Vote with your voices, vote with your feet and vote with your dollars! If you don't, forever hold your peace (ok, that's not a political concept, but we really do mean it!).

Last year, the Arnold Battle of Columbus (ABOC) said they wanted to become a major San Shou event. The community responded with a full show of support. ALL of the traditional "Big 6" teams attended the event, there were more than 150 athletes in attendance and Cung Le and Scott Sheeley organized one of the best Super Fight Cards in the history of the sport.

In return, we were treated about as poorly as a human being can be treated (just click to read our review). For an event that claimed they really wanted to offer San Shou, they sure did seem to act like they didn't care at all about us.

Despite this, this year Cung Le, David Ross and Scott Sheeley returned to the ABOC and gave it one last chance. It sure seemed like NOTHING had changed!

In fact, a certain organizer associated with ABOC expressed outrage at the fact that we gave the event such a poor review last year.

David Ross suggested to this person that since he read the review, he MIGHT have tried to absorb some of the criticisms and tried to correct them. Sadly, this concept seemed beyond them.

Where to begin? Well, there is the worst martial arts demonstration known to man-kind. Someone, please, explain to us the "logic" of shutting down an event for three hours in the midle of the day in order to hold the "openning ceremonies"?

Who is this "demonstration" really for? Perhaps if the "famous masters" bothered to look around they might note that probably 85% of those in attendance LEFT THE BUILDING DURING THIS SPECTACLE. Sure, it let guys like rising star Brad Burrick go back to his hotel room, take a shower, get something to eat and take a nap. For him it was probably a nice break.

For a majority of the B division, waiting to actually compete, it was a frustrating waste of time. One in which they weren't sure when to warm up, and then suddenly rushed to start again.

Once again, we have to ask why in 2004 there are still carnival side-shows acts being passed off as "martial arts"? A fake samurai sword being used to cut a watermelon was a gimmack in 1970. In 2004 it is downright embarassing.

I suppose I should add the fact that prior to this "trick", the "famous master" used a contemporary wushu straight sword set with this JAPANESE SINGLE EDGE BLADE. Honestly, anyone who thinks they could use a single edged samurai blade (ie Katana) exactly like a double edged Chinese straight sword (Jian) demonstrates they know NOTHING about real martial arts.

Then again, this "famous master" does seem a pretty fine drummer. I know this because his "martial arts demonstration" included him drumming for about five minutes.

At times like these, I am really embarrassed to be associated with Asian martial arts.

No, I don't expect to be invited back to ABOC. Then again, it appears I was never really invited nor welcome. Despite the fact I worked over ten hours straight in 2003 and brought one of the largest teams to the event, no one seemed to want to let me in the front door this time.

On a related note, there increasingly seems to be some sort of twisted belief among event promoters that San Shou people LIKE being treated like idiots. How else to you explain some of the other stuff I saw this weekend?

A certain promoter is doing an event in Floida in July. He's charging the forms (both traditional and contemporary), the weapons, the point sparring, Chi Sau and Shuai Jiao guys $55. The San Shou athletes are expected to pay $75! Oh, and that's pre-registration. Late registration is $95.

Compare that to the King of San Da World Championships, September 4, 2004
Early registration = $40
Pre-Registration = $50
Late (including at the door) = $60

The other trend seems to be people who have NO IDEA what San Shou is, the format, or the rules, trying to "run a San Shou event".

It's time for every single student, competitive athlete, coach, and official to stand up and vote with your feet and vote with your dollars!

Don't attend events that charge ridiculous fees and yet offer you nothing in return.

Don't attend events with messed up weight classes, messed up rules, and incompetant judges

Don't attend events where the officials in charge seem to have better things to do than listen to our concerns and try and correct them

This leaves a short list, not surprisingly including events promoted by major figures WITHIN our community.

Support Cung Le's new amateur leage and the "Born to Fight" tournament.

Support Mike Altman's "Eliminator" events in Texas.

Support Scott Sheeley's Ohio based shows.

And support the kickboxing organizations that have proved they are up to the task of promoting our sport!

The United States Kickboxing Association

The International Kickboxing Federation

And finally, feel free to attend the King of San Da USA's world championships this September 4, 2004.