Texas Sport Karate

The George R Brown Convention Center in Houston is one of the premier event centers in the United States and was the venue for this first Showdown In H Town, a NBL national conference. Ed Saenz, one of Chuck Norris’s right hand men, produced this major martial arts event. Ed Saenz is the chief administrator to the Kick Start organization and produced this tournament in conjunction with the many kick Start and UFAF schools. March 13^th and 14^th in Houston is normally beautiful but for some reason the rain and cold prevailed the entire week making for two rainy and cold competition days. Fortunately downtown Houston has many hot spots to hang out at and the convention center is a first class place.

 

Even though it was a rainy Friday March 13^thin down town Houston they were able to start and proceed in a timely manor. Things seemed to run smoothly with the help of Boice Lydell head of the NBL and other expert league officials. The UFAF and Kick Start organization supplied many highly skilled judges to help with judging. The usual format inan NBL national is to run weapons, traditional forms and continuous sparring on Friday night so there was not lack of action for the spectators to witness. A spacious facility and massive bleachers ensured ample room for competition and spectators comfort. Matted rings, provided by the Kick Start and UFAF schools, ensured safe competition rings.

 

Fridays highlights centered around the black belt competitions with top rated champions present for a chance to get on stage Saturday night and meet Chuck Norris. A long time NBL champion Wayne Nguyen beat the crowed in several divisions for a shot on stage Friday night and the forms grand champion money. Mark Long of Missouri with his cheering section from Missouri won his spot at the finals. The Northcutt kids were unstoppable in the black belt junior divisions allowing them to compete in several grand champion finals categories. Derrick Stensen a top UFAF champion fired up his bo in a unique weapons routine for a win in adult black belt eighteen hard creative weapons. Chad Cannon’s awesome form won adult black belt hard choreographed musical weapons. Chris Glandon headed up the list of great black belt youth forms winners during the Friday nights agenda.

 

Continuous Sparring also ran Friday night and it was full of action. The Davidson brothers from Texas, blasted there way to the top in large heavy weight divisions. James Davidson showed no fear as he launched his six foot four inch body at his opponent like a missile and as could be expected the other fighters were not going to stand there and take a beating as they battled it out driving up the intensity of the action.

 

Charlie Davidson just went in and railed his opponents. You can bet there’s going to be action when these two are around.

The junior continuous divisions were scheduled for Finals competition. Kids from all over the country were vying for the coveted Saturday Night appearance and a chance to meet Chuck Norris. Two Victoria Karate Academy fighters, Evan Brown and Ethan Adcock, dominated there junior feather weight division and both ended up going to the stage in the finals. Friday night ended up with black belt teams battling it out and rounding out a night of world class martial arts competition.

 

Saturday was packed as a massive crowed converged on the convention center area where the tournament was being held. Some of the junior under black belt divisions had as many as twenty five competitors. A number the junior divisions took some time to conclude due to there size but everything seemed to run efficiently. In the black belt adult divisions contemporary forms was up with Bear Loebe, Ashley Artese and Toney Lopez winning top positions and a shot at the night time finals money.

 

Black belt point sparring was last up in Saturdays competition. Now I thought Friday night was something but the fighters came out of the woodworks for point sparring. Again big divisions created by the supporting Kick Start and the UFAF organizations pumped up the volume of contestants. Some of the more memorable fights were in the adult men’s black belt divisions. Dam Marshall worked his way through a hamstring injury and was most impressive in both point sparring and Friday with his win in men’s black belt Korean forms utilizing impressive leg techniques. Chad Cannon was in peak form as he fought his way through the men’s middle weight group another trip to the night time finals. The action was non stop with so many divisions fired up and action flowing.

 

The Saturday night time finals were the main attraction with the appearance of many people’s hero, Chuck Norris. As he arrived the whole place took on a different atmosphere. I noticed many of the staff were making an extra effort to show Mr Norris and his family a good time. A Kick Start demo started off the Nights activities with an impressive choreographed team form. Then Chuck Norris took the stage and thanked everyone for there support. He also gave a brief history of the Kick Start organization and how it has evolved to be one of his best achievements. After Mr. Norris completed his trip to the stage the action started.

 

The finals action started up with Junior black belt musical forms. Brandon Taylor Sage Northcutt and Anthony Key competed with Anthony Key pulling ahead and winning. Then it was the adult contemporary forms grand championship. All contestants were multiple world champions and veterans of the NBL. Ashley Artese, Bear Loebe and Tony Lopez gave very powerful performances. Ashley won with patented classical overture form. A series of junior continuous point sparring matches ran after contemporary forms. Evan Brown, Chance Maxwell, Sage Northcutt and Sean McNeal emerged as champions in there divisions. The Sean McNeal and Matthew Garza Junior light heavy weight match was exceptional with both competitors in and out of the ring and non stop action.

 

Team sparring was a contest of the two finalist from team competition. Team GOP with Jason Holmes, Brian Young and Brandon Bertsch against Team Heavyweight with James Davidson, Charlie Davidson and Antonio Brown. All these guys are great. First up was Antonio Brown against Jason Holmes a great match with two totally different styles of fighting. Then Charlie Davidson took on Brian Young in a fight that looked more like a free for all as they were in and out of the ring. Brian is not one to back down and Charlie just won’t take no for an answer. As you can guess the clashes were legendary and I’m sure there were some bruises to be nurtured after this fight. Last up was the two big guys. Brandon Bertsch against James Davidson, Charlie’s brother. As could be expected Charlie blasted after Brandon. Launching himself and going on the attack. Brandon not to be intimidated resorted to some effective counter fight tactics. Charlie was definitely going after Brandon. Charlie showed no fear and evened up the score. But the ring savvy Brandon played the defensive scoring game where he was able to pull ahead by one point after a tie in what can only be classified as one of the closes matches ever. An elated Team GOP got a picture of them holding there championship plaques with Chuck Norris.

Junior Choreographed weapons grand championship pitted Chris Glandon, Sage Northcutt and Nick Cain against each other with Nick Cain taking home the win. Chad Cannon pulled ahead for the victory over Derrick Stensen and Christina Rodriguez in the adult contemporary weapons grand championship. Then up was a series of specially picked junior black belt point sparring divisions. Well known junior champions fought impressively to win. Hope Salsedo, Jerson Kannady and Peter Chartoney were the winners.

 

The senior men’s point sparring grand championship was next with David Coppock going against Derrick Wilson. David had showed his prowess earlier in the day by winning his division and making it through the prelim’s. Derrick is a well known Texas AOK champion and both are veterans of many years of competition. This was really a fight of tactics. David managed to pull ahead and deliver another victory. The unstoppable and truly great Regina Thompson won the black belt women’s sparring grand championship.

Traditional forms ran next. Junior Japanese forms pitted the brother and sister team of Sage and Colby Northcutt against Zack Graham. Colby came out on top with gopaisho, a form she has won with many times. In the adult hard traditional forms, Wayne Nguyen, David Coppock, Dan Marshall, Ashley, Artese and Mark Long competed for the money and victory. It was to be Dan Marshall and his vertical kicks in the Korean form Koreo that would be the judges pick. Up next came Junior Korean Forms in a return for the dynamic duo of Sage and Colby Northcutt against Chris Glandon. Chris and Sage put on a valiant effort but again Colby was not to be denied as she took home another Showdown in H Town grand championship.

 

Last up on the Saturday night finals was the men’s point sparring grand championship. First run off put Jason Chartoney against Tony Lopez. Both of these guy’s have been around competing a long time and they knew all the tricks. Jason Chartoney has evolved from the Texas AOK and has become a force to be reckoned with. This was a close fight with Jason coming out on top and going on to the final fight for the money. Then came Brandon Bertsch and Chad Cannon. Brandon managed to fight better than ever but Chad just seemed to be on top of things. Brandon was the larger fighter and tried to cut off the ring against Chad but Chad’s versatile style and dynamics allowed him to win.

 

The final match pitted the two last finalist against each other. Chad Cannon was up against Jason Chartoney. The fight started off with each fighter feeling the other out.

 

Then in a split second they were on. Jason pulled ahead and managed to stay up as the score went back and forth. Chad seemed to be on a roll launching blitzes at Jason. Jason un phased came back with counter attacks that pulled him back on top. This was a close fight and both fighters were pulling out every thing they had for a chance to win the money and the grand championship. Time started to run down as Jason pulled ahead and for the duration of the fight stayed on top for the final contest of the tournament and his grand championship victory. This concluded the Showdown in H Town. Thanks to the competitors and producers for another quality NBL national event.

 

We all wish to thank Chuck Norris and his organization for their effort in their first NBL national.