Warwick, RI.

For the past 29 years the Ocean State Grand Nationals has been the highlight of the Krane and NASKA tournament circuit. Run by Don Rodrigues, coach of Team Paul Mitchell, his wife Christine Rodrigues and with the help of Krane President Tony Cogliandro their event is never anything less then precise.

Friday night events started off with a bang with the youth and adult competition. The ballrooms at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick where packed with participants and spectators. Cory Lutkus of the recently formed Team Amerikick walked away with a number of wins one of which included, Creative weapons. Teammate Josh Kahan also surprised his competition with a win in the Extreme Weapons division. Sammy Smith of Prorank and Mackenzie Emory both won a weapons division on Friday and would battle each other out in the Extreme/Creative weapons run-off to see who would make it to the nighttime finals. In the 14-17 brackets, Premier Martial Arts Team Member Micayla Johnson won both the Extreme and Creative weapons divisions while Audrie Donihoo took the Extreme 16-17 division and Becca Ross took the creative division. The 14-17 year old girls competition for this year looks to be some good competition. With names like Jessica Goldman, Becca Ross, Micayla Johnson and Audrie Donihoo, to name a few, facing off against each other it's anyone's game.

Obviously we are living in a digital age. I'm not quite adjusted to everything that comes along with the internet, cell phones, text messaging, instant messaging, and certainly not blogging... but I'm trying.    Staying up to speed with these things is easier said than done because technology is advancing so fast, it's seems difficult for anyone to keep up.

I have created an account in several of the hot social sites: facebook, myspace, twitter, windows live space, photobucket, and of course now KICKgen and others. Now I'm trying to learn how to tie them all together. I mean, who actually has time to hit all those spots everyday and update your information. Not me... I do have a life, and a job, and a family!

Anyway, it's a slow process, but I think I'm catching on... now I just need to join all my usernames & passwords because I have so many I can't keep up with them.

H

Ok, so I've been out of karate for the past six months, thanks to my work schedule, and just recently started going back...so of course I was VERY sore for a few days afterwards lol.  Anyway, I went back and was actually just as strong as when I left, as far as performing my katas with the same intensity and form as before I left, which is saying alot seeing as how I nevered practiced on my own while I was out.

Well, the Western Mass. Open is coming up and my instructor (who is also my cousin) asked if I would like to participate....I of course said yes.  It's in a month and a half and I am going to be training my butt off for it since it will not only be my first tournament in a year, but also my first time competing in adult BLACK BELT!!

I'm not nervous...just a little anxious. 0_O