONGRATULATIONS once Again to Miroslava Angelova on a job not well done, but a job unparalleled.

From the outside looking in, TCMA is not for everyone. Especially not some desk-jockey working at a nerd-farm like Carnegie Mellon University.

Her TIme Has INDEED Come.

ANTHONY HARRIS

For Anthony Harris this was his very first Kung Fu tournament. He decided to enter 3 Divisions, TaiJi Forms, Northern Shaolin Empty Hand Forms, and Sparring.

FIRST PLACE Men’s Intermediate TaiJi Forms

SECOND PLACE Men’s Intermediate Northern Shaolin Empty Hand Forms

THIRD PLACE Men’s Intermediate Sparring

The practice of TaiJi requires a very high state of awareness. Awareness of your body’s postures, weight distribution and shifting while in motion, the mental state of mindful awareness, and of course, an awareness of the breath in relation to each and every gestural change of a person’s body during the practice/performance.

The fact that all 3 of us received First Places in the TaiJi division is something that I, and the rest of the competitors, can take great pride in accomplishing.

MARC BLACK

FIRST PLACE WINNER in Men’s Advanced TaiJiQuan (Tai Chi Chuan) Forms Exhibition

FIRST PLACE WINNER in Men’s Advanced Northern Shaolin Long Weapons Exhibition

FIRST PLACE WINNER in Men’s Advanced Northern Shaolin Short Weapon (Broadsword/Saber) Forms Exhibition

FIRST PLACE WINNER in Men’s Advanced Sparring (Fighting Division)

I had no idea of what was going on while performing my TaiJi, I only remember someone saying “20 seconds (left) and I had to find a way to finish up quickly – but Cleanly – within the next 20 seconds. Evidently I sleepwalk pretty good.

The fighting was a very strange situation, like Anthony I fought everyone; a guy in my weight division and a guy in a lighter division. I don’t mind the fact that I’m fighting 20 something’s, but having to fight extra rounds for each was not in the game plan. Neither for that matter were the weapons divisions – I was asked repeatedly by ShiFu Irvin to enter the weapons divisions prior to the event day and I kept politely explaining that my knee surgery would’ve made the quality of my performances hover around the 20-30% skill range. But, the morning of, I just loaded the spear in the car (mostly out of some subconscious habit, I think?) and that was that.

Although I was MORTIFIED by my weapons performances, I must’ve missed whatever it was that the judges saw. Or they missed what I saw. Whatever happened, I couldn’t walk ‘comfortably’ until Tuesday Either way, the outcome is that I accomplished the only goals I’d set for myself: do nothing to embarrass my teacher, do nothing to embarrass the school (in this case, my students).

Anthony had to fight everyone in his division because of how close all of the scoring was. He was also required to break ties with extra rounds of fighting. That takes a toll on you. It also lets the opponent get a “second chance” because he’s already seen your skills, techniques, and tactics. The guys that he fought were physically larger or longer than he, but he fought well and managed to survive and pull out the win.

JOY RODGERS

It was Joy Rodgers first Kung Fu tournament as well. She entered 2 Divisions, Northern Shaolin Empty Hand Forms and Sparring.

A lot of extra time was spent with her to make sure that whatever deficiencies she may have let persist in her previous training, and in the final days leading up to zero hour she put forth a superior effort. She fought hard, displayed her skills, and won her awards.

FIRST PLACE Women’s Beginner Sparring

SECOND PLACE Women’s Northern Shaolin Empty Hand Forms

EVENT COORDINATORS, JUDGES, REFEREES, AND OTHER FACILITATORS

I would like to take the time here to express my gratitude to the entire staff of the Great Lakes Kung Fu Tournament for a most professional event. But most personally and specifically to ShiFu Gino Belfiore and ShiFu John Ervin They’ve maintained this venue for us practitioners for over 25 years and without it many of us would not have another “home” to return to year after year. This year’s even was run more smoothly than I can ever remember. Given the hardships of Covid on all industries, we must recognize that those of us in very physical, tactile, hands-on, athletic endeavors were affected more greatly than any other; the threat government sanctions being levied was a constant reminder that there’s a price for playing by the rules. Especially, when I’ve found myself confronted with strange or unique circumstances, instead of a blanket shutdown of a request or special consideration, as I approached Shifu Ervin I could see in his eyes “Ahhhhh, Marc Black…Ok, let’s hear it…” 😉

I was really surprised, and pleased, at the great outpouring of both emotion and respect between myself and all of the other teachers who were in attendance. They’re always happy to see me, they know that I’m steadfast in my maintenance of these ancient skills, and they know that they can rely on our school – for our older and younger students alike – to bring a high level of authenticity and skill to the competition. Even though all of the teachers in that area have known and lived near each other for most of their lives, cross-training amongst themselves, they’ve made me ‘one of them’ – and my sense of gratitude for that defies the limits of printed words.

The fact that they pulled us all together and showed such steadfastness is a testament to who they are as people, as practitioners and what this fantastic opportunity of experience means to them. Their own personal and financial sacrifices cannot be overstated. I offer my most heartfelt thanks to Ms. Chavis and her daughter, without whose help we’d be sorely lacking. They were as much a part of our team as any of its members, and all of us are most thankful for their presence!

I offer my most heartfelt thanks to Ms. Chavis and her daughter, without whose help we’d be sorely lacking. They were as much a part of our team as any of its members, and all of us are most thankful for their presence!

WHY DO WE DO IT?

It goes without saying that I work very hard to give every bit of knowledge I strive to accumulate in my ongoing study of what TCMA means to each and every student who walks through that door. The fighting techniques, the tactics, the concepts, they physical training – everything that it takes to first properly defend yourself and those you care about, and secondly anyone that you decide to help. I want the ancient philosophies of Taoism and Buddhism to be vibrant and alive today, guiding and helping to mitigate the choices we make in our everyday lives for the better. Because the living of life and how to do it is a very real and serious journey of growth and personal development. Anyone who can help us along the way is armor against the negative circumstances and people who are trying to harm and tear us down.

I try to instill a sense of cultural heritage in the minds of the students who come to train with us here at Black Mountain Spirit. I try to give them agency to be the hero – in their own lives if not in the lives of others. I give them the vehicle of Chinese Kung Fu training in order to make of themselves something much, much more than what they began with, and hopefully to be a positive influence in the lives of the people around them, and the communities in which they live.

I have a school that I can be proud of. It’s comprised of incredible individuals, all of which I’m so lucky to have in my life.

Each BMS competitor was given endless compliments, by the judges, by the very people they were competing against, and when present even by their competitor’s instructors.

Everyone earned new respect that day from strangers-become-newfound-friends.

I bore witness to the next generation of Kung Fu Practitioners.

It was a learning – and re-learning – experience for us all.

It was an enjoyable, educational, and memorable, event for us all!

To the students of The Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu: All Glory, Laud, and Honor are yours!

We Held to The Center.

IT WAS A GLORIOUS DAY OF VICTORIES FOR US ALL.

Veni. Vedi. Veci….