2010 TKO Nationals by Johnnie Murphy
 

One of the first National Black Belt League’s first tournaments in Texas was Wayne Nguyen’s TKO Nationals Championship. The tournament was held June 11^th and 12^th at the Stafford Middle School competition Gym in Stafford Texas just south west of Houston. A newly renovated gym with stadium like seating, sunken competition floor and accessories including a massive observation window at the entry area. This was also the same place the TKO State championships in January were held. Wayne Nguyen also is a member of the Chuck Norris Kick Start organization and many Kick Start team members were in attendance.

Competitors from around Texas, Louisiana and Arizona showed up to compete.

This was a two day event with specialty events on Friday. Forms and sparring were held on Saturday. A surprisingly large turnout added to the prestige of this first 2010 NBL event. Wayne Nguyen has been one of the top state and national competitors in the country for over twenty years. And of course he was the White Ninja in the Chuck Norris movie Side Kicks. I guess he is a little tired of being referred to as the white ninja but he still is the best nun chuck weapons competitor around. Also a bunch of the current Kick Start teachers were Wayne’s black belts. Wayne has promoted at least one hundred black belts in the last two decades.

The tournament started Friday night on time at 7PM with the weapons, specialty and continuous sparring. The champions in the junior creative weapons group were Reign Garza 11 under, Zach Johnson 12 - 14, Marco Villanueva 15 - 17. Junior choreographed and musical weapons champions were Javier Leal 11 under, Elvin Nunez 12 - 14 and Marco Villanueva 15 - 17 years old, Yaresi Perez 15 -17 girls musical weapons. Anthony Robert - junior 12 - 14 traditional and Colby Northcutt who won the 15 - 17 years old traditional weapons division

The Friday adult black belt weapons champions were Chad Cannon - men’s creative weapons, David Johnson - adult choreographed musical, Clarissa Villanueva - Women’s hard creative, Johnnie Murphy - senior hard creative and adult traditional weapons. The Junior choreographed and traditional self defense was won by the brother and sister team of Sage and Colby Northcutt. Many under black belt divisions were ran simultaneous with the black belt divisions during the night.

Continuous sparring ended up the Friday nights competition. Junior continuous sparring champions were Evan Brown - junior fly, Shawn Northcutt - Junior feather, Christina Ramsey - junior light, Itzel Esquivez - Junior light middle weight. In the older continuous sparring divisions the girls and boys were in separate divisions. These older junior black belt champions were Robert Walker - junior boys middle, Nathen Sutton - junior boys middle, Douglas Cyril - junior boys light heavy, Matthew Clanclosi - boys super heavy weight, Yaresi Perez - girls feather Delynne Moore - girls light and Colby Northcutt Girls middle weight.

Adult continuous sparring champions were Angel Ochoa - men’s feather weight, Ben Acosta - men’s light weight, Jose Lara JR - men’s middle weight, Chance Turner - men’s light heavy weight, Charlie Davidson - men’s super heavy weight and Karen Schroeder - women’s light weight.

The team sparring champions were Kickstart 2 - boys team, Team PKKA girls team and Team Gipsy who won the men’s team point sparring division.

Saturdays turnout was crowded as large under black belt and black belt divisions scrambled to finalize. A great turnout by under black belt competitors packed the competition floor. Traditional and contemporary forms and sparring were up. Ronny Zapata won all five of the 11 and under kata divisions. Other junior contemporary and traditional forms champions were Joshua Ocampo, Elvin Nunez, Marco Villanueva, Javier Leal, Sage Northcutt, Jersan Kannady, Breanna Heller, Vanessa Tremor, Francisco Lara and Colby Northcutt.

The adult black belt forms champions were Chad Cannon - men‘s hard creative, Clarissa Villanueva - women’s hard creative and women’s Korean, Bryce Marchington - men’s senior hard, Valentine Mendoza - men’s Japanese/Okinawan, Ben Acosta - adult Kenpo/Kajukenbo, Jose Lara JR - men’s Korean, Alfredo Bustamante - adult soft, Kayla Kaplan - women’s Japanese/Okinawan and David Johnson men’s senior hard traditional.

The black belt junior fighters were up just before the adults late in the day. Junior black belt point sparring champions were Ronny Zapata 9 under, Reign Garza - 10 - 11, Francisco Lara boys 12 -13, Wayne Easterling boys 14-15, Garett Lee boys 16-17, Itzel Esquivel girls - 13-14 and Colby Northcutt girls - 15-17.

Adult black belt point sparring ran last. Black belt point sparring champions were Ashlon Smith men’s fly, Peter Chartouni men’s light, Jason Holmes men’s light middle, Chris Gallio men’s middle, Chance Turner men’s light heavy, Andrew Jeter men’s heavy, Charlie Davidson men’s super heavy, Stephanie Ochoa women’s fly and Ashley Wood women’s middle weight. The senior point sparring champions were Luis Jimenez - men’s senior light, Derrick Wilson - men’s senior middle, Norman Roberts - men’s senior heavy weight and 45+ heavy, Mark Beel - men’s senior super heavy, Johnnie Murphy men’s 45+ light and Karen Schroeder - women’s senior point sparring.

The night time finals started at 7PM. All of the best black belts from earlier in the day were up. Wayne Nguyen spared no expense. His competition finals ring was impressive. The venue was illuminated well and an awesome backdrop was up for a professional look to the whole night time show. Junior musical forms grand champion was Jersan Kannady and junior traditional forms champion was Francisco Lara. Chad Cannon took home the adult contemporary forms grand championship and Jose Lara, JR, was the traditional forms champion.

Charlie Davidson was unstoppable in the men’s point sparring grand and Derrick Wilson had a close victory in his final fight with Norman Roberts for the senior point sparring grand championship. The women’s point sparring grand champion was Ashley Wood. This concluded a great weekend of martial arts competition. Thanks to Wayne Nguyen and the NBL staff for the professional job at this tournament.