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| 2009 Tournament Results
 Team USA poses in front of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, an historic Russian landmark. Time difference was not the only adjustment team USA had to face. Team USA was on a dual mission, to be the best competitors they could be for their country and to be goodwill ambassadors as well. As ambassadors, Team USA was invited to perform a special presentation in the Consul General of the United States of America the eve before the international competition. Forms world champions Canonizado, Quartin, Guerrero and Simon showcased their various styles of extreme forms and weapons. The demonstration awed the honors of the Consul General and the American football club. The presentation was followed by a reception where Team USA got a chance to acquaint themselves with honorable Russians and Russian cuisine. This was my first experience in Russia, and I was given some advice about traveling abroad. I was to carry myself firmly, be wary of con artists, and be careful. What I experienced was a once in a-life-time experience that got better each day. My trip started off with my equipment bag breaking off from my luggage sitting by itself at the MSP airport. A good Samaritan watched my bag until I realized it was gone and returned to pick it up. When I left all my important documents on top of the kiosk during check-in another good Samaritan noticed the documents and handed them to me. I began to get nervous, if I was having these issues at home, what would happen once I was transferring in Germany or when I land in Russia…what a target would I be, the incompetent American?! I found I was not a target and I was not looked down on as an American throughout my travels to Russia and while in Russia. From the German man I was to sit next to on the plane helped me store my heavy equipment in the over head bin – and helped me retrieve whatever items I needed during my 8 hour flight in exchange for a friendly smile. To the Spanish woman who shared her pictures of her 5 week trip across the USA when I asked her where she was from as I noticed her nice accent. To the American lady that wrote me a thank you note because I volunteered my seat so she could sit next to her husband during the flight. To the French woman that offered me chocolate after I gave her my blanket as she was cold. When I landed in Russia, I thought this was going to be the end of the courtesy, but it was only the beginning. The first people I met getting off the plane was the Romanian Team whom I spoke with while retrieving luggage. They willingly took pictures with me for the website. While I struggled with my luggage, a Russian gentleman offered to get a cart to help out. What I learned was that as long as you are genuine and show common courtesy, it is returned no matter what language you speak or where you are from. As an American being in Russia, I wanted to represent our country in the best way possible, not just at the tournament but from the moment the trip started to when I landed back in Minnesota. Friday, April 17th was our first and longest day at the tournament hosting over 7,000 competitors. Josue Guerrero started the morning off with the WKU boys 16-17 fighting. The rules of the competition were a lot more traditional from the point sparring rules of sport karate within the USA. Two judges would stand with the fighters to address points while an arbitrator would judge from the timekeeper table, and only provide judgment when asked by the center judge. In order to score points, the competitor must execute clean and strong karate techniques on his/her opponent. Moreover, takedowns followed by an executed punch were legal in the event and worth 3 points. Either one or both judges decide and grant the player his/her score. Also, each fighter is required to fight all fighters, the fighter with the most wins, gets gold medal, the fighter with the second most wins takes home silver, and the third most wins gets bronze. Guerrero faced against Upadishev Roman of Russia on the first round. A sidekick to the face of Roman shook the competitor, which gave Guerrero a warning. Guerrero executed quick blitzes on Roman numerous times, but no calls were made. So Guerrero adjusted and pounded his opponent with hard reverse punches on the body, per coach Hamed Firouzi's instruction. Guerrero capitalized on Roman's inability to score points and won the match 8 to 2. Guerrero faced a slightly taller opponent named Anton in his next match. This match was a bit of a challenge due to a twisted ankle. In the end, Guerrero lost to Anton 4 to 1. Frustration was building up on Guerrero's face. In the third and final match, he faced off against Yakunin. Guerrero struck Yakunin in the stomach with a hard reverse punch, which put Yakunin on the floor for a couple of seconds. Guerrero then struck Yakunin with multiple reverse punches scoring one point after another. Guerrero shut out his competition with the score of 8 to 0, taking home a silver medalist in the boys 16-17 WKU Fighting. Extreme forms and weapons were held in the middle of the arena, which drew the largest crowd for any one event during the day. Again, the rules of the competition were different than Sport Karate rules in the USA. The division was a bracket style competition. Two opponents face off against each other and the winner advances to the semi-final/final round, performing their form each time. Team USA's Marc Canonizado kicked off the competition defeating his Russian opponent during the first round. Canonizado blew out his second opponent from Venezuela, and won the gold medal. The next division was Team USA versus Team USA. Jordan Simon and Joshua Quartin went head to head in the division with their extreme forms. Quartin was up first and demonstrated his fast and fluid techniques while Simon threw in some of his arsenal of extreme techniques. Simon captured the gold and Quartin with the silver. The extreme competition ended with extreme weapons. The division combined with juniors versus adults. Canonizado was tested against his fellow teammates Quartin and Simon. All three teammates had fun with their routine and showcased their side of extreme weapons. Canonizado demonstrated his twirling kamas and fluid flips. Quartin showed some slicing and dicing with his sword. And Simon executed precision striking and twirling with his bo walking away with a gold. Quartin won the silver and Canonizado took home the bronze. On the other side of the arena, Jodi Schaubschlager competed in the 18 and above women's WKU fighting. Schaubschlager looked nervous as this was her first fight where throw down techniques were allowed. Schaubschlager executed some quick punches, but points weren't called until she threw in a hard left punch to her opponent's face causing a black eye and sending her into overtime. But her opponent scored a reverse punch ending the match 5 to 4. Frustration started to build for Schaubschlager but she held her ground very well on her second match. Points weren't called for both fighters. In the end, Schaubschlager won her match by 1 point. The third match was a challenge as her opponent from Russia was a world champion and known for executing excellent take-downs and hard roundhouse kicks. One kick caught Schaubschlager off guard as she was stepping out of bounds, sending her to the ground. Schabuschlager did move and score on her opponent, but fatigue started kicking in. Surprisingly, Schaubschlager reversed her opponent's attempt to take her down, and Schaubschlager threw her opponent on her floor, scoring. Though she was very determined to finish off her match with a victory, time ran out and she lost by one point and walked away with a bronze medal. At 6:00pm, the Martial Arts Olympics held a press conference with all of the masters and representatives from Russia, Tony Abel from the USA, and many others from various countries. After the press conference, was the nighttime show that started with a parade of athletes from different countries all over the world who marched around the stadium. Each country showcased a demonstration representing their country and culture. We saw dancers, a Cirque Du Soleil like scarf routine, a Matrix routine, a strong man demonstration and Team USA's demo, which received one of the best responses from the crowd. Marc Canonizado, Scott Wu, Joshua Quartin, and Jordan Simon performed their highly choreographed demonstration with a mix of extreme and traditional forms and weapons. They had less than a day to put together their performance but no one was the wiser, as the competitors seemed like they have been doing this together for years. At 9:30pm, the Martial Arts Olympics opened up the Battle of Continents WKU Team Fighting competition. There were three teams competing: Team Russia, Team Azerbaijan and Team USA, who was back to defend their gold medal from last year. All three teams got a chance to fight amongst each other to claim the gold medal and cup title. Team Russia (Alex Grigorien, Dimitry Shintaper, Zurab Gabelia) defeated Team Azerbaijan (Gassanoff, Graf Facil, Pierre Facil) in the first bout. In the second bout, Team USA (Hamed Firouzi, Greg Betlach, and Hakim Walker) took on Team Azerbaijan (Gassanoff, Graf Facil, Pierre Facil). In the first round, Firouzi, who was the team veteran and a gold medalist from last year, faced off against Gassanoff. In the first exchange, Firouzi received a stinging roundhouse kick on the back of the knee and the judges gave Gassanoff a warning. Firouzi was able to shake it off to continue his bout. He threw multiple solid reverse punches and kicks but no points were called. Though Firouzi dominated his fight, with good techniques, and take-downs, the matched ended 0 - 0. Hakim Walker who is a veteran fighter in the USA but new to the Russian rules of fighting faced Graf Facil. From the get go, it was evident Walker was out to punish Facil in order to score points for Team USA. Facil threw in some furious punches on Walker, which he dodged effortlessly. Though Walker landed great punches with good technique, he was not getting the calls for Team USA. Walker adjusted to the judging and took a different approach using his legs. When Facil stepped in for a punch, Walker extended his leg over the head of Facil and landed a hard axe kick to the top of his unprotected head. Facil dropped to the floor like a tree and wasn't able to continue. Walker won with a K.O., placing Team USA ahead with a 3-0 score and granting him the name ‘Axe Man'. The final fight was Greg Betlach against Pierre Facil. Facil wasted no time trying to put Betlach to the floor. Betlach was also new to the throwing techniques but was able to counter the throws and even take down Facil. Team USA became very frustrated because none of their throws or techniques were being called, even when Betlach threw in some hard right punches on Facil. Betlach and Facil spent as much time ground fighting as they did circling the ring. Though Betlach did his best to adjust his techniques, the judges were not impressed. The matched ended in a 0-0 tie. Team USA won the bout due to Walker's knockout. The main event was Team Russia against Team USA for the gold medal. Hamed Firouzi fought Zurab Gabelia very well. Both competitors were quick with their punches and kicks. Gabelia tried to take Firouzi down but Firouzi managed to lock his body tight onto Gabelia. Firouzi threw numerous punches on Gabelia, chasing him all over the ring but looking for specific techniques cleanly delivered with tenacity, the judges didn’t call points. The match ended in a 0-0 tie. The next match was Greg Betlach against Alex Grigorien. The fight was a brawl. Both competitors wanted to score a point to lead the team to victory. One after another, Betlach threw in hard reverse punches on Grigorien's face and chest. Betlach showed some fatigue as the match seemed to be taking longer than it should. But Betlach was able to dodge Grigorien's takedowns. The fight ended in a 2-1 score in favor of Betlach. The last fight of the regular bout was Hakim Walker versus Dimitry Shintaper. Shintaper knew that Walker was going for a knockout victory so Shintaper kept his distance from Walker's kicks and moved in when he could with some punches. Walker was pretty quick with his hands and feet as he delivered some uncalled kicks and punches on Shintaper. Numerous takedown attempts by Shintaper were stopped. Walker held his ground very well tossing his opponent as well but the final score was 2-1 in favor of Shintaper; and, it was time for overtime. Both teams selected a worthy player for the over time round. Team Russia selected Gabelia and Team USA selected Firouzi. The pressure was on for both men. Firouzi and Gabelia didn't want to make a single mistake. During the first minute, Firouzi drilled his punches into Gabelia. The match was filled with frustration, drama, and controversy. Gabelia tried to take Firouzi down and Firouzi countered the attempt. An unexpected roundhouse kick on Firouzi got the crowd screaming as the judges awarded Gabelia 3 points. Then Firouzi tried to take Gabelia on the floor, but Gabelia was able to counter and reverse punched Firouzi on the back of his head earning Gabelia 3 points. Firouzi showed some frustration and anger as Gabelia launched multiple punches to the back while the judges were calling the break. Then Gabelia scored 2 points on Firouzi with reverse punches. The time was up as the score came out to be 8 to 0. Both teams showed great showmanship as they gave each other a handshake and a hug. Team Russia won the gold medal and cup title. Team USA won the silver medal and Team Azerbaijan won the bronze medal. Team USA had been at the tournament for over 12 hours by the time they got onto the bus to head back to the hotel. It was a somber experience, as the door closed on the bus, Tony Abel stood up and said some very inspiring words, ‘Team, before the night show, Marc told me that you all wouldn't let me down and the Team would make me proud. Team, I was proud of you before the competition and am even more proud of you now.” Those words were spoken from a true coach and touched us all. We were a group of strangers that came together a day ago as Team USA, and we felt more like a team that had been together for years than a group of strangers pulled together for a three-day tournament which was whole-heartedly expressed by the team members, Greg Betlach said, “I feel very proud to say that I was a part of this team and honored to have you all as teammates. Every single person did their job and surpassed expectations, and as for all of the family that came along - words cannot be said that can describe your impact.” Hamed expressed his gratitude, “The crew was definitely a lot of fun this year, and I have a ton of respect for all of these guys. You all really made up for a tournament that was less then great for me and the other fighters." Hakim Walker expressed his appreciation of the team and the experience in these words, “It felt like the '92 Dream Team going in to do a job in Barcelona (though we fell short) this was the greatest collection of talent that I've ever been a part of and would gladly lobby for this same group (parents and staff included) to go to the ends of the earth with to compete against whoever. The professionalism, respect and courtesy displayed by all was truly exemplary. The best thing was that we all got along and no one was isolated from anyone and that's what keeps me going and coming back." Scott Wu noted, “I am PROUD of this team because we not only won individual medals, but we showed TRUE professionalism and sportsmanship. Even though we lost in the team fight challenge, no one broke our spirit because we walked out as if we have won. With that, we carried the spirit all weekend. From autographs to competition to picture taking to children's hospital, it was a worthwhile experience. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that no one can ever forget. Thank you Vicki, Tony, and TEAM USA for the best trip of my life.” Josue Guerrero noted how wonderful the entire team was. He said that he felt as if he had known everyone for a long time. The team extended past the competitors, onto the families that joined us: Gregg, Lisa, Sarah-Jayne, and Noah Simon; Michael Quartin – the comedian; Enrique Guerrero – the stoic father; and our trainer, Scott Felten who stated, “I was witness to some individuals with amazing athletic ability that made me proud to be an American. Go Team USA!” During the night show, Michael, Enrique, and Scott were lifesavers as they helped me cover the show as I was flying solo while Scott did his demo. April 18th – Though team USA had only a few divisions during day 2, they still drew a crowd wherever they went. Hakim Walker was the most popular competitor for the teenage boys and girls. Wherever he went, they were asking for his autograph and a photograph with him. Sarah-Jayne Simon was also a crowd pleaser as the younger children were enthralled with her beautiful smile and curious conversation. At one point, she had 20 children sitting nicely around her as they practiced their English and she learned more about them. Tony Abel added to the fun by sharing candy with the kids. When asked what Sarah-Jayne thought of the tournament, her response was “I have watched more karate than I can remember, but this is the first time that I have felt like I was part of everything. Team USA made me feel so welcome and I even got to be a photo/video journalist for SportMartialArts.com! Thank you all for an experience I will never forget!” Jordan Simon competed in the 14-17 boys Taekwondo (ITF) division. The division was quite unique. Two players go up at the same time and demonstrate two forms similar to each other. A panel of five judges vote for the best performance. Simon was fairly new to the division and had no idea what Korean form he was going to do. Instead, he threw in a WTF Korean form of Gaebek. The crowd gathered as he demonstrated hard techniques and loud kiaps. They performance was thoroughly enjoyed by the spectators, but the judges were confused about the non-traditional ITF style. Simon was given an honorary award for his outstanding technique and demonstration. The other division for Team USA was Okinawan. Both Jordan Simon and Scott Wu demonstrated a highly intense Okinawan form. The level of intensity left Simon and Wu to a run off against each other. As a result, Simon walked out with a gold medal while Wu took the silver medal. The Simon family was amazing throughout the tournament. The support Jordan's parents gave him throughout the day and the time they spent as a family along with Team USA was noteworthy. They were always lending a helping hand and Sarah-Jayne even helped with videotaping divisions. When asked about their experience, Gregg and Lisa stated, “We have adopted a new family, Team USA! This was one of the best experiences as a family we have ever had. We especially appreciate how Team USA brought Jordan's family in and made us feel as if we were on the team also!” Noah Simon, who is a second degree black belt but focuses most of his time on baseball, did a great job cheering on his brother Jordan and the team, watching bags and eagerly signing posters when approached by children. When asked what Noah thought about the experience, his response was “Team USA was the best. No one gave me a bad time about being Jordan's "little brother" and it was fun to cheer everyone on.” April 19th, Day 3 - “I am proud of the team. You guys represented us very well before and after the competition” stated Tony Abel. The final events for Team USA were the Japanese Free forms and Kobudo Free forms. Josh Quartin, Jordan Simon and Scott Wu were determined to bring home gold in their prospective divisions on the last day of the Martial Arts Olympics. In these divisions, there were no scores given out. Only a panel of 3 judges vote with flags (white or red) on the better performance bracket style. Jordan Simon competed in the 14-15 years old Japanese Free Forms division. Simon executed his form Unsu and plowed through his competition from Russia by demonstrating his form 3 times consistently showing intensity, focus, and strength. His energy level was the same for each execution and he performed flawlessly which gave him the gold medal. Next was Quartin in the 16-17 years old Japanese Free Forms division. Quartin's performance was intense and consistent in every round that he advanced in. It was amazing how he was able to keep his energy level up while having to repeat his form multiple times. As a result, he walked out with a worthy gold medal. Scott Wu competed in the 18-35 Japanese Free Forms division. His main competition was from Venezuela. Wu wasn't worried about the politics but felt the pressure of winning the gold. Wu easily slipped through his first round to advance to the final round against the Venezuelan. Wu went first, sticking every stance and expelling great focus and intensity. It was very clear he wanted the gold. The Venezuelan performed his form with strength, but lacked intensity and focus. As a result, Wu was the victor as he walked out with the gold medal. In the 18 and up Male and Female Kobudo Free Form (long weapon) division, Wu's division was stacked. Wu took care of business as he took on each and every one of his competitors in his bracket division with his bo. Wu walked out with another gold medal on his neck. Quartin was up again for the 17 and under male and female Kobudo Free Form (any weapon) division. He only had one competitor against him. He demonstrated a sharp and intense sword form. Though there was some controversy about Quartin's weapon, once the judges examined it, they agreed it was ok and Quartin won a second gold medal of the day. Simon was up for the last division of the day. He competed in the 17 and under male and female Kobudo Free Form (long weapon) division. His division had a great number of competitors, but it didn't phase him whatsoever. He went through one competitor after another to capture his gold medal. Team USA was fantastic that day as Simon, Quartin and Wu shut out their competitors and each of them walked home with two gold medals around their necks. After the competition, Team USA went to a Children's Hospital. Team USA started with a demonstration. Simon, Canonizado, Wu and Quartin demonstrated their forms for the children who along with their parents were mesmerized by the performance. The kids were taken aback by all the action and high-flying techniques, a few girls were scared at first but they quickly smiled and giggled. After the performance, Team USA handed out toys to the children. This was the most touching experience of the trip - being able to make kids smile by simply spending time with them and handing out gifts. As we were leaving, I noticed Hakim Walker was very reflective, I asked him what he was thinking, his response: “I had to splash some water on my face as seeing the children smile despite there situation was hard to swallow because they didn't choose their infirmities, the infirmities chose them.” Scott Wu added, “Finishing off the week with the children's smiles and the demonstration was the biggest accomplishment Team USA has done.” Though Team USA was only in Russia for 5 days, the accomplishments Team USA had as good will Ambassadors, visiting the Embassy, performing demonstrations for the local news, handing out candy and sharing stories with the children, signing all autographs that were requested and the fighters giving away all of their gear, and visiting the Children's Hospital, seemed to leave an everlasting positive impression on all of those we came in contact with throughout the trip. Tony Abel and Vicki Forrester were fabulous coordinators for this event. It is amazing what they were able to pull together to make this trip go so smoothly. They were fabulous leaders and remarkable people. They provided Team USA and their families with a unique experience none of us will forget. I was invited on the trip to take photographs, video, and write up the story. I was happy to get the opportunity to compete as a fighter, which I would never dream could happen, I walked away with a bronze medal, not gold, but I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of Team USA and a good will Ambassador for the USA, which felt like winning a gold medal ten times over. Throughout our trip, wherever we went, the Russians were very helpful and friendly. I felt like a welcomed guest in their country and will be forever grateful to all of them that helped us with everything from ordering food to getting a taxi at 4 am in the morning. Enrique mentioned that during the tournament, a young Russian boy had given him a pin of a Russian flag and the expression on that young boy's face; one of sheer admiration and kindness towards him, is one he will never forget. Tony Abel called Team USA, “A class act, true Ambassadors for the USA. I am proud of each and every one of them from how they carried themselves during competition, to attending the banquet at the Embassy, and sharing toys at the Children's Hospital.”
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Copyright © 2009 International Martial Arts College USA. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2009 International Martial Arts College USA. All Rights Reserved.